Wintering: Thoughts and Reflections

Anyone who has had the good fortune to read Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat In Difficult Times by Katherine May will be familiar with this concept.  As an idea, wintering describes how, during the ‘winters’ or fallow periods of our own lives, retreating to care for and repair ourselves is at the very heart of our health & well-being.    

As the days draw in and darkness appears to surround us, perhaps we should follow our cue from the natural world more closely:  the shedding of layers and a time of dormancy allows for new growth to burst forth in the lighter days of spring…. Rather than dusting ourselves off from life’s inevitable knocks and pressing on, permitting ourselves the space and time to heal through reflection and rest-oration leads to precisely that, and so places love at the centre of our being.

New Year is so often a time of failed resolutions, as we set ourselves seemingly unattainable goals that only serve to heighten the echo-chamber of disappointment and missed opportunity.  No wonder then, that after the excesses of Christmas and New Year, there is so often a yearning to explore one’s inner landscape which the long days of summer and the festive nights of Christmas don’t seem to allow for.   

At the School of Meditation we recognize this as the pull of the Way.  And in answering this call, we may turn our attention to learning meditation.  While resolving to do this inevitably requires a degree of direct action, the inner turn and the associated rest and stillness that meditation afford perfectly align with the idea of wintering, healing and repair.

As we move through the learning phase of the practice and begin to establish a regular rhythm, the benefits of meditation may become more apparent.  These are well-documented: creating mental space allows us to reach conclusions and begin to make plans for the future in an entirely natural and unforced way.  And the increased clarity of focus, and better decision-making that meditation affords, in turn sets us up for future successes - creating a positive cycle of merit. 

If you are someone for whom the idea of wintering resonates, and you have been considering learning to meditate, please consider joining our next Introductory Course in January….This four week, in-person course is aimed at beginners, offering a friendly introduction and an ideal foundation for those wishing to establish a regular meditation practice. 

Beginning in mid-January, and culminating in a simple welcome ceremony in mid-February, the course is also perfectly-timed for those wishing to explore wintering in practice – the final session taking place just as new shoots of growth are appearing from the latency of winter. 

For further information on our Introductory Courses, please click here:  Learning to meditate

To book this Introductory Course directly, please click here:  Introductory Course - 16th January 2025