The Art of Wintering

It's Time to Let Winter Take Back Control

Winter is the perfect time for self-care. For creativity, for finding ourselves, for deep inner healing. We all intuitively know how to winter – what to do you truly want to do on those cold winter days? Our intuition leads us. But we must listen to it, its wisdom.

To watch the snow flutter down from the sky and settle on the rocks and grass, turning the world a magical white and grey, while I am warm and toasty indoors in front of the crackling fire.

To knit and feel the rough softness of the wool in my hands while sitting on the couch under a velvety blanket with my puppy dog snuggled up beside me.

To brew tea to drink and feel the warmth spread through my body, and enjoy big mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows melting and gooey on top.

To nourish my body with a big bowl of warm porridge, a drizzle of sweet honey on top.

To smell the warmth and cosiness, the earthy tones of woods, orange and cloves.

To feel secure that this place of safety I have created won’t push me to rush, it will allow me the space to heal.

To wonder when I see the animals outdoors; the wombats, the deer, the kangaroos, the cockatoos, if they feel the cold like I do.

To find a cosy corner, and write my thoughts with a candle flickering beside me.

To enjoy a loaf of freshly baked bread, warm slices lathered in butter and jam.

To go for a walk on a cold day and feel the briskness of the air being able to retreat back to my safe, warm space.

To marvel at the ice crystals that form with the frost, the absolute delicateness of them.

To draw, paint, sketch, make things with my hands, let my creativity flow, be inspired by all the beauty of the world.

To hear the crack of thunder and the drumming rain on the roof knowing that I am safe and warm in my soft comfortable bed.

To wrap myself up in a big soft oversized jumper like a big warm hug.

To feel the divine relief of the warm water hitting my body in the shower.

To see the buds on the barren trees, telling me there is life beneath the death.

To know that I am connecting with our seasons, slowing down as I am supposed to in preparation for the rebirth of Spring.

To remember that I am not separate from our Earth, nature, I am a part of it, and I want to allow it the job of healing me.

To relinquish control over winter and embrace it. Love it. Move with it.

To accept winter’s invitation to relax, rest and heal.”

There is something so beautiful about watching the fog roll in on a winters morning

When I came across this term “the art of wintering” I wondered why it is something that I hadn’t heard before. It’s a thing, it really is. I don’t feel that it’s a high skill thing, something the select few have, that might take years to hone. I had heard of hygge, you may have heard of hygge too. Winter is a prime time for hygge, and if we put two and two together then I figure we all probably already know something about wintering. Hygge is about taking time out to enjoy life’s quiet pleasures, taking time to unwind, creating a warm atmosphere. Isn’t winter one of the easiest times to add some hygge to our lives? Think cosy blankets, hot chocolate and deep conversations.

In our current world, our modern society, we have been conditioned to hustle, to do as much as we can in the shortest amount of time all in the name of profit, money and wealth, to ultimately create the pinnacle of our lives - success. That we have it all. We’ve made it. But in these endeavours we have become separate from the seasons, separate from our planet, in the name of consumerism, materialism, capitalism, industrialism. We are roused harshly from our natural sleep patterns by an alarm. We work an eight hour day or longer, (don’t forget commute times), leaving our homes in the dark of the morning, returning in the dark of the evening. We never see the sun as we are locked indoors, machines of the system designed to keep us separate from nature. It’s making us sick. We watch screens that affect our natural melatonin production, creating an imbalance and making it more difficult to sleep. We are disconnected. From nature, from the seasons, from the earth. We are blatantly ignoring the our planet’s invitation and opportunity to heal ourselves by reconnecting and behaving as she provides for us in the winter months.

In my perfect world, we would all reclaim the art of wintering again, allowing us the time to heal deeply and fully. To rejuvenate. To be prepared for the warmer seasons when we want to burst into new growth and energy. We would gather in comfortable chairs, tell stories, laugh until our side hurt, while sharing a bowl of warm soup and crusty bread.

Take some time to allow yourself to hibernate. Go to bed earlier and wake up later, sleep deeper, take those long baths, read that book, create some art, bake biscuits, prepare warm stews with creamy mashed potatoes to enjoy with conversation over the dinner table. It’s okay not to be a part of the hustle every day. It’s definitely okay to slow down. Allow the seasons to take control and let winter give you a big hug.

If this speaks to you, I would love to hear your thoughts. I also wanted to offer a little something extra, so below I have included some links to help you bring a bit more wintering into your life.

• A slow and grounding Spotify playlist for you to listen to while you take some time out to relax: Wintering & Deep Inner Rest Spotify Playlist

• 30 days of wintering – a checklist of ideas to try to help move you into the art of wintering: 30 Days of Wintering Prompts - Free Download

• A free photography print from my mini photography series – The Bones of Winter - Fog: Bones of Winter Photo Print “Fog” - Free Download

Dead branches, grey skies, doesn’t mean death, but sleep and rest for the trees