The Medicine of the Winter

I think for a lot of people, myself included, the shift into winter can feel heavy. One of the reasons for this is due to our non-stop need for productivity and our unwavering commitment to consumerism as a society. We have been trained to work, work, work, to go without stopping, to spend all we have and to run as fast as we can from ourselves. We have all been raised in this hustle culture of self-disconnection,

but maybe the winter feels so cold and uninviting because we have to stop moving long enough to feel its warmth?

One of the beauties of wintertime is the presence of stillness. Stillness is what fosters reflection, and growth, and stillness is the remedy to overexertion and exhaustion. The winter months ask us to slow down, to take time to allow growth and expansion to take root. (Rest is a vital part of that work.) Finding ways to honor this sacred time of recalibration forces us to stop and stand still, this can feel unfamiliar to those of us who have conditioned ourselves to over produce and DO. But in this interruption of motion, we find those moments of peacefulness, for they can only exist when we access our inner stillness. 

As the weather gets colder, let that be a reminder to slow down. Cells move lower the colder they are and that does include the cells within you as well. Taping into universal flow means flowing with the seasons too. So when you start to feel out of touch with the Tao, when you start to feel as if you are swimming against the currents of life, slow down and allow the river of life to bring you back to a sense of flow. Stop and be still to tap into the medicine of the Winter, the medicine of stillness. 

Slowing down this Winter:

Slowing down can look different for each person, but the most important part about this is that you are doing it. Accessing this place of inner stillness is going to require you to stop and look inward. This can be a challenging process and I encourage you to keep going inward when you feel like running away, this will be the remedy to the feeling of self rejection and abandonment. Take a hot bath in the middle of the day, stop and take a few breaths when you are running behind on a deadline and you can feel the pressures of work building. Pausing when you are agitated or distressed is also a part of accessing the stillness of Winter. The medicine of this coming season is in standing still, in slowly and mindfully pausing to see the whole picture. 

May this season bring you the inner wisdom you seek.

Love, Jess

For practices of inner stillness: 

See the courses for daily work to keep you accountable and in touch with your inner being HERE

To tap into inner stillness with an in-person practice in Vancouver, see the events schedule HERE

YouTube guided meditations HERE

Mindfulness Page