Wintering

Are you wintering yet?

In her book Wintering, Katherine May writes about the transformative power of rest and retreat during difficult times. I love the idea of “hibernating” in a cozy little nest. It’s about being quiet and still, letting the mind soften, drift, and dream. To me, this feels like the ultimate antidote to the chaos of our modern world.

Winter is a natural period of dormancy. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s the season to restore our vital energy. Because water is the element of the season, we instinctively turn toward the warmth of teas, soups, and long baths.

However, I work with many women who find it incredibly difficult to pause. For many of us, rest feels “unsafe” or “wrong.” We carry a deep-seated belief that if we aren’t constantly “doing,” we’re being lazy.

But I’m not suggesting you ditch your responsibilities or stop moving your body. I’m saying: Value yourself enough to let yourself be still. In that stillness, something else emerges—your deeper inner voice, your intuition, your “gut.” Being still helps us get underneath the “chattery mind”—the one constantly screaming at you to get more sh*t done (pardon my French)! Most importantly, physical and mental stillness is how we regulate a nervous system that might be stuck in a permanent state of “fight or flight.”