Resting Through The New Year

I love Winter. 

Part of me is biased because Winter is host to my two favorite holidays: Christmas and my birthday. 

But I also love chilly weather because that means I get to bundle up. I get to wear cozy socks. I get to drink hot beverages all day long (a criminal offense in Texas). Winter encourages closeness and intimacy with oneself. It keeps us inside longer, restful with full bellies. 

Winter is the proverbial darkness of our year, not only being that the darkest day of the year is the Solstice but also because the Earth around us sleeps (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, that is). Trees lose their leaves, animals bury deep into crevices and nests, water freezes over and days are short. In this slumber, we are asked to dive deep into our psyche, to reflect on the year that has passed and go deeper within to find answers and unlock new ideas. 

Winter is where our new selves begin to unfold, in the safety and warmth of the den we can shed old skins, get brutally honest with ourselves and prepare to emerge in the Spring anew. 

Capricorn Szn on the 21st kicks this energy off, allowing us the space to organize our thoughts and get serious after frivolous play in the snow. A lot of us feel inclined to set New Year’s resolutions, but so many will fall off by mid-February. This is no accident; I’m a firm believer that if we waited just a few precious more weeks, we’d be able to harness the magic of Aries to kick off our newest, boldest, most exciting facets. 

But until those fresh dewy sprouts spring from the ground we need to close our eyes and give our bodies and souls the time they need to molt. Anyone who’s owned a pet bird, reptile or certain arachnids knows that when it comes time to grow out of old shapes, the self slows down. The body is putting in so much work to remove dead skin and this requires rest. We are no different energetically. 

I want to encourage you to take a beat; before you get riled up and stressed about the million things you want to start achieving RIGHT NOW RIGHT NOW, sit down. Ask yourself “What am I still shedding?” “What do I want to leave behind?” “What work have I been avoiding?” Journal it, speak it out loud, or chat with a friend over tea. 

One of the primary reasons I think so many of us fall off our goal wagon is because we flit from item-to-item without presence. Before we have time to recognize and appreciate our learnings or achievements we are on to the next one. Winter is the time we deserve to do that. 

The dead of winter is not for perfection, do-over or beginnings. We are meant to be still, to be warm, to be contemplative. As you release everything that is weighing you down, give yourself permission to sleep, eat and meditate. Take deeper breaths and feel your body changing. Let go of the need for instantaneous change and give yourself room to smell the roses. They might just grow bigger and bolder come Spring.

<3 Ryan