013 - Knowing How to "Winter" Is a Year Round Skill (with Katherine May)
Feb 15, 2024
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Katherine May, author of Wintering, discusses the importance of embracing winter as a practice of rest and recovery. Topics include the cyclical nature of time, the benefits of reflection and preparation, the phases of a long walk, the joy of cold water swimming, coping with winter challenges, and the spiritual aspect of everyday duties.
Embracing winter as a practice allows for rest, recovery, and stillness in the midst of our growth-obsessed culture.
Incorporating rituals into our lives helps honor the cyclical nature of time, find joy in everyday practices, and appreciate the value of rest and renewal.
Cold water swimming offers a meditative and soothing practice that allows us to pay attention to our bodies and surroundings, offering respite in the midst of winter.
Deep dives
Embracing Winter and the Power of Rest
Embracing winter and the power of rest can lead to personal growth. Slowing down, resting, and recovering are important practices. Time moves in cycles, and understanding the seasons of our lives is crucial. Wintering, both in literal and metaphorical sense, is a practice that allows reflection and renewal. It's essential to find balance between growth and rest. Embracing winter as a natural part of life can change our perspective on time and help us navigate difficult times.
Rituals and the Importance of Marking Moments
Rituals serve as meaningful markers in our lives. They create space for reflection and allow us to connect with our emotions. Embracing rituals helps us honor the cyclical nature of time and find joy in everyday practices. By incorporating rituals into our lives, we can acknowledge the significance of important moments and appreciate the value of rest and renewal.
The Power of Cold Water Swimming and Being Present in the Moment
Cold water swimming offers a unique experience that connects us with the present moment. It's not about the duration or measurements, but about immersing oneself in the sensory elements and embracing the beauty of the surroundings. Cold water swimming can help us pay attention to our bodies and surroundings, offering a meditative and soothing practice in the midst of winter.
Shifting Perspectives on Attention and Engaging with News
Changing the way we engage with our attention can transform our relationship with news consumption. Instead of being consumed by external forces, we can observe our own attention and explore the underlying emotions and anxieties driving our behaviors. Mindfulness can help us understand our needs better and choose where to focus our attention more deliberately. By finding a balanced approach to news consumption and being kind to ourselves, we can navigate the winter season with greater ease.
Creating Light and Embracing Natural Sleep Patterns
Light and darkness play a significant role in our well-being during winter. Embracing candlelight and soft lighting can bring warmth and comfort to our spaces, counteracting the darkness outside. Additionally, allowing ourselves to acclimate to the natural patterns of the day and night can help us align with our body's natural rhythm. This may involve honoring the winter nights, embracing restfulness, and finding beauty in the transitions between light and darkness.
Let’s be honest: Winter ain't always fun! It’s cold, dark, icy, and often sticks around far longer than we want it to. Even if you’ve moved somewhere warm as a way to permanently escape the frosty months, well, there are winters there, too; times when you or someone you love gets sick, you go through a break-up, or you lose a job. “Everybody winters at one time or another,” writes Katherine May, in her book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. May says that instead of “imagining that it’s possible for life to be one eternal summer,” we ought to approach our winters, meteorological and metaphorical, the same way we approach our workouts, our diets, even our spiritual life—as a practice, one that involves a great deal of rest, recovery, and stillness, and an appreciation that the true nature of time is cyclical, not linear. In fact, says May, it’s the practice of wintering that provides a much-needed antidote to a growth- and progress-obsessed culture that is go-go-go and leaves so many of us burnt out, stressed, overwhelmed, and tired all the time. If you're somebody who struggles to slow down, rest, and recover—or you're just somebody who wants to know how to do those things better—this episode’s for you.
