We are now in winter, with cold, dark days and snow and blustery weather. We’re just past “new year’s day”, where many set new year’s resolutions, and commit to start or stop various habits. However, to me, in connecting with the seasons, and to indigenous, seasonally connected cultures around the world, it’s not quite the new year yet. That time of rebirth, of renewal, and new life starts in spring. Perhaps the Spring Equinox is the more appropriate time for the resolutions. Instead, winter invites us to REST, to slow down, to dream, to turn inward, and hibernate. It’s time to snuggle on the couch with a cup of tea, read for fun, embrace hygge (a Nordic term for coziness), take naps, keep a dream journal, meditate…. (read about how I’ve embraced the dark and cold in my blog)
However, in my class this past Saturday at the Congregation, I also talked about when there’s too much of the slowing down, an imbalance of tamas (inertia), one of gunas. The gunas are qualities or states of nature or being. What can cause the excess of tamas in winter? What we call SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder or seasonal depression)* ? SAD is very real, “but its framing and treatment are deeply rooted in colonial, capitalist, and individual systems that prioritize productivity over humanity. From an anti-colonial perspective, SAD isn’t just a personal issue-it’s a reflection of how oppressive systems disconnect us from ancestral rhythms, community care, and our relationship with the Earth”-Patricia Duggan (check out her IG post about this)
In “How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days”, Kari Leibowitz says:
“Many of our problems with winter are actually problems with a society and set-up that don’t allow for seasonal adaptation and so much winter suffering is manufactured by expectations that are increasingly divorced from the rhythms of nature.”
So maybe it’s not winter itself, but our culture’s willful ignorance of needed seasonal shifts. How do we embrace winter if we have caretaking responsibilities and can’t nap in the afternoons or if we work during all the hours of winter sunlight? I think of the importance of small shifts, asking for help, taking small breaks to get outside during the workday, taking time off when we can, carving in precious “do nothing” time into our schedule and sticking with it (even if it’s 10 minutes).
What if it’s not just grind culture, but we are struggling with clinical depression? In this case, I think about balancing the dark and cold with light and heat (a main principle of Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine-”like increases like and opposites balance”). Yet this doesn’t mean ignoring the natural rhythms of the season; I think there’s still space for slowing down and adapting to the season.
With SAD, even getting out of bed can be a struggle, so first, meet the mood where it is (thanks to Amy Weintraub for first introducing me to this concept in the yoga world, very similar I think to "meeting the client where they're at" in social work). This could look like very gentle and slow yoga asana (movements), not putting too much on our to-do lists, lighting candles around the house. Then gradually build intensity- in movement this doesn't have to be intense sun salutations or power yoga, but add in some flowing movements, some patterns of movement that help you get out of your head and into your body. It could be energizing breathwork like breath of joy or bhastrika (bellows breath to stoke fire/heat). It could be going to a sauna or taking a hot bath. We want to energize without moving to the opposite end of the spectrum- too much rajas (action or movement), another of the gunas (too much rajas can often manifest as anxiety). What we’re aiming for is sattva (serenity, harmony), the third guna. How do we find sattva with winter?
Other things that help me when I’m feeling either SAD or the pressures of productivity culture in the winter (and I’m only speaking from my own experience, please find what’s best for you and consult with a healthcare professional):
Reconnect with seasonal rhythms: Give yourself permission to rest a little more and slow down in winter
Get outside! It may seem opposite my last point, but you don’t need to spend all day outside like you might in summer. Just a 15-minute walk can help! I know it’s cold, but bundling up and getting some natural sunlight (even if it’s overcast, but especially if it’s sunny, and especially in the morning) can be very important
Book I’m reading right now: How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days by Kari Leibowitz
Her 3 main suggestions for How to Winter:
Appreciate/celebrate Winter (adapt to the season, lift up winter’s pleasures)
Make winter special (think about its unique qualities, winter rituals)
Get outside
Light therapy lamps for SAD: Research on light therapy
Article comparing different light therapy lamps for SAD
I got the main one recommended in the article and find it very effective.
In the past I’ve loved saunas (alas none of that this year with my pregnancy). Great ones in Metro-Detroit:
Motor City Float (in addition to float therapy they also have a sauna and a fire & ice room!)
Candle-gazing meditation (trataka): Article about trataka
Doing a meditation with eyes open can be helpful if closing the eyes feels too overwhelming or depressing
Candles can also add to the hygge/coziness and help us bring in light
Depending on how you’re feeling right now: How can you either embrace the dark and cold (how do you hibernate, slow down, turn inward)? Or how do you balance the dark and cold with light and heat?
I’d love to hear from you- what helps you winter?
*Disclaimer: This is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your medical provider or therapist with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition or treatment.