The Joy of Winter by Kristine Pagsuyoin

It is just about this time of year when so many of us really start getting tired of the snow and cold.  For some it seems like winter will never end, and for others, it can be a real struggle to fight against winter blues or even severe depression.  It can also be a tough time to be in your house, especially if you are experiencing cabin fever, or at home due to a job loss. But, winter can be a very positive and powerful time in our lives, and for the time we spend in our homes. In Feng Shui, the winter energy is like no other time in the year.  This energy always seem so crisp and clear, like a veil has been lifted, revealing that within ourselves we hold all of the answers to our questions, or solutions to our problems.  The winter energy forces us to slow down with the promise that we will be given opportunities to savor living life in the moment. There is nothing quite like an early morning walk in the winter.  The snow crunching under your boots is the only sound you hear until you stop.  Then, around you only silence, and in that silence the knowing and clarity comes.  You are in the moment. 

It is so easy to “fight” against winter.  It is acceptable for people to start conversations with their winter complaints.  And even if we don’t particularly agree that that the weather is bad, we will give a nod or a quick, “yeah, I know,” because we can relate to the person suffering. Yet, we have a choice. We can choose to recognize that for now, in this moment, that it is winter and there is nothing we can do about it. We can make the choice to accept and embrace winter as a season as relevant, necessary, and joyful as any of the others.  Winter is truly a gift that gives us a chance to hibernate, not in a way that separates us from the outside world, but a chance for us to connect with ourselves and who we are. These months given for our hibernation allows us the time we need for reflection; to be still, to silent ourselves so that we can hear and relish in our thoughts.  As we rest, we prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the spring that waits—the season when our thoughts, created in the still of winter, are brought forth and put into action.  To be sure, the days will get longer, the ice and snow will melt, and the green grass will come back. But for now, with little precious time of the winter remaining, surrender to the moment and enjoy the magic of the winter energy.