In the northern hemisphere, the New Year lands on the other side of holiday busyness and into the heart of winter. I love the new year – not for its symbolic fresh start (every rising of the sun is a fresh start), but how it ushers in the sacred stillness of winter. It is from this darkness that the depths of possibility and light emerge.
For me, actively participating in the cycle of winter is a necessity – I believe this is true for us all. The cyclical gift of renewal that winter offers supports you in reclaiming your center and builds a solid foundation to create with intention throughout the rest of the year.
Winter’s necessity is evident throughout the natural world – many seeds need the cool darkness to germinate, fields need to rest, deciduous trees become bare and dormant, and animals rest in preparation for the return of spring and creating new life.
Winter is a time to slow down, create stillness, most importantly – not fill the absences of color and light – but rest in the darkness. The active part of reclaiming winter is choosing a different way to navigate your day. Rather than habitual over-efforting and busyness, resting and moving at winter’s pace is what’s most needed. Winter can be womb-like if we allow it, nourishing and profoundly restorative to your nervous system.
If winter is “skipped,” a system becomes out of balance. For example, if it’s not cold enough – insect populations get out of control in the summer; if a field doesn’t rest – it becomes less productive in the summer; if we don’t rest in winter – we quickly experience burnout.
Winter supports you in building up the potential energy you need for creating the rest of the seasons.
Fortunately, this winter season is just getting started, so now is the perfect time to reclaim your natural rhythm by reclaiming the winter season.
3 Steps to Reclaim Winter – and Create Your Best Year Yet
- Sleep like it’s winter.
- The nights are long; how much sleep is optimal for your body if given the opportunity?
- Experiment with going to bed 30 minutes earlier or sleeping in a little later when you can.
- Follow the dark.
- As it begins to get dark outside, dim your inside lights. Think soft lamp light vs. bright overhead light. This includes screens. As it gets dark, can you minimize your screen time? If you must be on a screen, decrease its brightness.
- Aligning your indoor lighting with what is going on in the natural world will reset your circadian rhythm in a most nourishing way.
True story… When I’m in my bathroom at night, right before bedtime, I will use the light from my phone rather than the bright lights. It makes a difference when trying to fall asleep. Ideally, I’d get a little lamp.
- Honor the absence.
- Absence of light, heat, and color in the natural world offers us the opportunity to slow down, get cozy, and settle in for rest. Try not to fill this space that nature gifts you.
- Be on the lookout for moments where you can just be – in this place of absence of activity – try not to fill it with information – news, podcats, etc.
- A cup of tea, a walk in the woods, gazing out the window, fluid writing, and art – are ways to be with the absence without filling it with effort or extra stimulus – it is a time to heal and settle our nervous systems – allowing it to rest and digest.
Blessings on the start of another year! It would be my honor to support you in reclaiming your natural rhythms, which leads to feeling at home within yourself. This is ultimate rest.
