Wintering
Winter! A word that many people in the northern hemisphere do not want to hear. 🫨
And yet it arrives, bringing a drop in temperature, proclaiming the first breath of winter, sending us scurrying to retrieve coats, scarves, gloves, socks, and sweaters from the wardrobe. It’s a time to curl up under a cozy blanket with a captivating book or bring out a project that brings you joy and comfort.
Outside, the trees have let go of the last of their leaves. Animals are storing up food for the months ahead or getting their dens ready for a welcomed time of hibernation. All around nature is preparing for the winter sleep.
Humans, on the other hand, have mixed reactions. Some bemoan the end of summer and dread the transition to winter. Others are busy planning a temporary escape to warmer climates. Then some flow with the changing seasons and welcome this season as a time to slow down, recharge, reflect and enjoy the rest.
Which one are you?
As many of you know, I love the changing seasons. I welcome and embrace each season for what they have to offer. Since coming back to Canada in 2009, I have attuned myself to the flow of the seasons here in the north.
Don’t get me wrong, there are aspects of winter I, too, find challenging, like -30C with blowing winds 🥶, winter driving on icy roads, the thaw-and-freeze making walking on icy sidewalks a challenge, and getting stuck in snow drifts ❄️.
I’m sure some of you are saying, “Yes, you got that right.” 😁
It’s part of our nature to spend a bit of time focusing on that which we don’t like. However, it’s not beneficial to get stuck in this downward flow of energy.
There is a difference between winter and wintering.
Winter is the cold season from December to the end of February. The focus is on the weather, which is cold with snow, blizzards and ice in the northern hemisphere.
Wintering is a necessary and inevitable part of the human experience, akin to the natural cycles of rest and renewal one finds in nature. The practice of wintering involves slowing down, withdrawing from external demands, and focusing on inner growth and restoration.
It includes activities such as creating a cozy personal sanctuary, adjusting one’s rhythm to conserve energy, engaging in reflective writing or creative projects, and deepening meaningful relationships.
Wintering is not about complete withdrawal or giving up, but about finding balance between rest and movement, solitude and connection—similar to how a tree draws energy into its roots to prepare for future growth. It’s a transformative process that fosters resilience, compassion, and a deeper capacity for joy.
Wintering has many benefits. Here are a few:
- It provides an opportunity to slow down and allow the body to recharge.
- It is a time to practice stillness. Calming the body, mind and spirit.
- It opens moments for reflection. It’s a good time to evaluate what is working for you and what isn’t, what to keep and what to let go.
- It’s a time to nourish your body with warm, healthy, comforting food. You will need this energy in the spring and summer.
- It presents a window of time to tackle household tasks that were neglected during the summer months.
- It ignites your creativity. You now have time to finish a project that has been waiting for you. Or you may have a creative project that has been stirring within you, and you wish to release it. What a great time to be creating!
- Wintering offers us a glimpse of beauty when we slow down to see the beauty that abounds around us. Getting outside for an early morning walk on a blanket of pristine snow or breathing in the breath-taking beauty of hoarfrost on trees sparkling in the sun.
- A brisk walk, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing gets the blood flowing and invigorates the body’s Qi.
Yes, winter in the north can be challenging, but we can make it a constructive, creative and healthy time to enjoy life when we embrace the idea of wintering.
I leave you with this poem.
Winter’s Truth
The winter here walks slow and sure,
across the fields it leaves no doubt;
it strips the branches clean and pure,
and wipes the restless voices out.
It asks no more than what is real,
a steady breath, a quieter mind;
for in the cold, you start to feel
the parts of you you’d left behind.
The roads grow still beneath the snow,
the world retreats to something small;
and somehow in that hush you know
you never needed much at all.
For winter’s truth is simply this:
when all distractions fade from view,
the warmth you miss, the peace you seek,
they rise from something born in you.
~ by Kai