Winter And Slowing Down

November 30, 2022

Hundreds of years ago in the middle ages, the hours of the day were shorter or longer depending on the season and amount of daylight. In the winter daytime hours would be shorter. In the summer the hours would be longer.  Only with the advent of clocks in the western world did hours begin to have a rigid form.

After the harvest time and feast, comes a time of hibernation. The rhythms of nature and seasons affects our bodies. Right now as the sun starts to fade away, it's in our nature to have less daytime activity to retreat and get more rest.

And yet in our culture at least, we have holidays in the middle of the darkest time of the year, that are focused on light. In one way this makes sense. On the darkest day, we want to have hope that the light will come back. But often it causes us to not get the deep rest that many of us crave. Rather than resting and hibernating, we are preparing for fire activities, with lavish food, parties, and gifts.

Sometimes we get so used to ‘revving’ at a high speed, the idea of rest can be daunting, or even unnerving.  Who would we be if we weren’t pushing all the time? Because the body adapts, we don't even realize how much we need rest. We just find ourselves reaching for more distraction to make sure we don’t slow down.

This is the season to go within, hibernate, meditate, go into the dark. For some this can feel scary. But there's nothing to be afraid of. It's only you meeting you.

For a gentle yet profound way to reset the system, book an Acupuncture session. Give your nervous system a break. It's a gift to you.