Comments on: Embracing Winter: Let Yourself Hibernate

By: blaire allison, the love guru

blaire allison, the love guru — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:14:11 +0000

loved this post!

love this line ==> (so agree w/this thought) I wonder how much of seasonal depression is actually our internal resistance to just letting ourselves be slower during the winter

By: Review: Comfort Queen’s “A Comfort Tele-Experience” | Dancing Geek

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:06:11 +0000

[...] I’m currently feeling a strong need for more Yin, more Tha, and this translates to needing more comfort in my life. With these sides of the equation, the inactivity, the release, the surrender lead to an inner strength, healing and replenishment. Or at least, that’s the journey that I’m looking to investigate this Winter season. [...]

By: AVB

AVB — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:35:21 +0000

I like this idea – embracing the winter. Of course winter is 8 months here which makes for a lot of Yin.

By: Business, Not Busyness « How THW Gets In Gear

Business, Not Busyness « How THW Gets In Gear — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:48:26 +0000

[...] don’t just take my word for it. Emma and Molly have some great insights on the subject, as [...]

By: Cairene

Cairene — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:18:13 +0000

Weird. But in the best possible way. I took a break from drafting my next newsletter to catch up on my favorite blogs – and lo you’ve have written so eloquently about the very same subject I’ve been reflecting on all morning.

Our culture *is* so very yangified. We really don’t know what to do with slow – in our businesses, in our lives, in our economy – even when our spirits are crying for a time out. But autumn and winter are beautiful, essential periods of rejuvenation. I agree – let yourself have and enjoy it.

By: Emma

Emma — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:19:08 +0000

@James

I think a lot of depression could be treated with acceptance. There’s this book “Listening to Depression” that was really helpful for me. Depression itself is like a winter of the soul – it slows you down and forces you to look at things. I think it’s made worse through the stigma and expectation of always being chipper. Not to say it isn’t really painful sometimes – I take medication for the worst of it. But there is a gift in it that is lost in the quest to eradicate it.

Yes, the global economy creates this “always-on” mentality. Blah. I think in a decade or so humanity will collectively realize that the whole point of creating wealth/capital is so we can have a better life – not so we can work all the time to make more, more, more. We create these expectations that just make life miserable.

I’d rather be guided by the question: “What’s alive in me today?” than, “What do I need to get done today?”.

Speaking of which, what’s alive in me right now is to go for a walk and get a burrito. =)

Thanks for reading and chiming in James. =)

Emma

By: James | Dancing Geek

James | Dancing Geek — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:03:12 +0000

I’m making a concerted effort (thanks to the gift of perspective from my friends) to get more Yin in my world. Seems this is certainly the season for it

The smallness of the world these days certainly makes it tricky to balance these things – it’s summer in Australia right now, so what if we’re trying to work with Aussie friends? (I’m not, but the point remains). Of course, there’s lots of things you could do, like use the balance of one summer, one winter in what your doing. A bit of Yin *and* Yang can’t hurt

I like your thoughts on the depression coming from pushing against the natural order. SAD is treated with more light – I wonder if it can also be treated by accepting that Winter is a time of withdrawal and retreat?

I’m having a thing about expectations at the moment (in my head anyway) and again this seems appropriate. If we expect ourselves to be all go in Winter, we’re going to struggle and fight. Lose that expectation and suddenly we can see the benefits that you describe.

Thanks for sparking more thoughts, Emma.