Welcoming the Wisdom of Winter
With the first official day of winter less than one week away, I’ve been reminiscing about growing up in Brooklyn, where seasonal changes were dramatic compared to my current home in Northern California. As a young girl, I eagerly waited for temperatures to drop below freezing so my parents could take me and my sister ice-skating in Prospect Park. How I loved gliding around the ice to music encircled by sparkling white snow! I felt graceful and gloriously free.
Living in Manhattan during my high school years, I always yearned to escape the crowds and concrete. Then I went to college, which meant countless hours sitting inside classrooms and libraries to earn my degree. When I graduated and moved onto a little heirloom raspberry farm in Carmel Valley with my husband Drew, my days were spent outside surrounded by greenery and fresh air. I walked on soil instead of cement. I felt joyous and liberated, as if I’d finally come home.
Myra and Drew’s herb garden and beds of baby lettuces, circa 1985
In those early years on the farm, from early spring through late autumn, Drew and I worked from sunrise to sunset caring for our crops. When winter finally arrived, we were deeply grateful for a reprieve. The short days and long nights meant we finally had time to trade in frozen pizza for delicious homemade meals. We baked bread, read books, and had the luxury of sleeping in. Just like our fruit trees and berry bushes, we were able to rest and get ready for the energy burst of spring.
Myra happily showing off her first homemade pie before putting it in the oven, circa 1984
One of the things I most appreciate about my migration from a big city to a small farm is living in close touch with nature. Hilary Nicholls—the wonderful energy healer who leads our quarterly Circle of Light nature-based guided meditations—emphasizes the importance of staying in sync with the earth’s seasonal cycles.
“Each season offers its special wisdom,” Hilary explains. “Winter beckons us to come back to ourselves. It’s a time to focus on rest and restoration, which facilitates healing and regeneration. Ultimately, it supports our creativity and productivity.”
Hilary has noticed that some of us turn away from winter because in the quiet of this season we can encounter a buildup of emotions that we didn’t take time to acknowledge and process throughout the year. “If we don’t allow ourselves to see and feel the difficult emotions we carry within, we can project those feelings onto winter. It’s important to make space for our feelings—to listen to them and learn from what they are telling us. This helps us let go of what we’ve been carrying around so that we’re able to fill up with more of what we truly want.”
Just like pruning dormant trees removes damaged branches and overcrowding to yield a healthy, bountiful crop in the coming season, winter can summon us to focus on our priorities so that we can deliberately create a more peaceful and meaningful life. “In the silence of winter,” Hilary says, “we are invited to evaluate how we want to use our precious energy.”
Winter encourages us to take the time to look inside our hearts to explore what we truly desire in life—what we most deeply wish to experience and to share. Hilary says, “What we love most should inform what we do and how we do it. Winter is a perfect time for this kind of investigation and reconnection.”
Hilary offers the following questions for contemplation. We can ponder these on our own, perhaps writing down our answers, or explore them in conversation with friends or family.
What is it that feels stale in my life? Is there anything I need to let go of?
What do I treasure most? What warms my heart and brings me joy?
How can I nurture myself more emotionally, physically and spiritually?
Have I been taking enough time to play, laugh, and simply have carefree fun?
In my deepest silence, what messages does my inner wisdom have for me?
To help us slow down and tune into the special wisdom of winter, Hilary created a lovely 10-minute guided meditation that we're sharing below.
Please join us this coming Tuesday, December 19, at 5:15 Pacific for our winter Circle of Light, where Hilary will lead us in a healing and restorative 30-minute nature-based guided meditation to welcome winter together.
