Written by co-founder Roanna Day, from her desk overlooking the rolling Welsh hills.
The longer we live here on our little Welsh farm, the more we walk in step with seasonal rhythms. Not the seasons dictated by the shops and the media, but the natural seasons that move us gently forward like clockwork. Leaning into seasonal living has resulted in us discovering the deep joy of winter, and of wintering well.
Join us, as we share some of learnings about how to embrace winter and lean into a period of hibernation.
How To Embrace Winter
Our first learning, gleaned from now nearly five years spent living on a little Welsh farm is to lean into the rhythm of the season. It is so much easier, so much less exhausting to go with the natural ebb and flow of the seasons, rather than to cling to our own pace and priorities.
Winter arrives with an invitation, nearly a demand really, to slow down. Nature grinds to a halt, the grass stops growing and the birds stop singing. A great hush descends, even the unstoppable weeds of summer, usually rampant and rapid, halt.
When considering how to embrace winter we must remember that, in this instance, the same rules apply to us as to the birds and blooms. We need a hushed season too.
Thanks to the trappings and trends of modern day life it can feel radical and a bit backwards to dedicating a whole season to rest. We are predisposed to be productive, to achieve and to get going. But, as the seasons teach us, we must rest (winter) in order to grow (spring).
Author Katherine May’s writings on Wintering provide a wise steer as we consider the invitation winter poses to slow down.
“I recognised winter. I saw it coming (a mile off, since you ask), and I looked it in the eye. I greeted it and let it in. I had some tricks up my sleeve, you see. I've learned them the hard way. When I started feeling the drag of winter, I began to treat myself like a favored child: with kindness and love. I assumed my needs were reasonable and that my feelings were signals of something important. I kept myself well fed and made sure I was getting enough sleep. I took myself for walks in the fresh air and spent time doing things that soothed me. I asked myself: What is this winter all about? I asked myself: What change is coming?”
Hibernation And How It's Just What You Need
Now, isn't that a wonderfully healthy notion for us to adopt: to consider all of our needs reasonable, and to read them like important messages. What is your body telling you? Is your jittery brain a signal for plan-free weekend, for example? Or your aching limbs a cue for an epsom salt bath?
Winter can, if you choose to lean into it, bring plentiful opportunity for nourishing yourself and healing after a busy year. Allow yourself a moment to consider the radical, wise, notion that Katherine May suggests: that all your needs are reasonable, especially the ones we so often ignore. Namely, to rest and retreat.
Hibernation Is Not Hiding
Before we go any further let's just take a moment to clarify that hibernation is not hiding.
Hibernation is resting with purpose. It's a pause before activity, a period of recharging and preparation. This is very different from hiding, where we close ourselves off and hope to never be discovered, to never have to enter the fray again. Hibernation doesn't stop us confronting what needs to be confronted, or lessen our connection to people and to the world, it simply ensures our own cups are filled up enough to go through each day of Spring, Summer and Autumn with joy.
Wintering And Preparing For Change
We love Katherine May’s question, ‘what change is coming?’. The great pause that Winter brings creates the space for us to ponder what changes we want to make. Or, how we will adapt to changes thrust upon us.
These moments of contemplation allow us alter our course if we want to, to make little navigational adjustments. Whether that's in our careers, personal life or health. If we never press pause to survey the landscape of our lives, we can end up travelling great distances without really knowing where we're going.
Every Season Has Its Purpose
Every season has a purpose. From the energy of Spring that leads us to get up, go, create and do. Or the joy of Summer that encourages us to sink into play and exploration, to seize life for all its worth. Autumn invites us to shed any excess baggage, stocking up on the important things in life.
Nature leads us, season by season, through these four crucial stages. When we lean into each one we discover that each becomes easier. The energy of Spring comes easiest after a long winter rest, for example.
So, this Winter, consider letting the birds and blooms be your guide and down tools, if only for a little while.