The outside air bites when you breathe it in and sweeps you back into the warmth to await spring’s welcome with crackling fires, warm drinks, cosy blankets, and sleep—a form of wintertime hibernation. But in a culture that prizes productivity, we rarely welcome the invitation to rest during the winter months, pushing through the exhaustion, instead of giving into it. Humans do not need to hibernate in the same way as many animals and plants do in order to survive. We have learned to use fire, clothing, shelter, hunting, and agriculture to continue living through the winter months. And yet, we have much to learn from nature’s way of using the winter months as preparation for the hustle of spring and summer.
Instead of relentless activity, nature teaches us to accept the cycles of life as seasons—times of toil, preparation, and rest. Winter can be—if we allow it to be—a time of hibernation, when we accept the rest offered to us. Getting outdoors and into nature as much as possible during the bright hours of the day will boost mental wellbeing and give you a more positive outlook. And then after a long, bracing walk in the cold, homes are for Hygge. Certain acts like curling up on the sofa with a hot cocoa, lighting your favourite candle, putting on warm pyjamas, heating a hot water bottle or simply getting under a blanket by the fire—all would be considered Hygge.
Emotional rest allows us space to become more self-aware, more emotional balance and have more resilience and flexibility with how we navigate the world around us. It can also provide a buffer against life stressors, increase our motivation and improve our mental wellbeing. Your body and soul, yes, your soul, cry out for something besides action, busyness, results, distraction, and stimulation. And what is winter? For sure it is not just the absence of summer. . Ancient wisdom tells us that winter is the downside of any cycle of energy, when there is more darkness than light, and when natural rhythms slow down. It is also when seeds rest in the season and prepare for the future spring. It is the season of germination. The season of depths and new emergence from the deep, the season of the inarticulate parts of us that are more real than what we can say about them.
Time to slow down, meditate, or connect to what is beyond ourselves. Rest is associated with a Pause. Renewal is associated with a Stop. Pausing is getting off the bike, Stopping is getting off the bike and choosing. Listen to the lessons of the seasons.
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