Living Mindfully Through the Seasons
By Amy Lupton
Seasonal practices hold ancient wisdom in our world, and until about 100 years ago, they were in our lifestyles and days.
Fall & Winter brought us inside earlier to be near the warm, dry fire and our pot of soup. :) Summer evenings kept us outside and using energy to plant, harvest and create. With longer days, we slept less, worked longer.
You might not realize it, but your whole being shifts with the seasons, whether it is noticeable to you or not.
Your body is adapting to the less or more light in the days, sending signals to the brain to alter sleep cycles and glucose patterns. Your skin is adjusting to the temperature and moisture changes in the air, altering your hydration status. Your metabolism actually increases during the cold winter, and your body sweats more in the warm summer.
Our brains take a while to adapt to light changes in our environment, and can bring along with it feelings of sadness, depression, frustration or tiredness during the transition. Our sprits focus on seasonal holidays, community events, and shifts and changes in our own seasonal changes in life.
To honor the seasons, is to honor the ebb and flow the Earth presents to us, the way Nature and all life around us cycle. In our world of constant light, stimulation and high frequency, this can be hard. But our ancient nature pulls us close with each season, asking us to slow down, become restful, and follow the subtle cues in how our body dances with nature.
It can be very rewarding to honor the seasonal practices that our ancestors recognized were vital for their survival and good health. You don’t have to cook off a wood burning stove or milk goats for cheese (although these are dreams for me…haha), but you can alter some of your lifestyle to connect with the nature and seasonal shift around you.
Here are some our favorite seasonal practices, we suggest trying one or two to start and see how they resonate with you.
Eat Seasonal Produce
What grows in your area? Visit your local farms and find out. Try to emphasize those things in your kitchen and on your stove. In the US, the summer brings abundant fruits such as tomatoes, peaches, peppers, etc and winter brings more roots and greens such as beets, carrots and kale. You will notice that those foods taste so much better in the seasons they were designed. Incorporate
Eat Seasonal Cuisine
In the warm months, the body needs cooling and hydrating foods. Many people gravitate to fresh fruits & veggies, salads, and foods that are not heavy. In the cooler months, warming foods such as soups, grains & butter, and cooked greens help the body stay warm and hold in minerals needed to adapt to weather changes.
Follow the Light Patterns
Your body operates in a circadian rhythm and does alter with the seasons. Although “time change” is not a popular concept in the US, nature does naturally time change on its own. In the cooler or winter months, less light means our bodies “candle down” earlier, so keeping bright lights on in the home can disrupt your natural rhythm (especially blue light from electronics or television). As it gets darker earlier, lower the lights in the home, or get amber colored bulbs to allow the body to begin adapting to light cycles. This can be candles on the table at dinner, only lamps on in the house, not using florescent bulbs.
Allowing the senses to experience the season.
It is important to embrace the season with curiosity. A great way to do this is to experience nature as it is presenting itself. Crunch your feet on the fallen leaves. Smell the enticement of spring flowers. Have a brisk walk in the cool air. Experience the summer sunset. Don’t let the season pass you by with busy day to day, intentionally interact with it. Children greatly benefit from this, and adults do too! :)
Create Traditions
A season wouldn't be complete without traditions to keep it alive and happy. What things do you look forward to each season to really celebrate it in your soul?
Honor the Seasons with Liferoot
If you want to connect more into seasons, and want tips for skincare, botanicals and herbs throughout the seasons, connect to our email list below, or sign up for our new a.life.rooted in Season subscription box. Right now you can get $15 off your first box, details below:
