How to Nurture Yourself as You Enter the Cave of Winter Solstice

moncler outlet serravalle I sit gazing out dark windows with a morning cup of coffee in hand, remembering the sights and sounds of summer birds covered with gentle morning light. The world around me is cold and dark now and these memories feel far away and forgotten under frozen landscape. moncler outlet serravalle

moncler outlet online uomo The winter solstice arrives on the shortest day and longest night of the year. Any reassurance of moncler outlet online shop knowing the days gradually lengthen from this point forward is lost in a barren moncler saldi outlet season highlighted by fleeting holidays, seemingly eons away from springtime. moncler outlet online uomo

moncler outlet trebaseleghe Thousands of years ago people would light candles and gather around fires to celebrate the return moncler bambino outlet of light. Their winter season was marked with tasks of survival, as the period of time between January and April were known as the famine months. moncler outlet trebaseleghe

Our own modern day holiday traditions involve heartfelt rituals of food, sparkling lights, evergreen trees and candlelit prayers. The exhaustion felt after the holidays reminds us that we too have filled our lives with many tasks, yet 86 days of cold nights and dark days remain before spring arrives.

moncler saldi How do we nurture ourselves without involving food, television, and alcohol until the season of warmth and sunshine returns? moncler saldi

Ritual and noticing moncler outlet the world around us

moncler saldi uomo Rituals are often defined as acts and practices invoking the divine. For me, the divine appears when I stop in each moment and enjoy what’s present. The sacred around me, and the beauty of the present moment are where the magic moncler donna lives (easier said than done when there seems to be nothing other than snow sports and television in our world for the next 90 days). moncler saldi uomo

piumini moncler uomo Making use of this introspective dark time in a fast moving world is what maximizes the fertility of the season. piumini moncler uomo

moncler outlet When we take care of ourselves through the winter months and take note of nature’s moncler uomo dormant period, we emerge into the springtime recharged and refreshed rather than drained, bored, and, well, piumini moncler saldi larger than before. moncler outlet

Ritual is any action we take with intention piumini moncler outlet and it’s what feeds us during the famine months.

moncler bambino saldi We can begin to access this fertile time by heightening our senses. Slowing down to taste, hear, smell, notice and feel the abundance of winter takes practice. It’s too easy to rush outlet moncler from home to car to office, leaving in the dark and returning again, starved piumini moncler on all levels. moncler bambino saldi

moncler bambino outlet I ease into winter mornings lighting a candle as I sit waiting for the darkness to fade and my water to boil. I moncler outlet online uomo picked up this habit in Denmark years ago, a place where the lack of winter light lasts far longer than our brief piumini moncler scontatissimi season of darkness here in the states. There’s something about striking that match, hearing the sound of the flame, the smell of the smoke and feeling the warmth of the candle that makes me feel as though I’m welcoming the day intentionally. moncler bambino outlet

moncler saldi outlet I maneuver into the day slowly when it’s cold and dim. The brief summer shower seems foreign in the face of a sharp winter morning chill. Even when rushed to be somewhere early, I allow a few extra minutes to allow myself the slow ritual of a hot shower and give thanks for the warmth of steam. Slathering lotion quickly before dressing is a distant summer memory. Swapping out warm weather products with heavy sesame or almond oils moncler bambino saldi provides an extra barrier between skin and cold air before getting dressed. Real or perceived, I feel protected from the sharp bite of winter wind beneath my clothing. moncler saldi outlet

Musical tastes also change this time of year. Summertime rock and roll blasting out rolled down windows fades to classical and quieter tunes as ice cracks under my car early in the day.

moncler outlet online shop When we take care of ourselves through the winter months and take note of nature’s dormant period, we emerge into the moncler outlet serravalle springtime recharged and refreshed rather than drained, bored, and, well, larger than before. moncler outlet online shop

piumini moncler outlet I intentionally take in the many colors of the winter piumini moncler uomo landscape: the gray ice, the blue cast over new snow during sunset, even the many shades of black deep within a frozen pond seem exciting to eyes starved of summertime greens. piumini moncler outlet

piumini moncler scontatissimi Purposely exposing ourselves to the ever changing light of a short day feeds our senses in a way that makes the winter famine months seem abundant. Lavender morning skies, brief pink sunrises before thick snow clouds take over, and the squid ink black of the winter night set behind silver stars are all vitamins for the soul. piumini moncler scontatissimi

moncler uomo Tuning into nature’s sounds is another way to feed internal hunger arising during the in between time of post holiday blues and manic spring longings. The birds that remain behind sing a song of sweetness that goes unnoticed during springtime mating staccatos. Snow crunching underfoot, ice cracking and the sweet sound of rich silence that blankets the world when the snow falls are all here for the hearing. moncler uomo

outlet moncler Utilizing the season’s temperature as a signal that it’s okay to enter the cave, nest and seek nurturance allows our body’s primal need to recharge, rest and be protected from the elements. It’s when we buck the natural rhythm of nature that we find ourselves exhausted, sick and depressed. outlet moncler

Surrendering to the warmth of the hearth, cooking heavier more complicated recipes and indulging in the immune supporting flavors of oily, sweet, salty and sour naturally balance and enhance our digestive moncler outlet trebaseleghe fire; the key to balanced living and health.

piumini moncler Gathering family and friends together over hearty homemade winter meals is a winter ritual that will feed not only your appetite, but also your find more information https://www.moncleroutlet-i.org moncler outlet heart and soul during this time of moncler saldi uomo nature’s slumber. piumini moncler

moncler donna Finding the hidden richness beneath the frozen starkness moncler donna

piumini moncler saldi The winter season may feel stark and empty, but beneath its deceptive surface, there is a rich landscape of moncler saldi fertility leading us towards springtime. piumini moncler saldi

The famine months can be nurturing if we remember to change our daily rituals and use our five senses for guidance through the darkness.

Once again, spring will return, and when she arrives, we’ll be ready seeds bursting with life force after quietly and obediently hiding beneath her winter cloak.