NEWSLETTER

WINTERIZING

The morning air has a new chill in it. The wind is gently warning of change, an exciting electricity of anticipation. Winter is coming. As the mornings get cooler and the days grow shorter we are pulled back inside our homes and ourselves. The expansive joy of summer is giving way to the deep, cozy, introspective time of winter. As we feel this change beginning we are called to gather our nuts and winterize our homes.

This is a natural time for fasting and cleansing our bodies. It is a powerful time to release old emotions that hinder our clarity and happiness. As winter comes we pull in. The Jewish culture expresses this natural tendency to clear out the old in the fall with Rosh Hashanah and Yum Kippur. During these public gatherings participants revisit what happened in their lives in the year that is passing and ask for forgiveness for any transgressions.

As we take in the lawn furniture and stack our wood, as we take down our blankets and down comforters we have a window of opportunity for the creation of a beautiful winter. The less baggage we bring with us into the winter the easier the transition from outer to inner will be. In order to release the expansive summer and embrace the contained winter we release everything that no longer serves us. Cleaning out drawers, letting go of unused clothing and linens and tending to tasks that prepare us to spend more time indoors are home cleansing ritual. Fasting, going for colonics or using herbs to clean out our colon, pulling in our diet and re-committing to yoga, meditation and other introspective body friendly forms are some of the body cleansing rituals that help prepare us for winter. Like the dry leaves our body is dry and in need of more oil, more sleep, warmer clothing and more protection.

Letting go of resentments, worries, old stored up stress and self flagellation is yet another way of preparing for the quiet months of winter. The more we empty ourselves of negative emotions the sweeter the quiet. So many resentments build up over the year. Someone says something that hurts our feelings, things don’t always turn out how we had hoped they would, people disappoint and betray us. All this normal human fallibility can get built up in our psyche over the course of a year. As the leaves turn bright red and orange and yellow we have an opportunity to just drop it. Life is too short to give past hurts precious mental real estate. As the leaves fall to the ground we let each resentment fall away and reclaim our natural state of calm. Calm and well nourished we are ready to meet the dark day, the holidays, the holy days.

May your home be toasty, may your body be strong and supple an may your heart be open.

Jacqueline

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