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In our hearts we burn warm with all that
wintertime offers and all we hold dear. In times past, the bare-limbed trees, long
nights, and biting chill of winter signified to all that the time had come to
slow down. Humanity emulated the animals, retreating into cozy dwellings
where they sustained themselves on foods harvested late in autumn and passed
the time in peaceful reflection. Today, most people proceed ruddy-cheeked
through winter’s frosts, ignoring the profound effects cold weather has on
their bodies and their minds. Yet the beauty and significance of wintertime
cannot be so easily overlooked. As the temperature plummets, leaving the air
crisp and the landscape bare, we tend to crave warmth and relish rich foods.
The presence of loved ones seems more comforting when blustery winds rattle
window panes and we feel compelled to conserve our energy by engaging in only
the most soothing of activities. Though your daily schedule may remain more
or less the same no matter what time of year it is, you will find in winter
many opportunities to honor the way in which you are impacted by this most
magical of seasons. At first glance, the world may seem desolate during the
coldest months. Yet there are many unique and stimulating sensory experiences
to be had — in the intricate beauty of individual snowflakes, the patterns of
frost that form on your windows, the tang of smoke from wood-fueled
fireplaces, the crunch of freshly fallen snow under your feet, and the
briskness of the air. Don’t be afraid to venture joyfully out into the cold
and the snow as you may have when you were a child. A tingling and reddened
nose is a small price to pay for a clear mind and invigorated soul. If your
body articulates a desire to rest, give yourself permission to spend your
free time reading, writing in your journal, daydreaming, engaging in artistic
pursuits, playing board games, working a puzzle or meditating. Many plants, like the tulip and the apple
tree, would not blossom in the springtime were it not for the period of
dormancy that is the gift of winter’s chill. Their example can inspire us to
use this season of slumber to cleanse ourselves of spiritual and emotional
detritus, like flora shedding lifeless foliage, so that we may emerge from
under the frost refreshed and renewed when spring arrives. |
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