So here we are, Mid Winter, and the start of the new calendar year.
How do you feel about New Year?
Is ‘how you feel’ about New Year connected to where we are seasonally or by the social construct of New Year? ….and had you even taken the time to be curious about this?
There is a general movement away from ‘New Year New You’ and a growing movement towards Wintering: honouring the energy of Winter, a feeling of hibernating even. Nevertheless life is not black and white and simply choosing to follow the trend of ‘New Year New You’ or ‘Wintering’ is not necessarily going to bring us the well being desired.
From an Ayurveda perspective it’s really important to align ourselves with the energy of the season and adjust our lifestyles accordingly to support our well-being.
January is mid-winter and energetically a time to germinate ideas and replenish ourselves.
We may find it hard to align ourselves with the seasons energetically because we have been conditioned into summer mode all year round with no season set aside to rest, so we are perpetually running out of time and energy!
Most of us don’t feel we have the time or energy to adjust our lifestyles seasonally, and it’s there we may remain stuck, seeking external fixes to keep us going.
We repeat what we don't repair. - Christine Langley-Obaugh
You definitely won’t hear New Year New You motivational quotes from me, yet this year’s increased social media posts on hibernating jarred somehow and didn’t feel right for me.
So I sat with this feeling and pulled at the threads to understand what bothered me about it. Whilst I love to cozy up in front of the fire with a good book, I can’t stay there. I need to move my body, I need fresh air and I need space to gaze as far as the eye can see. Even in winter, these things fill my cup.
I guess it comes back to the nuances within the Ayurveda system. To find out what an individual needs; we consider an individual’s dominant dosha, the dosha associated with the season and the what dosha imbalance they may be experiencing, Whilst this process is far simpler than it sounds, there is a simpler way, but it’s one which we have become disconnected from:
I N T U I T I O N
Unfortunately most of us rarely hear, let alone heed, the voice of our intuition. There is so much external stimulus for our minds, that our intuitive voice is drowned out by mental activity, over thinking, questioning, doubting and rationalising - all of which expends energy.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
(this saying was derived from the words of Bob Samples who was presenting his individual analysis of Albert Einstein.)
Reconnecting to our intuition takes conscious effort and practice. A nuanced approach to our lifestyle requires more effort than simply choosing one trend over another.
Even my eyes roll at the sound of my own voice because that all sounds like hard work - I often don’t feel I have the energy for all that……and there is our problem. We’re back to being stuck, so we follow external prescriptive guidance and hope for the best.
Whether you’re ready to admit it or not, we have become unaccustomed to thinking for ourselves.
We do less and less as we invest in things that do the work for us.
We’re becoming more and more distracted, further disconnecting from our Self.
It’s easier to be told how and what to do than figure it out for ourselves.
How would you feel if I asked you to ‘do something’ with this information?
Would you keep reading or walk away?
Do you want to keep absorbing information or are you ready to apply it?
For many of us it’s not our bodies that need rest in Winter but our minds.
We are in a unique era of absorbing more information than we can use, apply or possess. We absorb information at a rapid pace from screens, often with information coming at us from multiple sources at the same time.
Getting into our physical bodies with movement helps clear our mental debris; reducing overload. Combining that with periods of silence reconnecting ourselves, will guide us back to our intuition and instinct.
The risk of choosing hibernation mode is that we may be drawn to doing things that are distracting rather than authentic rest. Scrolling or binge-watching tv may seem relaxing, however it adds more information to our already overwhelmed minds without providing an outlet for all this new stimulus. If we are in need of resting our bodies, finding activities that combine applying that information is more productive; puzzles, crafting for example
Distraction feeds disconnection
Convenience kills joy
Following our intuition is valuable for our growth, survival and well-being but it often feels inconvenient or uncomfortable at first. Having been conditioned into seeking comfort and convenience we doubt or resist our intuition, we’re perhaps even fearful of it incase we get it wrong or it means doing something ‘different’ from everyone else.
I have been noticing lots of oak trees still with dead leaves attached. I wondered whether something was wrong with them, why weren't they doing what all the other trees were doing
'Marcesence' is the process of trees holding onto their dead leaves. Oaks and beaches, particularly juvenile trees do this, whilst no one knows exactly why, there are lots of hypotheses about how beneficial it is for their growth and survival. It may serve to save some of their nutrients from dropped, decaying leaf litter until Spring so they have some ‘in reserve’ so to speak and it may be to protect Spring buds from being nibbled by deer.
Each tree will intuitively have ‘felt’ what would be most beneficial for its growth, survival and well-being.
So perhaps this January, we can intuitively ‘feel’ our way regardless of whether it makes sense to others and keep some energy 'in reserve' for Spring, regardless of what all the other trees are doing!
The practice of constantly questioning how I FEEL about anything and everything is what I am choosing to focus on this January. Tuning into intuition, giving space for that voice, so it can sing loud and true.
What is truth? What is untruth? It’s in the way you hold the life within you, it’s in the way you are. Whether you are a crawling worm or a big human being. When the sun comes up in the morning, it lights up everybody. Whoever opens his eyes, for him there is light to see. So essential nature of life is all inclusive. This is the truth. If you sit here like that, absolutely all-inclusive, you are in touch with truth. If you’re in touch with truth, there can be no suffering in you. It's as simple as that. - Sadhguru
This month’s practice will focus on the gut: physically and energetically.
Digestion - Manipura Chakra (solar plexus,fire centre) - Intuition (our gut feelings)
The sun is weakest during the winter as is our digestive fire, yet it’s also the season we are most likely to over-consume, placing stress on our digestion. Much recent research has revealed what Ayurveda has known for centuries, that good gut health is essential for mental well being, a healthy immune system and healthy energy levels. Stress on the other hand has been shown to cause gut imbalances, mental ill health and physical disease.
As we’re looking to replenish ourselves and connect to our intuition this winter we will rest the mind and support our gut health.
Movement is a valuable tool for resting the mind, stimulating the gut and reducing stress. The simplest, subtle movement of the breath is a powerful tool. Learning to normlise diaphragmatic breathing supports the gut, the mind and in turn the body - they are intertwined.
The particular ‘link’ we’ll be working on is the vagus nerve:
“The longest cranial nerve, wandering from your brain to your large intestine. This nerve reaches into most of your body, including your throat, lungs, heart, stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, and gut (both your large and small intestines).
The vagus nerve connects the gut and brain and communicates information from the gut to the brain using neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and glutamate, and gut hormones, all of which play a vital role in sleep, mood, pain, stress, and hunger. Meaning the vagal pathway is bidirectional with 80 percent of the information going from the body to the brain and 20 percent from the brain to the body. The vagus nerve is the largest organ in your body’s autonomic nervous system, which regulates all of your body’s basic functions like breathing, your heartbeat, and the dilation of your eyes. This “soul” nerve unifies your entire nervous system.” - Daily Om
Focus on the breath and quieten the mind
So the light of wisdom can shine through
Om shanti
🙏
Sophia