Dear Rose # 25 - Wintering

Rose is an amalgam of us - women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are looking for somewhere they are seen, heard and listened to.

Dear Rose,

We’ve just had the Autumn Equinox, so the days are getting shorter as we head toward winter.

I find winter so hard. The wind makes me cranky. I don’t mind the cold if I’m dressed right—and my pink Merry People boots have made rainy days quite joyful—but it’s the light. The lack of it seems to put my soul into hibernation. I never feel truly like "me" in winter. That’s a big reason why I started my Bali retreats: just so I could get into the light and warmth for a week.

Last year, I read part of a book about "wintering." Its big advice was to prepare for the season by acknowledging that you can’t do the same things you do in summer. It suggested finding wintry things you love and celebrating the season by enjoying them.

I’m still not sure what those things are for me yet. But I’ve started preparing by making my new house really cosy and buying a new light for meditation in my yoga classes. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this winter turns out.

Love, Em xx