Fall and winter are my favorite seasons, but I know it can be a difficult time for some people.
The colder weather, the lack of sun, and shorter, darker days can feel depressing. One thing that's helped me find such enjoyment in the cooler seasons is being a good observer.
What you resist persists
When we push against things, especially things we can’t control, like the changing of the seasons, we become the cause of our difficulty. Buddhist teachings suggest shifting our perspective to becoming a witness. Allow space for what is, and simply notice. This helps us find things to appreciate.
The fall and winter feel slower. The tree sap sinks lower into the trunk; animals stockpile food and get ready for hibernation. Insects go to ground.
Work with the season by allowing yourself that same time to slow down. Think of it as a time to go within.
Sleep more if you can and if feels right. Find slower activities. Enjoy taking time to notice what’s going on around you. It’s a lovely time for reflection. What have you been up to this year? What is working and what doesn’t serve your best intentions?
Find a winter activity
I have a huge blanket I crochet each winter. I may or may not finish it in any given year. If I don’t, it gets stored until next winter, when I can let it flow over my lap as I add row after row. The repeating rhythm of my hands gives my mind time to wander, to reflect.
It’s not about judging or beating myself up. It’s more like taking inventory.
It’s not a time to do heavy list-making. It’s simply a time to notice. Gather the proverbial nuts you’ve been storing throughout the year and look them over.
What might happen if you give yourself permission to relax from perpetual planning for a bit?
activities to honor winter
Journaling
Meditation
Shamanic journeys
Reading
Writing letters (even if you don’t send them)
Breathwork
Slow-moving hobbies, like drawing, painting, or sewing
Winter is the North on the wheel
Using the wisdom of the medicine wheel, winter is the North. It’s where projects are coming to completion. It is a time of rest and refelction.
This time is necessary to deeply take in the lessons of our year, our projects, our healing journeys, and our self-growth. It is laying the fertile ground for the spring (the East) when new ideas begin to bubble to the surface.
But, first, we need rest and reflection so we go into new projects and journeys with all those nuts of wisdom we’ve gathered through the last trip around the wheel of the seasons.
Reflections for year’s end
Where has your focus been this year?
What have you been fighting against?
What has served you well, and what has not?
What wisdom have you gained; what have you learned?
What is important for you to continue and what has waisted time?
Finding balance
Each season has its own gifts. Each one keeps nature in balance. We are meant to have rhythms of balance in our lives. Taking a cue from nature’s wisdom, we can acknowledge that the masculine “go, go, go” needs to be balanced with rest and planning. Planning starts in the spring when our juices are flowing again.
Let winter teach you to let your sap settle deeper within as you consider the gifts of the year.
Use this recording to connect deeply with Mother Earth. Release those things that no longer serve you. She is happy to recycle them!