I know I’ve said fall and spring are tied for my favorite season, but don’t let that make you think I don’t appreciate winter and summer, too! I actually appreciate the lessons winter has taught me. Namely, by observing how animals and plants get through winter, I’ve come to enjoy the invitations of winter to slowing down, simplicity, and silence in my life.
Some animals really slow down with hibernation. Hibernation allows an animal to slow its heart rate to save energy and survive the winter without eating much. Some animals slow down and move less frequently during hibernation, while others go into a deep sleep until spring. What if we were to slow down in winter? Perhaps cozy up with a blanket, a book, and tea? Or play a game with the family? Or color? Or meditate? What impact would slowing down have on your life?
Deciduous trees embrace simplicity. They realize that keeping leaves all winter would cause problems: no way to keep them well fed during the dry, cold weather; and leaves would cause limb damage because strong winter winds would get caught by leaves and cause them to snap. What would it look like to embrace simplicity in meals and schedules this winter? What would it feel like to let go of some activities and embrace some empty time?
The snow-covered landscapes of winter teach us the beauty of silence. That absence of sound, that complete stillness, can be so centering. It’s the silence between notes that makes music what it is. What if you were to be still and become aware of the space between the thoughts constantly running through your brain?
This is nothing new – nature has been engaging in slowness, simplicity, and silence since the dawn of time. We can learn from this example!
I invite you to allow yourself to go deeper and come experience a Moment for Me: Enjoy the Invitations of Winter on Saturday, February 3, from 10am - 12noon at Genesee Church Community Room. See the Services Page for more information or rsvp here: Sign
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