Rest now.

You deserve it.

Winter Self Care

Each and every piece of your body is asking you to rest. Pause and listen to this message and you will see just how clearly your body and mind are trying to tell you. This is what winter is all about. It is not just a change of seasons for the plants and creatures but it is intended also for our bodies and minds. Although we may now live in heated homes and zip from one warm place to another in our cars, we need not forget how we evolved during the changing of seasons and for years lived by these seasonal patterns.

We cannot keep going at a fast past of planting and harvesting. Sometimes we need to rest and pause. As we let the earth rest, we must also let our minds rest, let our bodies rest.

What are you doing today to find that quiet and peace from within? How are you nurturing your body and your spirit?  Take some time and breath. Taking in deep breaths of the gift of this life and remembrance that you, yourself deserve this gift.

We are much more connected to this earth than we often remember.

Just like a plant that requires nurturing from sunlight, water and care, so does your body and your spirit. I challenge you today to  sit outside and breath in this  fresh air and plant your feet on the earth to soak in it’s healing energies.

Light a candle on these darker times and carry it outside with you. You are that light in the darkness. It is always burning even during these darker and restful times. When we rest we actually are able to see the light more clearly.

A Winter Meditation: Seeing Our Inner Light

Get into a comfortable chair where your back is upright and your feet are planted on the floor.

Take a few breaths to ground yourself.

With your eyes closed, imagine a ball of light deep within your chest. Focus in on it and try to increase its brightness. With the inhale this light gets bigger and with the exhale it expands. Keep your inner gaze at the third eye but feel this expansion in the chest.

Sit in awe of your inner light and feel it as it grows brighter and brighter in the darkness.

Allow this light to grow so large it escapes your body and into your auric field all around you. Feel yourself enveloped in this bright, warm and comforting light that is your own. You have created this and it is you. Feel the love and gratitude for this light of yours.

Allow your body to release any fears or negative thoughts that you feel you are holding on to now. Toss them into this powerful, radiant light of yours. Watch as these fears are burned out by the light within you. Stay here for at least a few breaths.

When you feel complete focus back on your breath and give thanks to your inner light.

When you are ready to come out, envision a golden circle above your head and ask to call in all of your energy that has been scattered across the seasons and call it back into this circle. Watch it grow bigger and bigger and bigger. When you are ready, pop a hole in the bottom of the circle and watch as it floods your body. When you are ready open your eyes.

*This is also a great time to journal and reflect on what this meditation brings forward to you. An idea is to also ask your body what needs to be nurtured within you and write that down.

Ideas for ways to honor the winter within you

Allow your body to be nurtured. This can mean different things for different people. Take some time to reflect on the last few moments you have taken to give yourself the nurturing it deserves. What did that look like? When did you last take in a deep breath of relief? What would it take to get you back there?

Here are just a few of my favorite ways to nurture myself during the winter.

• Take a baths
• Fill my body with a nourishing soup (Will share my garlic soup recipe soon!)
• Slow down! Move through your house slowly and really look at each item that you pick up and give it thanks. Choose your most comfortable sweater and as you put it on, give it thanks and show it love. Pour yourself a cup of tea and select your favorite mug. Hold it in both hands before you place it down.
• Snuggling on the couch with a good book. Right now I am reading Light Is The New Black by Rebecca Cambell.
• Thumb through seed catalogues and envision the coming spring.
• Sip tea – preferably decaf. Focus on nurturing herbal blends like rose, camomile, oat straw, motherwart
• Slow down and look at each item around you and ask if is bringing you joy
• Create a sacred space. It could be just one corner of your house or you can expand this space to include your home and your yard. How to do that with kids? The best way is to work on decluttering. I promise they wont notice for too long. Allow them to choose what brings them joy and give thanks to the toys that no longer serve them at this time. Work with them on what it means to create a sacred space.
• Spend time with friends and family and enjoy a candle lit dinner together. Assemble the ingredients at your home and instead of preparing it all yourself before your guests arrive, make it a communal activity and cook together.
• Meditate if even for only 10 minutes a day. Allow yourself this stillness.
• Journaling is a great activity for all year round but especially for the introspective season of winter.
• Give thanks for the past lessons of the earlier seasons and give thank for the opportunity to learn and grow in the following seasons. Upon waking and before falling asleep, express gratitude.

 

Connecting to Mother Earth During Winter

Look around at the trees who are heading this lesson of rest. They may look dead but they are not, they are doing what they know needs to be done to protect themselves and reserve their energy for times of great growth. Reflect by a tree and bring your journal with you. Don’t be afraid to reach out and put your hands on the tree or on the earth. Try to write down what this tree is trying to remind you about the winter season. What do you think it is experiencing at this time?

Don’t be afraid to be outside in the cold. It can actually be very restful for the soul.

 

What are your favorites ways to nurture yourself in the winter?