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Winter offers the opportunity to draw in our energy and reflect.
Days are shorter, with less light. We may wish to retreat into the warmth and comfort of home.
Whilst there is less colour and noticeable beauty to be found in winter nature, there is much to enjoy about a simpler landscape.
We are invited to see life in a clearer, less cluttered way, and think about what is important to us. As plants, trees and flowers return to earth to be reborn, and small animals hibernate for winter sleep, we too can shed the leaves of regret and discard old habits that no longer serve us.
As light decreases, space to breathe increases, helping us to digest thoughts and feelings with greater ease.
There is a lot to be grateful for this season, and a little bit of self-care at this time will go a long way to help us enjoy the stillness of the season and embrace the feeling of renewal. Try one or two of the tips below to enjoy the season with increased awareness, compassion and inspiration.
Take a piece of paper. Write “HAPPINESS IN WINTER IS …” at the top of the paper. Close your eyes. Take a few breaths. Open your eyes and write down everything that comes to mind about happiness in winter. There is no need to do any hard thinking, just see what arises.
Practise ‘bridge pose’ (setubandha sarvangasana) a yoga pose that helps to keep the body warm and supple. This gentle back bends helps to active our internal fire, whilst also calming and rejuvenating our mind. Consider using a bolster or pillow under the hips for a more restorative option.
Find yourself a ‘touching stone’. Place a stone that you are naturally drawn to, outside in your garden, so that it is open to the changes in the weather. Touch your stone on a frosty morning, after a fall of rain, and on a sunny afternoon. Notice how the stone looks and feels different each time. Notice how the change in the elements affect your thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Light a candle and take pen and paper. With a soft gaze contemplate the flickering flame. Spend time thinking about the things that no longer serve you in your life. Make a list of these things and then fold the paper in half and in half again. Find a safe place, preferably outdoors, pass the paper through the flame. Drop the paper into an overproof dish. Watch the paper as it transforms into ash, and say silently, kindly to yourself “I release you. I set you free. I take back the power for me”.
Go for a brisk walk in nature. This will be both mentally and physically refreshing. If you feel physically stuck indoors or emotionally stuck in your thoughts, the act of walking may help to motivate the body and transition the mind towards clarity. The return to the warm space of home after your brisk walk will also release feel-good endorphins.
Spend some time reflecting and journaling on one or more of the following questions – “What have I been incubating in the dark half of the year?”, “What do I need to sweep away in order to make way for the new?”, “What do I wish to leave behind?”, “What do I wish to bring forth into the light?”, ”How do I wish to celebrate the return of the light and honour my transition towards outward growth?”.
Repeat one of the following affirmations in your mind’s eye – “Relaxation is good for my soul”, “I am thankful for all the blessings in my life”, “I let go of the past, to make space for the future”, “My heart is open to give and receive love”, “There is beauty in stillness”, “Every day I renew myself”.
Contemplate this quote by Edith Sitwell “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 a time for home”.
If you wish to continue seasonal contemplation, please join me for a seasonal yoga event, seasonal inspired forest bathing session, or sign up to my Reflect, Release and Renew 7-Day FREE Online Winter Challenge.
I can also highly recommend ‘The Self-Care Year’ by Alison Davies and ‘The Happiness Year’ by Tara Ward.
Happy Winter-time …
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