Seasonal Living: Winter Edition
Seasonal Living: Winter Edition
Hello! Welcome to 2021 from my homestead to yours. May we find peace and comfort in the New Year. After a very hectic 2020 may we take this time to slow down and appreciate our new normal. May we see the sweet in all the bitterness. If 2020 has taught me anything it is just that, to see the sweet in the bitterness. Most of Christmas has been packed away save for a few bits and bobs here and there. And winter is in full effect with a snow storm on Christmas Eve and snow flurries on and off since then. With the welcoming of winter I begin to slow down my pace. Even putting away the Christmas decorations took time. My yoga practice slows down. My routine changes. Life as I know it slows down.
However, I always kick off the New Year with 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene. This is the seventh year of this 30 Days of Yoga series and my sixth year practicing along with it. It is a lovely way for me to connect with myself and a positive way to begin the New Year. The community that Adriene has built is one of encouragement, kindness, and love. The love and gratitude I receive from these people is a light in these dark times. There is still time if you are interested in joining along with me. Check out the 30 Days of Yoga: Breath series here. All it takes is your email address to register. Join me on this powerful journey of connectedness.
After January my yoga also slows down. Moving quickly requires more energy than I normally have, my muscles and joints ache constantly, and my back is in dire need of a break, so it is all about restorative yoga for me in winter. Without the sunshine making me feel alive and mobile I do not have much energy when it’s cold and gloomy outside, and I feel most everyone can attest to that. I try to reserve as much energy as I can for my job, being productive to create things, and to write and work on projects. Restorative yoga is a perfect way to still be able to practice yoga while reserving my energy for other activities. Breath work is also extremely important during the colder months. Many people suffer from seasonal allergies and over all sinus troubles because of the frozen like tundra weather outside. My sinuses are usually a wreak during winter with constant drainage of my nasal passages leading to coughing and running nose.
Below I have put together a winter restorative yoga routine to aid with general respiratory illnesses, digestive issues, and opening of the chest. Remember to slow your practice down. Allow your body adequate time to relax into each pose. Make sure you are comfortable in each position making modifications for your specifications. Wear warm clothing, possibly even socks, and have with you two bolsters, a couple of blankets, two yoga blocks, and a chair.
Winter Restorative Yoga Routine
Begin with Alternate
nostril breathing – for about four minutes, pause for a few minutes afterward,
to notice how your breathing is clearer.
I like to use my pointer finger and thumb. I find it is the easiest option for me. However there are several other options one being your pointer finger and thumb. Begin by plugging up the left side of your nose and breathing in through the right. Then plug up the right side of your nose and breathe out the left. Inhale through the left, plug up the left side of your nose, and breathe out the right. Repeat these steps for the entire four minutes, remembering to pause for a few moments afterward to notice your breathing.
Move to Chair Forward Bend – stretch for three minutes – each leg
Heart Opening Pose – hold for 10 minutes – prop head if needed with a blanket, for added warmth cover with a blanket or a comfy sweater.
Wind Relieving Pose – does just what the pose says, three deep breaths each side
Belly Down Twist over Bolster – four minutes each side
Sit with your right hip against the short edge of a rectangular bolster. Twist your body to the right towards the bolster. Lay down over the bolster and turn your head to face the opposite direction. Focus on your breathing, the rise and fall of your chest and the feeling of your stomach pushing against the bolster.
Child’s Pose (two
options) – pick best option for you and hold for five minutes
Option One:
End in Savasana –
hold for remaining 10 minutes or however long you wish
Place a round bolster under your knees and a rolled up blanket under your chest for a slight opening or the heart. Support your neck with a blanket. Cover with a blanket or a comfy sweater for added warmth. Focus on your breathing and allow yourself to sink fully into the pose. When you are relaxed allow your breath to come naturally and quiet your mind. Enjoy!
Overall this routine
should last from 45-60 minutes. Play some soft music in the back ground and if
you aren’t too keen on keeping time set an alarm for 45 minutes to an hour
depending on your preference. Lighting some incense or a candle can be a
helpful way in allowing you to relax deeper into each pose. Remember to move
slowly through each pose moving with intention.
Try this restorative practice out when you are feeling a
bit blue and need a confidence boost or if you need something to help aid in clearing
your sinuses. Sometimes it’s nice to perform a tea ritual before a restorative
yoga practice to awaken your senses, to clear your head and to prepare you
mentally for relaxation.
Sunday Tea Ritual
Along with my Sunday
Yoga Ritual I have added a Sunday Tea Ritual. This decision comes after reading
a few articles on how adding a tea ritual can be beneficial to our overall
wellbeing. Drinking a cup of herbal tea is like drinking a cup of medicine, but
this medicine is warm and tastes delightful. I usually perform my Sunday tea
ritual before I practice my Sunday yoga ritual. However sometimes I feel that
it is best done before I dive into my weekend reading. In this case I perform
this tea ritual before finding my favorite reading spot.
Here is how I perform my Sunday Tea Ritual:
First fill a tea
kettle with water.
Then pick out a mug
and your tea.
Set the kettle on
the stove, turn on the heat, and wait for water to boil.
While I wait for the
water to boil I clean up my kitchen, refill the water pitcher, and feed the cat.
When the pot seems
like it’s about to whistle I prepare my cup. I place the bag or tea diffuser
(depending on which tea I choose) in the mug. When the kettle whistles I turn
off the heat and pop the top to allow the steam to escape. Then I wait about a
minute and during that time I get out my supplements – collagen and immune
support are my two go to’s right now.
After about a minute
I pour the water into the mug and then add the supplements and a bit of honey,
possibly even some cream depending on my choice of tea. Of course you may
choose to flavor your tea however you see fit.
Then I let the tea
steep for about four minutes. I proceed to clean up the kitchen and feed the
cat who still hasn’t been fed and is eye balling me with regard.
Cat has now been
fed. And the tea has steeped long enough. I take my tea to my yoga space for daily
devotional and yoga practice or to my chair for a bit of reading.
I take time to smell
my tea before I move into my activity: inhaling the deep notes of florals, the
sweet smell of honey, and the slight bitter smell of the tincture. I allow the
steam to warm my face. I inhale slowly and exhale slowly.
Sitting in silence
for a few moments allowing the smells to inhabit the inside of my nose filling
me with its delightful notes, I listen to the cars driving by. You may choose
to pause for a few moments or meditate with your tea for five minutes. Do what
feels natural to you, do not rush the process.
Then I take my first
few sips, I let the hot tea warm my body and fill me with a sense of peace and
calm. All is good in that moment. After this I am ready to fall into a good
story or into my Sunday Yoga Ritual.
This ritual does not
have to be done on a Sunday, this is the best day for me to be able to devote
the time a tea ritual needs. If Tuesday nights work best for you then by all
means do your tea ritual on a Tuesday night. <Grin> Do you perform a tea
ritual already? What are some steps that you do? What is your favorite brand or
flavor of tea? Feel free to share with me in the comments below!
Not only is it
important to take care of yourself physically and mentally during the winter it
is important to take care of your skin, to protect it from the harsh weather of
winter. My skin definitely needs more TLC in the winter than it does in summer
when I am sweating out all the toxins. For me it is import to have a skin care routine
that will not only cleanse my skin, but also nourish it.
Winter Skin Care Routine
My skin tends to get
very dry, chapped, and wrinkly with the changing of wet, cold weather to dry,
cold weather. There is very little moisture in the air during the colder months
and the little that there is gets sucked into the air. Not only that, but in
our homes we are blasting the hot air to keep warm from the arctic temperatures
outside (unless of course you live in tropical climates). My winter skin care
routine needed a change. I was tired of having dry flaky skin and trying to
cover that up with foundation made my skin look scaly. This year that hasn’t been
a problem with the addition of face masks. I have quite wearing face make up to
work completely. What’s the point when my mask is just going to rub it all off
and no one is going to see my face.
With that came a
perfect time to turn to a new skin care routine: a delightful cream cleanser
from Mad Hippie and a rosehip oil
based moisturizer. This combination has left my face feeling ultra clean and
protected from the dry air. I wash with the cream cleanser in the shower in the
evenings and with plain water in the morning. After I wash my face in the
morning I splash Thayers Witch Hazel
with Rose Petal on my face followed by the rosehip oil from Aura Cacia. I allow the oil to soak into
my face as I go about my morning routine, ending up back in the bathroom about
fifteen minutes later to apply the makeup I do use: L’Oreal eyebrow pencil in dark brown, Benefit They’re Real mascara, and finishing powder from It Cosmetics.
And that’s it for my
day to day. I haven’t had dry, flaky skin on my face since the weather began
getting colder and my skin seems happier with the change. I do still wear
makeup on occasion, if I have somewhere to go. Now my hands on the other hand…
hehe see what I did there?! My hands suffer from constant red, dry, cracked
skin. Adequate and proper hand washing leads my hands to suffer the most when
it gets cold out. I make sure to have hand lotion at every turn, inside my
purse, and inside all my bags. With my knitting things I keep Dandelion Salve
because not only is it highly nourishing it is good for sore muscles and since
I use my hands a lot to create and work this salve is perfect to have around.
I made some dandelion
salve over the summer after I finished the online course, The Art of Simpling. I enjoyed the process of making the salve,
which is a two part system, and practicing my new learned information. I found
a recipe for the salve on Pinterest which you can find by browsing my page here.
I have also begun
doing a nasal cleansing routine. I read somewhere that we are so focused on
cleaning our hands and bodies but not our nostrils. And I was all ‘yeah, why is
that?’ For me this meant that I would need to flush my nostrils more often. I
recently signed up with Grove
Collaborative and found Zarbee’s Naturals
Soothing Saline Nasal Mist with Aloe. I have been using this to flush both
sides of my nose about every other day. At night I moisturize my nostrils with
coconut oil to keep them from drying up during the night and in the morning I use
nasya oil. This oil has a pleasant smell that awakens my mind while lubricating
my nasal passage and cleanses my nasal tissue. Banyan Botanicals makes a terrific nasya oil and is my preferred choice.
When my nose and sinuses are stuffy and I have a lot of mucus I turn to my
trusty Neti pot and I do this flush while in the shower. Use a Neti pot saline
solution for best results. Lubricate with nasya oil. Go about your day or
evening with a fresh face and clean nose. <Grin> Do you use a Neti pot?
Do you have any suggestions for better results? Leave your responses in the
comments section below!
I have discussed taking care of our bodies both physically and mentally, and discussed the importance of taking care of our skin in winter. Let’s move on to food.
Warm Nourishing Foods
Eating warm
nourishing foods during winter helps keep our bodies warm when the weather drops
to freezing temperatures. Be mindful of the foods you eat, it should make you
feel good, but it should also be nutritious.
Oatmeal has been my
go to breakfast food for winter. Its warm, sticky goodness clings to me like a
good hug. I love that you can basically add anything to oatmeal. It is a
perfect base food to add fruits and berries, nuts and seeds, syrups, honey, and
even brown sugar to create a warm nourishing breakfast food. For me the best
type of oat to use is bulk purchased plain quick oats., usually from the Amish
bulk foods store.
This combination is
maple nut oatmeal base with chopped pecans, dried cranberries, unsweetened
coconut flakes with a drizzle of honey. Yum! I love to add blueberries to this
combination as well, when I have them.
Other toppings to
consider:
Maple syrup, an herb infused syrup, walnuts, pepitas, raisins, strawberries, raspberries, chocolate chips, and spices such as all spice, nutmeg, or ground cinnamon.
Yellow Vegetable Curry with Rice
Ingredients:
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 small onion,
chopped
4 cloves garlic,
minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 stalks green
onions, chopped
Curry powder (mine
is from the Amish bulk foods store)
1 medium tomato,
chopped
4 medium sweet
potatoes, chopped
2 medium carrots,
diced
½ c frozen peas
1 – 15 oz can
coconut milk
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to
taste
Directions:
1.
Heat oil
in a large pan, add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic,
green onion, and ginger – stir for 1 minute.
2.
Add
spices and cook until fragrant, stir constantly. Add tomato, sweet potatoes, carrots,
coconut milk and water.
3.
Cover
saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until
thick.
4.
Stir in
peas, salt, pepper, and all spice. Remove from heat and enjoy.
Serve Yellow Curry
with rice, brown rice, quinoa, or ancient grains.
I love curry during
the winter, it builds a fire in my belly, fills me up and it’s just plain
delicious. I do not like to make mine very spicy; however feel free to add your
own preference of spice and heat!
I also love to eat
soup throughout winter and my vegetable and chicken soup is my go to! I make up
a big batch during autumn and after I eat several bowls, share some with friends
and family, I put some in a jar and freeze it for winter. I eat this with a
nice crusty bread and a winter salad.
Winter Activities
Below I have added in some of my favorite winter time activities. These activities invite me to slow down and focus my attention on my work. They are engaging and I enjoy them. Choose activities that you enjoy and ones that allow you to slow down to focus your attention on your intention.
Tai Chi – hiking and walking are a scarcity during winter since I do not want to be out in freezing weather, however I still need to be able to get some physical exercise in without going to the gym. In enters Tai Chi. It is a goal of mine to practice Tai Chi for at least 10 minutes 3 nights a week
Movies – All the
President’s Men, Casablanca, Duck Soup, Beach Blanket Bingo, A Brief History of
Time, Evil Dead – original, Hustlers, Billionaire Boys Club, Nocturnal Animals,
When Harry Met Sally, Serendipity, Say Anything, You’ve Got Mail, Punch Line,
Joe Verses the Volcano, That Thing You Do! Do you have any movies planned for winter? What are they? Share with me in the comments below!!
Reading – A Tree
Grows in Brooklyn, Sustainable Home
Crafting – knitting and drawing, paper crafting
Baths – with winter
essential oils: peppermint, orange, cinnamon, clove, frankincense, wintergreen,
bergamot, etc and with winter bath salt blends. Check out my Pinterest page for
ideas. During my baths in winter I light my stress relief candle from Bath and Body Works. I allow the warmth
of the water and the thick mix of smells fill me into a mere stupor. Baths not
only clear me mentally they help ease my sore aching muscles that get stiffer
in winter. I allow my bones to soak in the tub for at least half an hour, or
until the water gets cold.
For me winter is all
about slowing down, going inward, and connecting with myself and those close to
me. For most that last part is a little harder this year with Covid cases
increasing rapidly. Everyone, including me, is living in a frenzy with a high
state of alert or is it just me?! Now more than ever I needed some practices to
keep me busy, but that also allow me to slow down and turn inward. The
practices above are just a guideline to ease you into living seasonally in winter.
Maybe you prefer to do Pilates instead of Yoga or Tai Chi or maybe you would
prefer to do your tea ritual on Friday night after a long week and you turn
your tea into a hot toddy with a little bourbon. Maybe you hate reading and
crafting and taking baths are not for you, so find what works for you and do it
with intention. I hope you have found some wisdom here and you will continue on
with your journey into living seasonally. If you have any questions or comments
feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
I am with you
friend.
Namaste.
xo
P.S. I've been reading the book Bittersweet: thoughts on change, grace, and learning the hard way by Shauna Niequist. It is all about finding the sweet among the bitterness. To put it in her words "Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a sliver of lightness on even the darkest nights..." We need both the bitter and the sweet, life is all about balance, but we can choose to focus on the good things and be grateful for the bitter things because in those moments we grow and learn about life and about ourselves. It is a really wonderful book and I highly recommend it. Thank you Jennifer Withrow for sharing this book with me. It has really opened my eyes!
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