Whereas the final few months of the year often find people in a frantic state of shopping, partying, decorating, travelling & trying to have fun this is not necessarily how nature intended it. We are out of sync with natures natural cycles when we do that. Hence with this strange year restricting our activities can we take advantage of the opportunity to store & conserve energy instead.
Winter is naturally a time of lower energy. In past times people spent these short, dark days indoors by the fire. Eating warm, slow cooked nourishing food (no that isn’t chocolate!!) & sharing stories with families. The incongruity between Winters more restful introspective nature & the modern-day social expectation to spend holidays eating processed food, shopping, drinking & being as active socially as is feasible can lead to health issues. This artificial stress on the body & mind can result in SAD, exhaustion, depression & self-judgement for not being able to ‘keep up’ with society.
Try to stay balanced this winter. Conserve your energy by doing activities like walks in nature, yoga, tai chi, reading, crafts & cooking. Think of this as an investment in your health, conserving energy reserves rather than expending them on over activity & stress. Eating cooked spicy food can help replenish energy. Think if soups, slow simmered stews, beans, roasted root vegetables (we are still eating from our vegetable patch most weeks) & warm drinks. Add warming spices such as garlic, ginger, black pepper, cloves & basil. Minimise the raw vegetables, cold drinks & salad greens this season.
These more modest ways to celebrate holidays allow us to have more energy & time to connect to close friends & family. Focus your energy on nurturing your body & your mind. Maybe if you are spending this festive season spend wisely…get warm clothes for winter walks or upgrade your yoga mat so you’re more comfortable for your yoga practice. See here for classes. You may also find less need to release tension by overeating or rampant spending. You will find yourself more in step with the quiet nurturing nature of Winter.
