These past several weeks life in the natural world has been slowing down. Plants have died back, deciduous trees have lost their final leaves and hibernating animals have been turning in for the winter. We humans don’t really make many adjustments anymore as the seasons change. Work still starts at the same time, the school buses head into town in the wee hours of the morning – life goes on as it has all year long (although now a large part of it is lived in darkness). We’re a stubborn species and most of us stick to our routines and schedules even when all around us are signs that it’s time to slow down.
Electricity has given humanity the opportunity to do more and to be more productive but it’s also disconnected us from the rhythms of nature. Modern society never slows down, in fact, this time of year stress levels often ramp up and life becomes more hectic around the holidays. We try to ignore what’s going on outside of our warm homes and offices. We press on despite the limited hours of daylight, the freezing temperatures and the growing blanket of snow. Even if we’re aware of the changes going on around us, we ignore how it affects us. We choose to believe that only plants and animals benefit from a period of dormancy and rest and that we as a species have found a way to avoid the hassle of slowing down.
Our wellbeing pays the price, however. Our bodies pay the price. And unfortunately it’s often illness that finally gets us to slow down. What if we didn’t wait that long and instead took a break voluntarily? This is the time of year to rest, to reset our nervous systems, to reflect and to relax. It’s a time of nourishing and softening. Rather than trying to push through our to-do lists and endless errands, why don’t we try to turn down the dial a little? What if we chose to be gentler with ourselves?
I don’t know about anyone else but I love a power outage. It’s incredible how still the world becomes. The constant hum of gadgets and home appliances quiets and everything gets simple. There’s no wifi and no tv. There’s just the crackling of the fire in the woodstove and if you’re lucky, something yummy bubbling in a big pot on top. The world outside melts away and you’re left with the essentials (warmth, food, and hopefully some good company). Remember what a snow day felt like as a kid? That’s the feeling I yearn for.
We don’t have to wait to be snowed in or for the power to go out in order to rest, reset and recharge. We can give ourselves permission to dim the lights, dig out some candles, cook something nourishing, focus on the tangible and choose to let go of the rest; the hectic stressful world will still be around in January. These days around the winter solstice can be powerfully nourishing for the soul and the body.
Make the darkness your friend and trust that although it may seem like nothing is happening, this period of “less” is necessary. The outside senses get pushed aside for a while and an inner awareness can rise. The outer work decreases and the inner work begins. Disconnecting from the frenzied external world is the antidote to the taxing pressures of the holiday season. When was the last time you listened to a record in its entirety, submerging yourself in the lyrics and the notes? I remember as a child watching the vinyl spin round and round on my parents’ turntable, noticing the slightest pops and clicks that were created every time a fleck of dust would hit the needle. Analog, low-tech, tangible things are perfect for this time of year.
Let yourself be soothed by simple pleasures as snow falls softly outside, moonlight casting shadows of bare tree branches on the white ground. Memorize a poem, listen to your favourite album from beginning to end in the dark, write someone a letter by hand, meditate, take a nap, go for a slow walk in the fresh snow, gaze into the fire, journal, reflect on the past year and set intentions for next one, read a good book and cook something comforting that has to simmer all day. Soften and turn inward. On the days that you can, start your day slowly, enjoying the coziness of a warm home, a period of empty time and a cup of something hot. And in the evening choose to go to bed early as the stars twinkle in the sky above. Conserve your energy, sleep the kind of sleep that gives your body a chance to rest and repair itself and tap into the spirit of hibernation so that you’ll be ready to blossom once again in spring.
