Preparing for Winter

Greetings beloveds,

I hope all is well with you. Are you excited for the upcoming winter season here in the Northern Hemisphere? This can be a super magical time of year depending on how you harness the energy of this time. This is not a time of exertion but of inner work and healing. Check my previous post on Flowing with the Seasons to get a quick overview of what’s the journey of Autumn includes along with what is to come in the Darkest part of the year.

Here’s your Quick Spiritual Winter Prep Guide!

Regroup

This can mean a lot of things depending on what type of person you are and where you are in life. Whether a couple of hours, a day, a week, or a month, make the decision to take some time for yourself. No commitments outside of those to yourself. Spending time alone is magical but for some it can be very uncomfortable if there are issues that you have been avoiding dealing with. Find those areas that you would like to improve upon and begin to identify them. Write out clearly what the charateristic, goal, or relationship is that you would like to transmute. In acting out the myth of the underworld it is during the winter solstice that you will decide whether you would like to retain these things or leave them within the underworld. To know though where you would like to go you would need to have an understanding of where it is you have been. So take time to regroup in order to clear the way for new life.

Rest

The days are getting shorter and shorter as we get closer to the winter solstice. Although the rest of the world is continuing to clamor about late into the evenings set an intention to get adequate rest this winter. Sleep is one of the most important gifts that we can give ourselves as getting a good nights rest supports emotional well-being, healthy brain function, and physical health. You can learn more about the importance of sleep for your health here. Rest could also include separating work from personal time. Perhaps make the decision to not return to work projects outside of work hours. If you work for yourself, set hours and stick to them. Remember each time you make a promise to yourself and keep it you are reinforcing that you matter and are important.

Nourish Yourself

Winter is one of the best times to really pamper and perform self care rituals. Taking a hot bath filled with lovely essential oils. There are many to chose from and you can create your own combination to soothe, enhance, and heal yourself. Self-care also involves feeding your body the best foods that you can. During the colder months we want things that are comforting and warm. Foods that remind us of the warmth of our world and the promise of heat that comes from the soon to be returning sun. I’ll have a post up soon on the different foods that are in season during the winter months as well as how to use different spices to keep you warm and healthy during those colder winter months. For now though, add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or any chili powder to foods to liven them up and increase the heat in the foods you consume. This should warm you from the inside out.

Meditate

I’ve spoken about the importance of meditation before here. During the winter while you are preparing and setting goals it is important to have a clear mind as well as connection with your higher power/self to guide the plans that you make. So find a way to clear your mind and connect. It is the powerful thing that you can do for yourself in your life. Here are just a few examples but the magic of meditation lies in it’s ability to exist in so many different forms.

Breath/Energy  work

Kundalini, Chakra work, Guided Visualization

Movement

Yoga, Qi Gong, Walking, Running,

Contemplative

Journaling, Painting, Drawing, Sound, Gardening

I hope this quick guide gets you started in preparing for the upcoming winter. There’ll be more to come to help us get the most out of the time within the belly of the Earth.

With love,

-Rose