“Wintering is something the natural world does, but we have lost it in our modern, go-go-go world.”
Moving with the Natural Rhythms of the World
Did you know everything is cyclical? There is a time of birth, of learning and growth, of mastery, and a time of change and death. There are also natural rests or lulls in the action.
We also see this in music! There is sound and silence. These need to both be there to make truly satisfying music.
Consider the cycle of the year with Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
When was the last time you really wintered?
If you are like me and most of us, you don’t winter. You continue the same cycle throughout the year. Especially those of us in America. We don’t even take the time to have a siesta during the day like many places do in Europe.
However, how healthy is it to continually be in overdrive?
It isn’t.
Katherine May has a wonderful book called Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. In this book she discusses how some places still have wintering and what it means.
I have found, in my recovery, it is very helpful to consider this as a time of renewal and refreshing and REST.
The Importance of Sleep
It has been said if you aren’t sleeping for a full night’s rest that everything good you did during the day is undone.
That all the supplements and exercise and massage and the like don’t even matter.
How crazy is that?
However, it does feel true!
I wrote an article on this in 2020 that you can read here.
Just know that moving in harmony with the natural rhythms are what we were designed for and these are what help us to stay healthy!
So grab that nap if you need it and make sure you are doing what you need to ensure you get your HEALTH rest.
Other Rhythms to Honor
Along with rest and sleep, there are some other natural rhythms we should be aware of and honor to the best of our ability!
- Fall and Spring are the best times to cleanse while Summer and Winter are better for building.
- Follow the moon cycles! These aren’t written in stone, but they are good to follow or at least pay attention to.
- New Moon: fast, highest capacity for detox (liquid fast is good, also vegetable fast), great time for prevention, new beginnings, throw out bad habits, calm reactions. Best time to finish/decant herbal medicines you’ve made like tinctures.
- Waxing Moon: regenerate, rest, recover, build, strengthen, fortify, breathing in (earth and us), good time to store energy, absorbing (body can gain weight, water retention, but vitamins and minerals also more absorbable)—closer to full moon makes it more effective, bad time for any operation (closer to full moon is even worse–better at new moon), healing is slower, scar tissue forms quickly
- Full Moon: good time to fast, farmers do lots with moon cycles, midwives are busy during full moon, most unfavorable for surgery, wounds bleed more, highest water retention. Best time to make herbal medicines like tinctures.
- Waning Moon: great time to detox, sweat, breath, things dry up – water is pulled, good time to get things into action, closer to new moon more safe operations, can eat more and not gain weight as quickly
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Using natural modalities, Dr. Hartford works to transform her clients’ health every day. She has worked with hundreds of clients from all walks of life. Let her help you find the natural solution for your natural health.
Dr. Ylona Hartford
Traditional Naturopath
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