Hibernating for New Year’s
Winter is a time of rest, of reflection, of hibernation.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Winter is a season of Yin. In the West, we would call this more of the “divine feminine”, the season of being, of darkness, of rest. Yang is the “divine masculine”, the season of doing, activity, of light.
In our Western society, we don’t get much rest and reflection in the Winter. Instead, it’s holiday season with a busy social calendar, familial obligations, and overspending and then it’s the New Year with resolutions and “new year, new me” and forcing ourselves to stick to strict and heavy workouts and goals.
And I wonder if that’s why folks tend to ‘fail’ their resolutions since we’re asking our bodies to expend a lot of energy in peak Winter — the exact opposite of the energy of the season. We’re going against natural rhythms and our body can’t keep up. We then we beat ourselves up when we ‘fail’ when maybe the plan was set to fail from the start.
We forget that not everything can bloom all year round.
If you think about it, as a society, we don’t honor any rest in any season. It’s expected for everyone to push and achieve and push and achieve. No rest. No time to reflect. No time to appreciate all the things you’ve accomplished and achieved. No time to celebrate. This lack of rest can be seen in the US’s vacation policy or even bereavement leave (which averages 3 days!). Sometimes the most rest we get is that liminal space between Christmas and New Years.
I’m Saying No to New Year’s Resolutions
I don’t know about you, but my body doesn’t want all that. Especially now, after 2 years of a pandemic and an extra stressful few months. And honestly, I don’t know if I can even physically stomach the idea of pushing and creating right now. My body is craving slowness, stillness, gentleness, and peace.
When in doubt, I always look towards nature. Animals are moving slower, preserving their energy. Most plants have lost their leaves and gone dormant.
Because of this, I’m pausing my New Year’s Resolutions for Jan 1.
For my body, the New Year starts in February — a time with more light and excitement in the natural world, at least where I am. It feels more natural and right.
Other cultures feel this way too.
Pagans celebrate Imbolc in February, a celebration halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox that’s all about light and spring, and rebirth (think Easter if that resonates with you). In Eastern cultures, their lunar calendar begins in February with the Lunar New Year.
These holidays celebrate the newness that is coming, a time of ideas and fertility and creation. They also connect with the agricultural calendar and is a time to literally plan your garden and plant your seeds — you can’t get more creative energy than that.
So not only does it make sense to me to pause my goal setting and planning for a few weeks, but at the moment, this feels like the nicest and kindest thing I can do for myself.
It’s a true gentle transition.
And I love that. I’m walking my talk by listening to my body and being kind to myself.
Need your own permission slip?
A reminder and permission slip that you can do whatever you want to make sure things feel good for you.
Don’t want to have any New Year’s Resolutions? Then don’t.
Want to go full force into resolutions? Then go for it!
Listen to you body and see what it needs. Sometimes that can be as simple as writing a letter to your body and asking what it needs
Speaking of living seasonally, I love to create seasonal bucket lists as a way to immerse myself in the season.
It helps bring more fun and presence to my life. There’s something about waiting for the first watermelon in summer or the first chai tea in fall or the cozy holiday lights in winter; it makes the season way more magical to have those things to be excited for. Plus it allows me to live closer to the earth and that’s a big goal of mine.
My Winter Bucket List
Celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice
Make sourdough bread from homemade starter
Read 3 books with peak-coziness of candles and warm blankets and hot tea
Drink wassail (a traditional Yule bevvie that’s like a non-alcoholic version of mulled wine)
Reflect on 2021
Find & cut down mistletoe (supposedly it can’t touch the ground to maintain it’s ‘magic’)
Make a winter blend tea ( I love to use Kosmic Kitchen’s recipes for their seasonal blends)
PS: If you are interested in goal setting and planning out your 2022, sign up for the waitlist for Setting Course Workshop dropping at end of Jan 2022.
It’s an interactive workshop with an energy healing boost designed to honor 2021 and help you get intentional with 2022!