Winter Living
Winter is here. The Darkness. The Cold. It has come to live in us all. In the Earth, in the trees, in the sky above us in a million shades of grey. Roots, animals and seeds are resting deep in the ground It is the season to rest, dream, remember, look at the stars, tell stories and light fires - inner as well as outer.
Words by Sidsel Solmer Eriksen, Founding Editor
Winter is a meditative, introspective soothing time, that demands calmness and patience and carries a slowing-down energy with it. There is a stillness to Winter, that like the snow absorbs the noise and opens us to the present and magic of being alive. Winter is all about enjoying the pause and retreating in our cocoons like a soft, furry animal.
Winter welcomes it’s own beauty of hibernation, warm comfort food, slow mornings and evenings. It is a season of yin energy, the wisdom of stillness to rest and restore. That doesn’t mean nothing happens. In fact it is this pause that allows roots to collect the power of growth.
Slowness and Cocooning.
The element of Winter is the Earth, which now is hard. Everything is quiet and cold, and the days are short and dark here in the Northern Hemisphere.
Winter can seem like an endless season, but there is hope to this season too. Deep down in the earth, the seeds are dreaming about new life and the buds on the trees are waiting to spring with new life.
In the old days, people hibernated with the animals, ate from our supplies, mended our clothes and told stories by the fire. They rised and slept with the sun, so naturally, they slept more in the dark winter days. This is the time for slowing down, resting as well as indoor activities, craft and works of the hand.
The beautifully crafted fireplace inside the Real Dania building, that was made with iron that was left in the ashes of the Copenhagen Fire of 1728.
Attuning to the Rhythm of Winter
Living in harmony with the seasons might sound quite unnecessary in our 24/7 tech driven world, where we herald efficiency, speed and goals. But it is when we learn to embrace the calm and nourishing rhythm of Winter, we can start to live a more balanced life, where we allow our bodies and nervous system to recharge and reflect on our journey instead of mindlessly living full-speed-ahead. Today we have extended the days with artificial light and screens, that stress our bodies and nervous systems to be energetic all day long -even in the darker day. But there is really no need to be in a hectic summer-like energy all year round.
Living with the season brings not only a special poetry to our lives, it also brings us our health. According to Chinese medicine, it is the single most important principle of health and healing. The thing is, we will miss something, if we don’t have Winter.
By choosing to live our lives with a seasonal rhythm, and not only in clock time, we begin to be with what is present, and let it help us. It is easier to work with the energy in Nature than to fight against it. We can become more in tune and connect to what is here.
Winter comes with its own special invitation to to find (new) ways to create a more magical everyday, to rest and recharge, listen to our bodies and connect to the stillness of nature and ourselves. It is the time for the magic of dreaming of new life - just like the tiny little seeds in the ground.
In the midst of Winter, we are asked to practice trust. Trust that our energy will return. And open to the magic of allowing ourselves to be held for a while in the darkness. To recharge and rest and restore your body and soul and connect to our inner fire, our dreams and our longings and plant dream seeds that might come alive and start growing with the slow return of the sun.
Winter Rituals
Winter Wind
Sound Meditation
Morning Meditation for a slow star to the day.
Solar Egg Sauna in Sweden by Bigert & Bergström
Winter Glow
True to the Scandinavian way of living, Winter is a time to explore the special Winter Glow of this end of the world. Whether it’s a brisk Morning Walk under a cold, frost clear sky, a visit to the sauna or spa, Winter has a special quality of simoultanesls calming and awakening the body. As Cold Therapy has become increasingly popular the last years, Scandinavia is the perfect playground to explore the qualities of the Winter Glow. Get more inspiration in our collection of Water Retreats, where you can try a Nordic-5 sauna experience or simply get your Winter Glow-up.