Preparing for the Hibernation Phase…

By now, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, it’s obvious that we have entered into a very pronounced climatic, emotional and biological phase. For you lucky Southern hemisphere dwellers, that phase is called late Spring, which portends a verdant, luscious, warm Summer season. For us in the Northern hemisphere, there’s no denying it– this phase is called late Fall, which is wasting no time in ushering in all of the characteristics of a barren, cold, often bleak Winter.

Upon closer reflection, though, late Fall and Winter offer much more than that. It’s a very fertile time and great for nurturing old and new life as evidenced by the beauty of the flowering Spring bulbs that were planted the previous Fall. In addition to the obvious physical beauty of the daffodils, tulips and irises that grow as a result of their Winter ‘hibernation,’ bears, bats and bees also go within and allow nature to care for them as they re-source themselves in preparation for the vibrant verdancy of Spring.

In the Winter, we humans also go into an inner, more reflective phase. Though we don’t curl up in a cave or underground warren, our systems slow down and demand that we take the time to be mindful of and attend to ourselves in more gentle, nurturing ways.

As the temperature continues to drop and you prepare your den for a cozy, reflective season, make sure that you look back at your year and assess the beauty/bounty of your Spring and Summer efforts. Did the results of last years ‘bulbs’ (hopes, wishes, reflections, determinations) bud and bloom the way you’d hoped? What do you need to do to nurture them this Winter so that next Spring’s garden is a beautiful and satisfying reflection of yourself? The answers to these questions are within you. Prepare yourself for and participate in Winter’s life enriching process and like cream, they’ll effortlessly rise to the top.

P.S. I recently returned from Scotland where I lead 20 people on another of my transformational spiritual Odysseys. This year’s Odyssey to Scotland was even more magical and amazing than last year’s! Just like last year, in a few weeks, you can ‘travel’ with me as I re-count my experience of the journey via my posts, ‘A Scottish Odyssey through My Eyes.’

Lots of Love & Joy,
Sheilaa