January 1 - 7
Deep Winter Stillness -
The Year Begins in the Dark
Reflection
Meet me at the still point
between growth and decay
between doing & being;
You’ll find me
Beneath the delicate jewels of frost
in the exhalation of breath
visible for a vanishing moment,
You will know it’s me
when the cold touchs your bare skin
Sharp and refreshing
together we will walk
enveloped in the bright morning sun
The earth has drawn down
Her blanket of white & grey
signalling stillness
Evidence & Ecology
The air is heavy with rain.
Mist alights on my face. Each tiny hair hosting a barely visible droplet.
I’m alone in the forest. Inhaling the solitude as eagerly as oxygen. My feet know the way. Dodging the puddle lakes.
Overhead the sound of a rusty swing breaks the silence and corrects the misconception. I may be solo, but never alone in the more-than-human world.
The eagles have returned.
For the important task of building nests and raising their young in the coastal rainforests.
What are you noticing in this season of stillness?
What “nests” are you building to nurture your renewal?
The Practices
Embodied Nature Meditation
Connect with the quiet of the season.
Allow your awareness to be drawn into your root while you tune into the rhythms of the place that surrounds you.
The quiet. The drawing in. The potential.
Meet yourself here.
Where nothing else is needed
but to be Present. Still.
Unhurried in this moment.
Somatic Witnessing
Let your body become heavy enough that it no longer needs to be held.
Notice where the ground is already supporting you, and allow your weight to meet it.
Rest your attention on the place where your body meets this support.
Remain as you are. Until your body ceases to wait for movement, effort loosens and your body settles into a state of rest and renewal.
Story of Place
A Conversation with the Season
When the world is full of chaos stillness is an act of resistance.
Realigning with the seasonal cycles of nature beckons us to shake off the technological umbilicus.
Remembering that stillness is what allows for and must proceed renewal. As a tree sheds its leave in anticipation of the chill and dark laden months in a gesture of acceptance - of letting go. In a sacred connection.
This process of surrendering allows for resources to be drawn inwards and become deeply rooted.
The cycles of letting go, a period of rest, the renewal. Why have we become so misaligned? Becoming still eases you into a state of clarity and focus. Reminds you of the physical body you inhabit and its inherent connection with the earth.
The Invitation
Nature Kinship
Weekly nature connection practices aligned seasonally to engage with your locale. Encouraging immersion, appreciation and spiritual attunement with the more- than-human world around you.
*Always remember to enjoy these practices within the bounds of your physical and ecological limits (do not sit outside when it’s -40, or walk on slippery surfaces), practice “leave no trace” and mindful reciprocity (take only what you need, ask permission from the earth, and only leave what is naturally biodegradable)*
Sitting with the Weather
If you’re not able to get out into nature, allow nature to meet you.
Sit near a window, doorway, or sheltered outdoor space
Let the body settle into a supported position
Notice the weather as fully alive
Notice the rain or snow falling as a rhythm. A story unfolding.
Where do the edges of your skin meet the air? How does the cold or dampness feel? Can you welcome it in? Allow yourself to embrace possible discomfort
What parts of you are hibernating? Are you welcoming it as rest? What feelings emerge if you’re noticing resistance?
Slowing down facilitates opening of awareness. What are you becoming aware of in your body as your body and breath slow?
A Final Note
Closing Invocation
“Stillness. One of the doors into the temple.”
