Observing the natural environment out my window brings such pleasure. Where a few days ago, the ground was green and brown, now there is a snowy white coat covering it. The trees are bare, the sky is crystal clear and icicles hang from the rooftops.
When I observe nature, I come to appreciate it and when I appreciate it, I come to synchronize myself with it. That means in winter, I feel compelled to take time to rest and reflect. Time is there for me to take when I remember. If I forget, nature reminds me, for one can sense the deep resting phase happening just outside the window pane.
Meanwhile, in the flurry of modern living, time can feel fleeting. Remember it is ours to take when we pull on the reins before the wild horse of modern life gallops away with us on its back. It is always worth the effort to find time in the winter, when the cold and dark days invite us to stay warm inside and rest, review, reflect, and restore. This process prepares us for spring’s rebirth, as the task of one season is done, the next season presents. To prepare for a beautiful spring garden, nature is at rest in the winter. In the time of quiet and going inward, we might find that we have greater access to our soul’s truth as evidenced by vivid dreams and a fortified sense of intuition.
You may wonder how to find quiet and rest. Consider your relationship to sleep. It is vital to our wellbeing to get enough sleep at night, but if you find that busy days do not afford enough time for reflection, you might pop awake at night. Welcome that time to process whatever has shown up on your pillow, rather than resisting it. In the dark, quiet night, especially in winter when the windows are closed shut, we can listen to our own thoughts. What are they telling us?
Be sure to go to bed early enough to accommodate night wakefulness. The hours before midnight are the most restorative; set up the evening to begin winding down early so that even if you have a night reflection, you will awake refreshed in the morning in your body and mind.
Slowly and surely, the practice of living a quieter life in the winter in keeping with nature’s cues, will grow in you, one season at a time. After February 2nd, when we cross the threshold in between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, we start to notice the shift toward the return of the light. That increase in light and rumblings underground may stir restlessness and then we know spring is coming. In its infinite wisdom, nature provides a “time for every purpose under heaven” including a time for rest and a time for waking up from resting.
After winter’s dormancy, you may awake in the spring refreshed with the ground of your soul prepared for new growth. Let nature’s cycles be your ever-present guide and inspiration. Human consciousness allows for choice, choose to sense and to respect the beauty and fluidity of nature in winter. Put yourself in the midst of the river, where you can flow with the current. You might lie back and close your eyes, feeling the strength of non-resistance when you do.
