Winter is the time to get quiet,
be still, hunker down and enjoy
the shorter days as you utilise
the longer nights for snuggling
and time to nourish yourself. For years
we have been working against the
season: going out, rushing around, over
committing ourselves with ‘festivities’
and nights out when all we really want
to do is slow down, get still and enjoy
staying home and this year we have been
invited to do just that!
This is an opportunity to support our
physical and mental wellbeing in the true
spirit of the season and use the lockdown
guidelines to help us find ways to support
us through the season. Winter Solstice on
Monday the 21st of December marks the
shortest day and the longest night and the
start of our journey back to spring inviting
the light back in.
So, what can we do in and around Barrow to
support us through the winter and harness
the power of nature to help us feel fabulous?
One tradition to revisit is the hanging of
evergreens around doorways and windows
as a representation of everlasting life. You
could make your own wreath or garland that
you refresh and keep on your door or window
sills all through winter. Maybe you have ivy
(symbol of immortality and resurrection),
yew (tree of regeneration and rebirth), holly
(for protection) or pine (for healing and joy
in the home) in your garden that you could
bring indoors to lift your spirits?
You could simply walk around the village
spotting these evergreens, taking photos,
collecting fallen branches and pinecones and
making your walks more interesting with a
bit of tree spotting. Having a real Christmas
tree is another way to enjoy the benefits
of the scent and planting it outdoors after
Christmas, by your front door, can be a lovely
way to keep the spirit alive.
Not able to bring the evergreens indoors?
Then how about diffusing a pine essential
oil to fill your house with joy as well
as being well known for supporting the
nervous and respiratory system – perfect
for this time of year. Another great oil
linked to wintertime is frankincense, the
king of oils, wonderful for bringing peace,
calm and soothing. It’s known to support
healthy cellular, immune, nervous and
digestive functions.
I don’t know about you, but spotting the
first snowdrops always lifts my spirits
and for the last few years I’ve enjoyed
getting down to their level on Piets Lane,
capturing their beauty, seeing them as
little symbols of hope, innocence, purity
and rebirth – exactly why we know spring
is on its way. You can show your love and
support to those we care about, as what
might seem like a small and fragile fl ower,
actually represents rebirth and power
of overcoming issues in life. This makes
the snowdrop the perfect gift as we live
through our first Covid-19 winter. Wouldn’t
it be wonderful to see snowdrops in all the
gardens or windows showing strength in our
community and hope for a brighter future?
Challenge yourself to see how locally you
can ‘buy to give’ a pot of snowdrops! You
could invite your children and yourself to
decorate some terracotta pots with words,
affirmations, intentions and images that
mean something to them or the person they
are gifting, and then as the bulbs bloom
so can the affirmations and intentions set
when planting them.
Mairi Taylor