Winter Moments. Silence & Stillness.
“Clarity is often found in stillness.”
Quiet Moments.
As the world around me has been blanketed and transformed by layers upon layers of snow, my reflections around silence and stillness have been gently nurtured and brought to mind. Those initial moments upon stepping outdoors and viewing the untouched setting where everything is coated and serene, have prompted and encouraged my individual moments of quiet stillness. Words are not needed, and if thoughts can be brought to the present moment, and eyes directed to just noticing the graceful winter forms within this tranquil and pristine setting - a restorative state of peaceful being emerges alongside this quietude.
Benefits and Possibilities of Being Still.
• settling of a restless mind
• gentle attunement with one’s own body
• connecting to calm and a more soothing energy
• embodiment of quiet stillness through one’s gentle meditative gaze
• clarity of one’s thoughts subtly balanced with one’s focused noticing
“Stillness is the foundation of understanding and insight.”
Invitation to Connect with Nature.
• take time each day to slow down and connect with the outdoors (or with natural elements in some way)
• find personal ways to engage with winter offerings that are positive and restorative
Invitation to Create.
• carry your sense of calm through to creative expression by capturing the felt sense of engaging with nature, outdoors and winter offerings
• express these quiet winter moments through simple lines, wandering gestures and bright or subdued colours (potentially responding to the winter landscape itself or the feelings that are stirred or generated within you)
winter doodle….coffee pigment… acrylic paint, graphite and ink
Invitation for a Meditative Moment.
• I have shared below a few winter meditation prompts to guide your thoughts as you settle into a restorative nature experience
• prompts are from the Psychology Today Blog Post; “Reboot and Feel Good: A Winter Meditation” by Joseph Cardillo Ph.D., and by Rebekah Borucki from her book; You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life, a collection of short meditations.
Pause… Witness… Be… Still…
‘Solitude’
“Notice how the sun glistens on the surface of an expanse of snow. Observe how the wind sends plumes into the air. Visualize the design of each snowflake as it settles into its resting place. As the snow falls, allow your mind and body to sink into relaxation.”
‘Here’
“Use winter’s coolness to shut off your thoughts and send your attention into the present. Then, keep it there. Fill your focus with wintery images that have a positive effect on you. Tell yourself that your job is to fill up with good, positivity to replace where other elements of your day may have left you feeling drained. Use images/places you already know that have this restorative effect on you or look for new ones.”
‘Alone’
“Focus on the natural stillness of things—e.g., the pocket of white light filling what appear to be random spaces carved out of snow, there one minute, gone the next;”
‘Transformed’
“Let your images float across your mind. Observe them. Do not disturb them. Just objectively watch them. Look closely and with patience at any one object. As various “things” such as thoughts, a feeling, etc., interrupt your observation, turn them off one by one like a light switch. In fact, use the light switch technique to keep turning off distractions if necessary. This will help you train your mind to stay focused, so repeat whenever necessary”
‘Glimmer’
“Space and stillness is the light that illuminates the beauty of our soul’s being”
‘Emerging’
“Slow is fast, gentle is powerful and stillness moves mountains...”
‘Immersed’
“If you seek peace, be still. If you need wisdom, be still. If you need love, be still.”
Links for Winter Meditations.
Cardillo, Joseph Ph.D. “Reboot and Feel Good: A Winter Meditation - Slow down, cultivate … then think”. Dec.29, 2013, www.psychologytoday.com. Self Help.
Note: Joseph Cardillo explores the theme of seasonal mindfulness further in his book: The Five Seasons: Tap Into Nature’s Secrets For Health, Happiness, and Harmony.
“Getting more in touch with nature can help us find our deeper stillness, especially during the winter season. Within this quietude, we can fulfill our need for a deeper sense of calm. In my former post, we looked at the idea of winter creativity. It is this kind of cooling and calming energy as exemplified by the winter season that facilitates the generation of new, creative directions in our lives—big or small. For this reason, it is good to take some time each day to get out and be still with nature.”
Borucki, Rebekah. You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life, a collection of short meditations. Feb. 28, 2017, www.penguinrandomhouse.ca.
“I don’t have time to meditate!” Rebekah “Bex” Borucki has heard this a lot. A certified yoga and meditation teacher, she’s taught hundreds of thousands of people how to create simple yet powerful meditation practices.
... After years of suffering from anxiety and depression, both as a child and as an adult, Bex took control of her mental and physical health by establishing a rigorous fitness and yoga routine that quickly evolved into her own regular, homegrown 4-minute daily meditation practice.”
