We’ve made it through the hustle and celebration of the holiday season and through the official seasonal transition from autumn to winter. While our culture has taught us that this is the time for new resolutions and new beginnings, nature reminds us that we have actually just entered the deepest season of rest, the most “Yin” time of year according to Chinese medicine.
This “Yin” time through the winter is a time for embracing the darkness as an invitation to rest! For slowing down, for recovering from the energy of the holidays, for daydreaming and nourishing our minds and bodies in preparation for the energy of spring, which will come surging out soon enough in March.
Now is the time to gently nourish the seeds deep in the ground of our mind’s desires. To reflect on what went well this past year and what we might want to set new intentions for in 2026.
If you do give a new resolution a try right now and find that it just isn’t working out, give yourself a break. You might feel more ready to see it through in the Spring, when the energy is there to support the growth of new habits and adventures!
My invitation to you from now until early March is to NOTICE the areas of life where you can take a break or say “no thanks, not this time.” NOTICE where you can physically and metaphorically leave things be and rest.
This might look like:
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Changing out the big gym workout for a yin yoga/gentle yoga class for a month or so.
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Leaving the big clean out of that closet in your home for spring time and instead, take some time to lay on the couch, under a cozy blanket and get lost in your favorite book or old movie for a while.
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Pulling back a bit on social engagements or extra-curriculars on the weekend so that you can just BE at home for a while.
At the end of this month, I will be taking a week off away from work and home attend my first silent meditation retreat. I will be away Jan 19th -23rd to spend 5 days and 4 nights resting in the quiet connection of my mind, body and spirit. I know in ways this will challenge my very driven nature, and I am so excited for that challenge and the benefits of it all I’m sure to gain.
I invite you, in your own way, to embrace the energy of the season and to choose to slow down and reconnect with stillness. I have included a 1 minute mindfulness practice for you to try. It’s a great place to start and lets be honest, who doesn’t have 1 minute in their day to dedicate to themselves?
1 Minute Mindfulness Practice
Pause what you are doing.
Relax the muscles of your face and let your shoulders soften.
Breathe…
Relax your tongue and jaw.
Breathe…
Wiggle your toes, feel your feet on the ground.
Breathe…
Thank yourself for taking a 1-minute break to reconnect your mind to your body and for coming into the present moment.
If this felt helpful, you might set a reminder on your phone to repeat this practice a few times a day. Play with it. It is all a practice.