Winter is a most mystical season! Just take a look at the natural world around us. During the frost of winter, plants submerge their essence into their roots, animals thicken their hides, and ponds harden into ice. This is a time of apparent inactivity yet beneath the stillness there is a hubbub of hidden happenings. Gestation and incubation are bubbling away in preparation for the renewal of spring.
What’s
happening in nature is echoed in us. Like it is for the plants and animals, winter
is a crucial time for humans to slow down, take stock, and accumulate reserves
so we can be at our finest when it's time to spring forward. The short days and the
long nights afford us time to look deeply into ourselves and reflect on the
past year, appreciate our present, and prepare for the coming year.
But alas,
the magic of winter is often over-shadowed by the frenzied bustle of the
holidays, jam-packed schedules, and the flu; all poised to deplete our energies. So
what to do? I would like
to offer a short list of four practices I have found to be supportive and restoring.
Thoughtful Activities:
Techniques
such as, meditation, prayer, journaling, and counseling can help move awareness of our deeper desires into our conscious mind. These tools have the ability
to calm our emotions, relax the mind, and raise our spirit; just the thing for
a cold winter’s night.
Phone A Friend:
The winter
months can be isolating for many. This is a great time to reach out and
reconnect. Write a letter, send a text. Hold a door, share a smile. Ask for
help.
Seek Inner Warmth:
Maybe it’s
time to reconsider that breakfast smoothie habit (just for the season) and opt
for warmer sustenance. When cold weather strikes a chilling blow, warming and
concentrated foods such as soups, stews, and porridges should take center stage.
One of my
favorite go-to recipes for winter is Commonweal’s
Most Nourishing and Healing Tea from Rebecca Katz, a delicious concoction
reminiscent of a chai tea. Rebecca affectionately calls it, “… a backrub in a
cup” and I agree! nourishing-and-healing-tea-recipe
Express Gratitude:
Be thankful
for every day, every moment! Let me start by saying “thank you” to each and
every one of you that has read my blog and offered your encouragement. It means
more to me than you might ever know. My hope is you will welcome the arrival of
winter and rejoice in this beautiful season of reflection, appreciation, and preparation!
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"Winter is the time for comfort,
for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk
beside the fire: it is the time for home." --Edith Sitwell
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