Wintering - A Time To Heal And Rest

We are honouring this energy together now,

The ancient practice of wintering.

Honouring this sacred season of slowing down,

Softening,

Reflecting and returning to the deepest parts of ourself.

Within the north node of the medicine wheel,

We are sitting in winter.

I know we're not quite in the midst of winter just yet,

If you're sticking to the dates,

But we're not far off.

And if you think about winter in the natural world,

In nature,

Nothing is blooming at this part of the year,

Not much anyway.

All the trees surrendered their leaves,

Animals start to slow down,

The earth is not trying to produce food or flowers,

Everything is retreating into stillness.

Winter doesn't come to punish us with its harsh weather,

It's actually guiding us in.

It's guiding us in to protect us,

To restore us,

To reset us and to remind us how vital and how important rest is.

We are such creatures of doing.

It's almost ingrained in us this guilt of slowing down,

Stopping,

Resting.

And we've become less human beings and more human doings.

So the north node is such.

.

.

I love winter.

I think winter is my favourite season.

The north node is my favourite node of the medicine wheel.

A place of deep rest,

A place of wisdom,

A time of connecting to our ancestors,

Intuition.

It's like this big womb of renewal.

It's just so yummy and delicious and soft and peaceful.

And I am next week going to share a winter solstice live session at some point.

And I'll share this again then,

But all of this kind of partying and socialising that happens over the festivities,

New Year and Christmas,

If you celebrate it,

It really goes against actually what we should be doing in winter.

And some people,

And I'm not saying this is me,

But some people believe that it's the whole party scene is generated because people weren't consuming,

They weren't buying,

They weren't spending money because they were staying in and it was a way of getting people out and spending money and not just hibernating.

So it kind of goes against everything the north teaches us and how we used to live.

So it's quite interesting.

Anyway,

So in this evening's journey that we're going to take together,

I'm inviting you to come with me into this cave of hibernation and we'll be held and supported by the spirit animal of the bear.

The bear represents a guardian kind of type energy,

Rest,

Introspection,

Strength as well.

And throughout this journey,

I want to remind you that it's okay to be tired and rest is not passive.

It's actually really powerful.

And the winter season,

This incredible,

Beautiful north node season is where your soul reweaves itself and it sits with itself and it nurtures.

This practice is a return.

It is a remembering.

And it's a soft descent into deep healing and stillness.

Now,

As we work through this practice together,

I want you to invite the sense of wintering to not be outside of us as in the snow or the cold or the dark,

But actually a season that we can embody within us.

The slow healing,

The wisdom,

The stillness,

And also embodying this beautiful energy of the spirit animal of the bear,

Resting,

Stillness,

Peace,

Withdrawing.

Because if you're going into that beautiful hibernation time,

It reminds us to listen to our body cycles and to reassure us that darkness isn't frightening.

It's actually really fertile.

It's a time of rejuvenation.

And the bear energy,

And some of you may need to hear this right now,

The bear energy is an energy of courage and boundaries.

And you may want to reflect on that in this moment about your own boundaries,

Personally or within work environment or family or for yourself,

Habits.

Where are your boundaries and are they in the right place for you at the moment?

And also on this journey together,

You may encounter other spirit animals.

We're going to hold open that space if they wish to come.

And it may not just be the bear that presents itself.

Within the north node,

And this isn't to say this is who will walk with you on this path,

But the north node also holds space for the wolf,

Which is the guardian of intuition,

The beautiful owl energy of wisdom.

Sometimes the deer presents itself.

The deer is a very gentle energy,

A trusting energy.

The raven can appear in the north node.

The raven is an energy of connecting to shadow work,

Shadow healing.

And the other animal that can also come up is the white buffalo,

Which is the energy of peace,

Ancestral remembrance.

So whoever walks with you on this journey,

It's perfect.

And know that your soul has already connected to your guides many times over.

It's only our human mind that might not see or feel them,

But your soul,

Your soul knows.

In a moment,

We'll begin our meditation,

A journey inwards into your cave,

Your winter,

Your soft place of healing.

Take a deep and mindful breath in now.

And as you exhale,

We begin our journey together.

Close your eyes now.

Let stillness settle into your body.

Like the gentle ripple on the surface of the water,

Becoming softer and slower until full stillness arrives.

Let your breath deepen and lengthen.

Feel the weight of the day sliding off your shoulders.

Breathing in the warmth of softness.

And breathing out a sigh of release.

Imagine yourself standing at the edge of a winter forest.

Snow blankets the ground in soft white.

The air is crisp,

Clean,

Full of silence.

Every other sound is softened.

Every breath you take feels pure and clean.

Above you,

The sky glows with a faint winter sun,

Low and golden.

You pull a warm cloak around your shoulders.

You feel held,

Safe,

And warm.

A great bear appears before you now,

Silently inviting you to follow.

A narrow trail of footprints leading deeper into the forest.

And you follow.

And as you walk,

You connect to the bear's energy.

A gentle connection.

A steady companion to this journey.

To this winter wonderland.

And together you walk toward a large cavern nestled into the hillside.

Its entrance glowing with soft amber light.

This is your cave.

Your sanctuary.

Your winter refuge.

A place that has been waiting patiently and lovingly for you to return.

A place that exists within you.

And your bear,

Your guide,

Walks ahead and invites you in.

As you step into the cave,

Everything is warm.

The glow of a fire dances gently on the walls.

The ground is covered in soft moss and firs.

And there is nothing to do here.

No expectations.

No responsibilities.

Just rest.

You lie down on the softness of the earth.

Your body sinking into it effortlessly.

It feels as though this cave remembers you.

As if you have rested here many times before.

And your bear,

Your beautiful bear,

It may gently curl beside you on the floor.

Or it may stand guard at the entrance of the cave.

It wants you to know that you are safe here to rest.

Feel the heaviness melting out of your limbs.

Feel your mind quieting.

Feel your heart unclenching.

You are returning home.

Feel the warmth and the golden light from the flickering fire.

Touch the crown of your head.

And with every exhale,

It gently melts down.

Down your body.

Through your face.

And your throat.

Your chest.

And your heart.

Your belly.

And your feet.

Every part of you unraveling.

Softening.

And releasing.

Winter's gift is a reminder that you have nothing to prove.

Nothing to perform.

Nothing to carry.

Just to rest.

Allow the silence around you to become a healing energy of its own.

Allow the darkness of the cage to be nurturing.

To be rest.

And you may now become aware of the presence of other spirit animals who come to rest here with you.

The bear may still be there.

The wolf.

The owl.

The deer or raven.

Or buffalo or another being entirely.

Whatever comes is right.

You may sense their warmth.

You may feel or hear their wisdom.

You may connect to their quiet yet strong energy.

Take a moment to greet them.

To feel your energy blend with theirs.

You may also notice ancestors gathering quietly around you.

Not always to speak.

But to simply hold you in their presence.

Your spirit animals breathe softly beside you.

Your ancestors rest here with you.

Their breath becomes your breath.

Their strength becomes your strength.

Their wisdom becomes your wisdom.

And you ask your guides What does my soul need this winter?

Let the answers come to you in whispers.

In symbols.

Or in feelings.

Allow all healing to happen here without effort.

To breathe deeply into this moment.

If you are still lying on the floor of your cave feel yourself rising up to sit.

Your body feeling lighter.

Your heart clearer.

And your guides sit in front of you.

Holding out a message.

A symbol.

A gift.

And as you receive it place your hand on your heart.

And give thanks.

And together you walk now towards the entrance of the cave.

The winter light glowing ahead of you.

Stepping back into the snowy forest.

Alive with quiet magic.

Silently repeating to yourself I honour the season I am in.

Rest is sacred.

Stillness is healing.

I allow myself to slow down.

I allow myself to receive.

I allow myself to be held.

Winter does never ask you to shrink.

It asks you to soften.

And it asks you to listen.

Your spirit guides will always come to you at the right time in the right place.

They are with you beyond this journey.

And know that your inner cave remains open to you whenever you need the rest.

And your soul,

Your beautiful soul is gently recalibrating in ways you may not yet understand.

As you softly let the wintry image fade.

I thank you for slowing down with me.

I thank you for trusting this journey.

Your cave is waiting for whenever you need it.

I honour you.

I see you and I hold you.

Namaste.