Perhaps I am a bear, or some hibernating animal, underneath, for the instinct to be half asleep all winter is so strong in me. ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
There is a wilder solitude in winter/When every sense is pricked alive and keen. ~May Sarton
Can you feel it? Even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations? As we creep closer and closer to the shortest day of the year?
Can you feel that desire to curl up someplace warm—preferably in front of a fire—and read a good book or just…daydream?
It’s as if some deeply buried primitive part of ourselves emerges at this time of year, demanding that we slow down, turn in, sleep and dream.
That instinct, centuries ago, helped us preserve our energy, helped to keep the fat on our bodies and therefore, the warmth in our blood.
That instinct kept us from roaming too far from the fires where wild things waited to devour us in their own hunger and cold.
That instinct had us curled together for shared warmth and shared dreaming.
And that instinct still pulls at us, even though many of us ignore it, or wonder if there is something wrong with us when our energy is low or our motivation is lacking.
After all, our caves are filled with electric lights and glaring computer and television screens and buzzing cell phones. Who can sleep or daydream or dream in an environment that keeps demanding engagement and response? And yet, our instinct tells us to tune in and turn off.
Winter, the dark season of the year, may bring challenges of cold and snow, of short days and risky travel, but it also brings the gift of turning inward, of longer nights for curling up with that good book, for daydreaming by the fire, for sleeping and dreaming in the deep darkness of the colder nights.
So trust your instincts because this time of year is a great time for:
Reflection—before making plans for the New Year and setting new goals, this is a good time of the year for looking back at how the year has gone, where you began and where you are now, what worked in your creative life or business and what didn’t. Reflect on what gave you joy and energy and what drained you. What relationships seemed to nourish you and easily grow?
Daydreaming—once you’ve reflected on the past and harvested its lessons and gifts, then it’s time to daydream, to give yourself over to the flow of desires and visions waiting to be manifested and expressed through you. You can winnow out what needs to wait or gestate for another year, and lay out the steps to start bringing other visions and desires into physical form.
Dreaming—if you can give yourself permission to sleep more, to luxuriate in the welcome of your bed, to make of your bedroom a sanctuary, the cave of your dreams, then the dreaming can bring you gifts of healing, guidance and inspiration. The dark of the year is a great time for tuning into this oracle, this form of communication with your Muse.
Journaling—the gifts of reflection, daydreaming and sleep dreaming will be more beneficial, longer lasting and more deeply accessible and understood if you keep a journal. Through the journal, you’ll be able to see patterns, recurring ideas, symbols and themes that provide perspective and insight into your work and life.
So trust that deep instinct for hibernation. Enter the cave of reflection, daydreaming, dreaming and journaling.
Accept the gifts of the dark season.
And if you’d like to use the next few months for really tapping into the power of your dreams, then you’ll want to purchase Dreaming for the Big Picture of Your Life and Your Creative Work, which gives you information on how to remember, record and work with your sleep dreams.