Embracing the Season of Stillness

For many, this season easily begins to feel frantic. So many gifts to buy; Secret Santa exchanges to organize; parades, concerts, and parties to attend; cards to send; decorations to dig out; holiday travel and meals to plan; a tree to procure; warm clothes to get out; cookies to bake and still more gifts to buy! With all this frantic doing, I’m already feeling frazzled at the beginning of December.

Whew. Let’s take a deep breath. And pause.

Upon reflection, I realize I miss the quiet stillness of the last few pandemic holiday seasons, when everything was distilled to the bare essentials…. Enjoying the few people I shared my germs with and feeling deep gratitude for every moment we had with each other in the face of so much uncertainty, loss and grief.

We discovered the joy of year-round hiking and bonfires and lots of time at home….. gifting me the opportunity to sink into a more natural pace…. one in-line (in the Northern Hemisphere) with the hibernation and dormancy of the rest of nature during winter. Notice next time you step outside that all the wild creatures are cozy in their nests and fur or feather sleeping bags. Very few are chirping and there’s no cacophony of insect song. The time for frantic harvesting and storing is over, and it’s now time for slowed metabolism and activity to conserve energy.

Though I’ve been blessed to live outside of the U.S. at different points in my life, I remember viscerally the longing for winter I felt while living in tropical climates. I love green! It’s my favorite color, in fact! But when I did occasionally get to travel home for a winter holiday, I felt such a surge of gratitude for the stark, simple beauty of a white winter landscape and bare trees! It felt like rest for the eyes and soul.

I’ve decided I want to hold onto some of those lessons learned as I move forward. As far as rest for the soul, I’m trying not to be lured into maintaining a frenetic pace all year round. This season I’m treating my time and energy like the sacred, limited resources they are. I want to move at the pace that feels natural; breath; indulge in a cup of tea….. take care of myself, and in so doing, take good care of those around me.

In the far Northern counties of Scandinavia, people have developed myriad traditions to survive the emotional impact of the winter months of cold and limited daylight. Called “hygge” in Danish and “koselig” in Norwegian, these traditions are about embracing winter as a special time of year, creating community and a sense of coziness and contentment. These traditions help create a healthy attitude about winter, and is associated with a sense of well-being, greater life satisfaction, more positive emotions and even lower rates of seasonal depression in research conducted in Tromso, a place that receives only a few hours of indirect light each day for about two months.*

May you have a blessed season of gratitude, stillness and deep sense of well-being, if that’s what you’re craving! And if you need permission…. Here’s written permission from a (Stone Medicine) “doc”.

Authorization of Absence from (insert holiday madness, winter blues, etc.)

To Whom It May Concern,

Please excuse (insert your name) from now through (insert time frame). I have examined (insert your name) and determined that s/he has a winter mental health need for a more reasonable pace and as much time off holiday bustle and the rat race as usual, as is needed for full rest for the soul, recovery and greater life satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Charlotte Shristi

Wild Poppy Healing Arts

* https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/well/mind/Scandinavia-Norway-Winter-Mindset.html