Going In

It’s that time of year already, when all I want to do is eat and sleep. I take baths. I drink tea. I crave long-held seated forward bends and restorative poses. My body is preparing for hibernation. It’s ready to go in.

Unfortunately in our busy culture, we do not get to hibernate all winter. We still have jobs and errands, and there’re fresh tracks to be made in the snow. So how do we honor this biological desire to rest while keeping up with our daily lives?

First, honor the needs of your body. Prepare warm stews with root vegetables or winter squash. By eating what is available here at this time of year, you align your body with the season, bringing health and harmony. Take time to be still, whether this is during savasana, meditating, or just sitting on a bench by the ocean, watching the white caps foam. Conserve the energy your body needs for the shorter days and colder nights ahead.

Then, go still farther inward. Since we often engage in less outside physical activity in the winter, use this time to observe your mind. Reflect on the past year and how you have received or resisted the events of your life. How have your relationships deepened? Being with your own thoughts is not always easy or pleasant, but you get to know yourself better and can make positive changes in your thought patterns and how you speak to yourself when you’re alone.

Finally, breathe. Drink deep the thin, crisp air of late fall in great lungfuls. Let the breath be cleansing and invigorating. Let it guide your actions and give space to your thoughts. Breathe out. Breathe in. And go there.