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October 2010
Airways and seasonal mailers this time of year are filled with urgent messages: Winterize your home now! Seal those windows! Get your furnace checked! Sweep the chimney! All in the name of preparing for the chill of winter and making yourself as comfortable as possible during the upcoming months of low temps, chilly winds, and snow. Just as we tend to the physical aspects of this transition time, so can we comfort the soul and all that it carries as we move into the leaner months of winter.
With summer coming to a close – the season of explosive growth, outward expression, and new insight – we are invited to harvest the ah-ha’s of the warmest months, channeling them into the upcoming season of hibernation and reflection. Winter provides us with the opportunity to integrate all that arose during the summer, rooting into the deepest pieces of insight and new wisdom. Perhaps it is committing to a shift in relationship with your best friend. Or new strength in your body that wants even more attention. Or a realization that it’s time to let go of some things that bog down your schedule. Whatever we are moving through and claiming, our home can serve as sanctuary for this natural transition from outward to inward. We have but to give it some direct attention.
Through the summer months, my kitchen counters are filled with fresh fruits and veggies, my windows are often wide open, and I spend fewer hours in my home, as I seek out pleasurable hikes and events that come with the comfortable evening temperatures. As the weather shifts, I start looking at how my space needs to change in order to support my increased hours inside and the more reflective, internal qualities that blow in on Winter’s wings.
Just as I prepare to unhook the garden hoses and cover the patio furniture, so do I instigate a gentle and conscious re-working of my inside space for the winter season. All with the intention of supporting body and soul. Some of those commitments might work for you:
- Fall cleaning! Though the tradition is spring cleaning, fall is the other natural time to clean things up. Winter is the season when less is more, simplicity reigns, and the bare branches outside remind us what it is to bask in the beauty of the basics. You will more easily drop into a reflective, restorative state if you are not surrounded by distraction and clutter. Now is the time to clear out the excess of the summer – in your closets, in the kitchen, and definitely in your primary living spaces.
- Create an altar that reflects the intentions you wish to focus on over the next few months. Winter gives us the time to integrate all that passed during the summertime, and an altar can act as both reminder and support. Compile a combination of objects – statues, stones, writings, images, fabric, vessels, candles – that feels good to you. If you are unsure how to do this, start by listing out the most notable stories of your summer – the events that made lasting impressions and still capture your attention. From there, you’ll probably be reminded of photos or objects that are perfect markers of those experiences. This is how your altar begins to build itself and provide powerful, personalized reflection.
- Spend an afternoon cooking seasonal soups or stews that can be frozen and easily thawed for those days when you just don’t feel like getting out. Look at this not as drudgery, but as an invitation to create sustenance and comfort for yourself. This is not about being a great chef or going gourmet. If you don’t cook much, ask a friend for their favorite soup recipe and stick to the basics. If you love to cook, break out some of the pots and pans that have been gathering dust during the summer. As we spend this kind of intentional time with food, we are reinforcing the aspects of nourishment and warmth in the home – what every soul longs for during the long winter months.
- Build a comfort zone for yourself. Because we spend more time inside during the winter months, it is important to have a special spot where we can curl up to read, meditate, listen to music, nap peacefully, or anything else that nurtures our soul. This is not synonymous with the place where we respond to email, take care of bills, or other household duties. This is a sanctuary place that is reserved for activities that are not on the To Do List.
These are just a few of my favorites for the winter season. Perhaps they will spark you to find your own inspiration for creating a nurturing and supportive home environment for the upcoming months. May the official winterizing begin!
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