SACRED SEASONS: Living in Alignment with Winter
Living seasonally brings more harmony
When we consider the season we’re in and intentionally align with the current season, then we are able to fully reap the benefits of that time and better prepare ourselves for the season ahead.
Winter is the time for going inward, for hibernation, for gestation in the damp darkness of the womb. After winter, after the gestation and the becoming, follows the birth, the emergence, the new life of springtime- but not yet. Now is the time to develop in the cover of darkness, to grow in small ways. Now is the time to become all that we need to be in order to be ready for our birth into spring.
In wintertime, instead of focusing on outward growth, may we focus on our inner growth, the growth of our roots, not of our branches. Direct your energy and effort inward and downward, to the depths. Winter is the season of the bones… the bones of our being, the bones of our life, the bones of our bodies. The bones are the structure and in this season, we are forming and strengthening our structure that will carry us through the year ahead.
Winter is not the time to make big resolutions and promises that will go untended to as we become busy and distracted, but instead it is the time of nurturing the foundation, cleaning out the impurities, excreting the waste. In springtime we are more supported in making big changes, sustaining big growth and making lasting commitments.
Seeds go dormant in winter. Some seeds even require the crack and thaw from cold temperatures in order to be able to germinate in the spring. It’s the harsh environment and the resulting cracking open that allows the seed to grow into its potential when the time comes. It is time to go dormant. Time to allow the cracking of our hard outer shells. Time to anchor in the depths and overcome our fear of the darkness. Time to go into the shadow, into the darkness.
Associations of Winter in TCM
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are associations with each season. These associations point to ways we can support ourselves and embrace the season we’re in. When we choose to live in intentional alignment with the season, we invite more harmony into our lives.
Organs. The yin meridian associated with winter is the kidney. The kidneys act as a filtration system for the body. They remove waste from the blood and they produce urine, which excretes waste from the body. Healthy kidneys maintain healthy bones as the kidneys help balance the mineral composition of the bones. The bones make our blood (in their marrow) which the kidneys then work to purify. Winter is the season of the bones. The season of going deep, digging deeper.
The yang meridian associated with wintertime is the bladder. The bladder is, of course, related to the element of water. The bladder is a gateway of outflow, a pathway of detoxification, an organ of storage and release. And the balance between those two must be intact. Consider fear and its relation to the bladder. As you’ll read below, fear is another main character this winter.
The element of winter is water. Think of your tears. Think of the ocean… think of the dark depths and mystery of the unknown in the deep. Think of the rivers… powerful in their persistence, always flowing, always changing, unpredictable and responding as necessary to a variety of inputs. What can you learn from the element of water? Where can you become more watery?
Water is essential for life. Hydration, essential for the body. The fascia is the thin white tissue that runs throughout our entire body and connects every part to the next part. Without water the fascia (connective tissue) becomes dry, brittle, tense and weak. With water and the proper lubrication it needs, the fascia allows the body to move and work and thrive as one being. And water is at the heart of our proper whole-body functioning.
Water flows. Water takes different forms depending on the environment it’s in; water adapts. How can you enter into and remain longer in your flow states? Where can you adapt this season?
The emotion of winter is fear. This doesn’t mean that we will feel more fear in winter as opposed to other seasons (though it could), but it means that we have an opportunity and an invitation to meet our fears. Delve into our fears. To face our fears head on instead of ignoring or shying away. What are you afraid of… and more importantly, WHY are you afraid? What has happened to cause the fear and what can be healed to act as a salve on the scar that the original trauma left?
The purpose of fear, evolutionarily, is so that we can run faster and further from danger. Sometimes this purpose is truly necessary. When there is a real threat, let us run. But sometimes the emotion of fear arises when there is only a perceived threat, or a threat to our ego, not our physical body and wellbeing. So what can we allow our fears to teach us? How can we allow our fears to be freeing instead of binding? When confronted mindfully, our fears lose power, become smaller, and sometimes even dissipate completely.
The color of winter is… darkness. Dark blues and black. The color of the deep ocean. The color of the infinite cosmos. The color of mystery and depth. Wearing these colors (or lack of color) in winter can help us connect with those properties of depth and mystery and act as a reminder that there is also beauty in nothingness.
The foods recommended for winter are those that are seasonally ripened in your area at this time and more specifically, the underground foods. The roots. Think potatoes, carrots, radishes, turnips, onions, garlic, etc. Also up your intake of warming foods, like soups and deeply nourishing heavier dishes. Warming spices added to whatever you’re eating brings in the spirit of winter.
Seasonal Tools for Winter
This winter, practice the art of saying no. Minimize your commitments. Direct your energy inward (to yourself, your family, your close circle). Say no when you choose and release the need to explain your no. Your time is your most valuable resource, and there is only so much. So say no when you want to. Say no when you need to. Say no sometimes even when you don’t want to, but you feel deep in your bones that “No” or “Not today” or “Not yet” is the right answer.
This winter, REST. Go a bit more slowly and do so with intention. Challenge yourself to rest more. Challenge yourself to see how slowly you can move in certain areas of your life. Take walks outdoors with proper layers and allow yourself to saunter instead of speed. Allow rest.
If you’re a bleeding woman, connect more deeply to your cycle this winter. Winter is like the womb, so connect with her. Maybe begin or recommit to tracking your cycle. Reach out to me if you have questions about this.
Journal. This is a beautiful practice all year, but especially as we are meant to direct our energy inward. Write down your fears, your dreams, your desires and your needs. Write so that you can articulate for yourself. Write so that come spring and summer you can look back and see how much your deep roots have brought forth your flowers.
Gather, discuss, share. This is bone growth, root growth, growth in the depths and the darkness. Go deep with your loved ones. Share what hasn’t seen the light of day. Share the shadow just as much as the light. Say the things you’ve needed to say. Dive into the depths with the ones you cherish and let them see you more fully.
Reflections for Winter
Whether you write responses in a journal, or simply consider these ideas, spend some time in reflection this season. Ask yourself some or all of these questions…
What are you proud of from the previous year that just came to close. Write as many things as you can think of and write complete sentences so that over and over again you begin with “I am proud of myself for…” (Scroll through your photos for the previous year if you need a reminder of all that you’ve accomplished and overcome.)
What are your deepest fears? What can you learn from your fears? Where is your fear perceived rather than a true threat? What fears, after facing, are you ready to release?
What are you cleansing and eliminating for the year ahead? You don’t have to make your big resolutions now, instead, you can make a commitment to release these things standing in the way so that there’s room for what you desire to bring in.
What have you left undone? What have you left unsaid? Whom can you begin to forgive? Maybe yourself.
What secrets haunt you? What shame hinders you? By looking them in the face and being honest with yourself about those shadows, you begin to weaken their grip on you. Begin.