Welcoming The Inward Gaze of Winter
The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day—and longest night—of the year. This year it occurred on December 21st, marking the official beginning of Winter, the season of stillness, silence, and introspection. While we may struggle to fully drop into the non-doing of the wintertime while holiday festivities and obligations abound, the period of the Winter after frequent gatherings, celebrations, and to-do’s have wound down is a deep invitation to honor our need to nest, rest, and dive into our inner world instead of focusing primarily on the outer.
All around us, a blanket of quiet has settled. Plants enter a state of dormancy; animals move at a slower pace; the sun hangs lower in the sky, rising later and setting earlier. All rests fully in the “death” phase of the natural cycle: birth/rebirth, life, waning, and death. And while culturally we tend to resist or avoid this complete release of “doing,” it is a necessary part of the rhythm that ultimately rules us all. There is no rebirth or resurgence of creativity, energy, and productivity in the springtime without the nothingness of wintertime. The non-doing of Winter calls us to surrender our agendas, attachments, and ego so that we may be born anew, into the next iteration of our evolution, alongside the flowers when that time comes.
Although this time has been painted as one of resolutions and lofty goals, it is, in truth, too soon to be planting seeds. Instead, can we give ourselves permission to rest, like the dormant soil beneath the glittering crust of frost?
Of course, we may still gather intentionally with community and have to engage with the ever-turning gears of the modern world, but the wintertime truly serves to guide us inward. Now that the cold and darkness have fully landed, our inward gaze becomes our compass and the light that will lead us to a more intentional way of being when we emerge from this time of deep slumber.
The Winter Transition And Our Yoga Practice
As we transition into winter, we’re called to reflect upon what we have released during the Fall months and what we still hold onto. This is a time for deeper reflection and contemplation: What do we want to carry into this next chapter of our life? What do we want to loosen our grip on or completely let go of? What is worth putting in our backpacks and hauling along on the trek to a new beginning?
More introspective practices such as Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Meditation, and Self Myofascial Release are great opportunities to reflect on our values, belief systems, and ways of doing things. These styles of practice offer us the stillness and silence needed to see what’s really present. They bring clarity, revealing to us our depths and allowing us to accept them and grow with them instead of pushing back against them. The winter is the ideal time to cultivate presence and softness.
While this season really allows us to embrace the more yin-like practices, there also remains a desire for warmth and to move our bodies and shake off some of the heaviness that can come with the cold stillness of winter. We may crave a heated room, whether it’s a warm slow flow to ease our system into movement or a fiery class to shake up what's inside so that we can truly sit in meditation and introspection without the cloudiness of pre-existing thoughts and ideas. Movement can better prepare us for the meditation practices we need to settle into the non-doing of winter.
Reflection For Winter / Journal Prompts
What am I carrying with me into this next year?
What can I release or transform to feel lighter and more aligned with my highest self in this next chapter of my life?
Where am I being held back by habitual reactions, fears, or stress? How can I support myself so that I can soften into my true essence?
What stands between me and rest (whether literally, spiritually, or energetically)?
What would it look like for me to grant myself physical, mental, and emotional rest?
Chakra Associated With Winter: Root Chakra & Sacral Chakra
The winter season is connected to both the Root Chakra, also known as the Muladhara Chakra, and the Sacral Chakra, also known as the Svadhishthana Chakra.
The Root chakra is represented by the element of Earth and is associated with the qualities of stability and security in alignment with our basic needs (food, water, shelter) and our emotional needs (feeling safe and connected). When our needs are met physically and emotionally, we are more equipped to navigate the changes around us and within us in a grounded and healthy manner. The Sacral chakra is represented by the element of Water and is associated with creativity, feeling, and self-expression. The wintertime encourages us to be more introspective and reflective, which then allows us to bring the emotional depth, creativity, and self-expression of the Water element into the physical world, where they can be held by the security and stability of the Earth element. In essence, the water dances with the earth’s support.
Some grounding poses that stimulate the Muladhara or Root Chakra:
Anything that feels grounding and stable
Child's Pose
Sukhasana (easy seat)
The Warrior Poses
Malasana
Some nourishing poses that stimulate the Svadhisthana or Sacral Chakra:
Anything fluid and flowy (that feels like you’re moving through water)
Anything that encourages awareness and sensation through the hips
Pigeon Pose
Baddha Konasana
Goddess Pose
Wide-Legged Forward Fold
Winter Through A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Lens
According to the 5 Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), our internal environment mirrors our external environment. Although we cannot truly separate these elements because they all influence one another in different ways, we’ll focus on the Water Element this season.
The Water element is truly precious because it nourishes all of the other elements. Water encourages us to let go of fear and become more introspective and aware of what’s beneath the surface. The emotion associated with this element is fear. Sometimes what holds us back is our inability to be introspective due to habitual reactions, fears, or stress. The winter season encourages us to find ways to support ourselves so that we may relax into the deep inner well of wisdom and energy that lives in each of us. TCM refers to this well as our inner “essence.
Fall encouraged us to begin our transition from the yang energy of summer into the more yin energy of winter. As we settle into the winter season more fully (especially after the busyness of the holidays), that transition begins to feel more complete and established. Just as the trees’ leaves have long been released, everything around and within us is now bare and stripped down. The color palette of the natural world has drastically shifted, leaving more vibrant colors and images of bursting life to our imagination. And so, we must turn inwards for inspiration and creativity.
The meridians governed by the Water element are the Kidney Meridian (yin) and the Bladder Meridian (yang). This element governs the lower back, knees, bones, ears, and hair.
Kidney Meridian
Source: Kidney Meridian Acupuncture Points
Bladder Meridian
Source: Bladder Meridian Acupuncture Points
Poses To Support The Water Element
Finding a sense of inner awareness through slower movement or stillness is a beautiful way to connect deeply with the element of Water. This element can be accessed through the groin, pelvic floor, abdomen, and back body. The bladder meridian looks like the superficial back line (until you get to the foot) and can be accessed through poses such as forward folds. Try:
Paschimottanasana
Upavistha Konasana (seated wide-legged forward fold)
Baddha Konasana
Happy Baby
Shoulderstand
Acupressure For Supporting The Kidney Meridian
An acupressure point is a point on the body that can be stimulated through pressure to help maintain the flow of vital life force energy (a.k.a. Qi).
Kidney 1, also known as “The Bubbling Spring” is located along the kidney meridian and helps us access our deep inner wisdom. This is a nourishing point for the kidneys and a descending point for the restless mind, helping us ease lingering anxieties. Since this point is located on the bottoms of our feet, it is in constant connection with the earth and thought of as a portal to help our spirit draw energy from source. It can be used for yin deficiency, calming and grounding.
*Note: It is suggested to avoid this point during pregnancy.
“[Kidney 1] is located on the sole of the foot, about one-third of the way from the base of the second toe and two-thirds of the way up from the bottom of the foot between the second and third metatarsals. You will feel a slight depression when you find the right spot.” - Source
Myofascial Release (MFR) For Supporting The Earth & Water Elements
Self Myofascial Release is a beautiful way of working with your fascia to support a healthy flow of Qi throughout your tissues. Fascia is connective tissue that protects and connects everything in your body! Working with this tissue using tools such as our beloved RAD Recovery Rounds, you can massage along the points listed below.
When practicing self-MFR, be mindful of your breath. If your breath is fluid, you’re in a good place; if it’s hard to breathe, move the placement of your MFR tools so you can breathe easily. Avoid rolling on bones, bruises, or cuts. For specifics, we welcome you to join one of our monthly MFR Full Body Reset classes!
Earth:
Tibialis Anterior
Quads (lateral and medial)
Abdominals
Water:
Calves (outer part of Gastrocnemius)
Hamstrings
Erector Spinae Muscles
**Disclaimer: If you are pregnant or unsure if you should practice any of the healing tools listed above, please refer to your healthcare provider.
Winter In The Garden And On Our Plates
Winter is a time of deep rest in our gardens and across the land around us. The plants and soil life slumber beneath the protective cover of leaf litter or mulch we laid down in the Fall. It is a necessary season of non-productivity; a reset required for the work and growth that will begin again come springtime. In this way, the plants remind us that we cannot create or produce without ample rest. All has its season, and amidst the darkness and cold, we are called to put ambition and “doing” on the back-burner so that these energies can spring forth with full vigor when the sun—and the vitality it brings—returns.
Eating locally this time of year is all about deep nourishment and warmth. Gone are the days of farmers’ markets overflowing with tomatoes, berries, corn, and other warm-weather delights. Instead, we rely on hardy crops that can be grown under cover or stored (either in the ground or cold environments) such as a variety of leafy greens, radishes, carrots, potatoes, onions, broccoli, and cabbage. We may also turn more towards local animal products, from milk and cheese to meat. Typically, the foods available locally throughout the winter make for a diet that is hearty and simple. Now is the time for warm vegetable-filled soups and cozy stews; for simplicity over novelty; for batch cooking and heated leftovers over long hours spent in the kitchen. The season for brightly-hued produce straight off the vine, cold smoothies, and crunchy salads will return with warmer, longer days. For now, though, we rely on the stored bounty from the Summer and Fall (think canned tomatoes and long-lasting squashes, apples, and the like) to keep our bodies resilient and nourished. Maximizing warmth and minimizing effort allow us to remain in an energy of quiet and rest. This not only supports our energetic and spiritual embrace of Winter’s wisdom but also helps us remain healthy and strong amidst potential sickness.
Herbal Support For Winter
In the season of short days, whipping winds, quiet nights, and that cold that everyone we know seems to have, we may turn to herbs for support in multiple areas of our well-being. Not only can our plant allies encourage our embodiment of Winter’s energy, but they can also help us tend to our physical health in this time of greater susceptibility.
Herbs For Grounding
In a culture that expects us to function outside of the natural way, it can be challenging to settle into the silence and grounded energy of Winter. After all, many of us continue to work the same hours and even feel compelled to set and strive for big new goals while the world around us rests. Of course, we may not feel able to change certain elements of modern life in order to completely sync with the spirit of wintertime—but we can support our ability to shift out of “productivity mode” and into “being” whenever we have the opportunity.
Herbs known as nervines, which work to soothe the nervous system, are particularly helpful here. These plants help to quiet the mind and ease anxiety and tension so that we can slow down and “turn off.” (You may have started incorporating more of these herbs in the Fall, and they continue to serve us well throughout the Winter.)
Tulsi, chamomile, and lavender are all popular and easy-to-find nervine herbs. Sitting down with a warm mug of these herbs in tea form can be a simple ritual for calming mind chatter and shifting out of a “go-go-go-” state. Both the act of mindfully sipping tea and the actions of the herbs themselves serve you here!
Herbs For Rest
This time of year, we may find ourselves sleeping more—or at least desiring to sleep more. And, truly, Winter does invite us to rest more than we do in other seasons. Still, many of us may struggle to quiet our bodies enough to make the most of this call for deep restoration and to embrace longer nights of rest.
Herbs known as sedatives, which support the body’s ability to settle and sleep more deeply, can be a great addition to your evening routine and prepare your body for truly peaceful slumber.
Hops, valerian root, and California poppy are a few well-known sedative herbs. Passionflower and kava also have sedative effects. You’ll find many of these herbs in tea form (and often together in “sleepytime” blends)—and sipping them as a pre-bedtime ritual can be supportive. You can also take many of these in tincture or liquid extract form for simplicity’s sake.
Allies For Immunity And Longevity
Of course, the wintertime is notorious for being a “season of sickness,” particularly if you overexert yourself and don’t nourish your body. But with adequate rest, wholesome foods, and some assistance from reliable plant allies, that doesn’t have to be the case.
The Fire Cider and Elderberry Syrup you may have prepared in the Fall will continue to be huge supporters of immunity throughout the Winter season, whether taken in small amounts to promote daily wellness or in larger doses to bolster your system when you’re feeling under the weather.
Throughout the wintertime, you might also incorporate medicinal mushrooms such as chaga and reishi into your routine. These mushrooms have been used throughout history (and actually have roots in TCM) to balance and strengthen the immune system to support overall health and longevity. You can take them in tincture or capsule form, or add powdered mushrooms to coffee, soups, and other recipes.
Astragalus is another powerful ally for the immune system. This root works to strengthen the immune system on a deep level and can help fortify your body’s defenses when used regularly. Try adding an astragalus tincture to your daily routine or add sliced astragalus root to soups and broths. Just note that because of the way this herb works on your immune system, it should only be taken when you’re feeling well! Should you come down with something, take a break (and lean into your mushrooms, fire cider, and elderberry instead) and restart your routine once you’re feeling better.
Mantras For Winter
I deserve and embrace rest.
My mind, body, and spirit are safe to slow down.
The Earth is still and so am I.
