how I choose a theme.
Each seasonal Meditation Box has a unique theme .. so right now it is Autumn here (southern hemisphere) and the theme for this seasonal box is ‘Grounding’. Our next box is the Winter ‘Retreat’ Box, out June 2023. And I wanted to share with you, how I choose each seasonal theme.
And so the story begins .. with my Winter of Resistance (2018).
For most of my life, I have disliked or hated Winter. Hated! I could feel my mind and body start bracing from the first mention of changing weather, and when the temperature started to drift downward, even by just a few degrees, I would start complaining. You would hear me complain constantly about …
the bone-chilling cold that stopped me from getting out of bed
the stupid heavy dull clothes I had to wear
the hard and heavy boots that squashed my feet
the stiffness in my joints (which made me feel old)
and, the blah light that sapped my energy
argh .. all the greyness and lifelessness
yes, I know .. a little melodramatic!
At some point, I realised that I needed a mindset rest and so I committed to a daily practice, that I called Seasonal Mindfulness.
Seasonal Mindfulness Practice:
#1 Each day consciously open your eyes and find one extraordinary gift of the season - Mindful awareness
#2 Take a photo I enjoy taking a photo - an invitation to Pause and get Creative
#3 Give thanks xx always - Gratitude practice
And, every day, I found simple moments of awe .. the frosty white morning ice glistening on the grass, my beautiful dog sweetly curled up by the fire snoring, a mug of hot chocolate shared with a friend, and the grey on grey on grey colour tones at my local beach .. which changed everything!
I continued with my Seasonal Mindfulness practice over that Winter, Spring and Summer .. and over time began to feel a rhythm unfolding between what was happening in the world around me, in my garden and local landscape, and my inner energy, mood and attitude. I particularly noticed this in my meditation practice, instead of fighting or resisting or trying to change anything, I found there was a wisdom to each season (gratitude) and by listening and adjusting my approach, I felt a sense of balance between my internal and external world.
“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe, You will feel it’s rhythm. Go with this flow.”
Summer energy would effortlessly find me awake just before dawn, and with the potential for a cool breeze on my skin, I felt called to take my meditation outside. And sitting on my cushion, on my deck, I experienced the power of waking with the sun and nature, a gentle, steady and rising energy that you can feel and hear and smell. In Summer my meditation practice was more expansive and creative, wildly so, just as the energy of the season is one of rapid growth, upward and outward. That energy fired me up with new projects and dreams, and an eagerness to get started. I also noticed that tapping into this heightened energetic vibe could easily lead to burnout, so I began to listen and balance how I spent my energy during the day.
In Winter, I was gentle but proactive with my resistance to the cold, and decided to complete my morning meditation practice in bed, sitting upright with my back against the headboard, cocooned in my meditation shawl. This change removed an obstacle to my morning practice and I felt that it became easier to slip into that meditative state. In Winter my practice became much quieter and more reflective, just as nature takes this time to withdraw, inward and downward, and rest. I also recognised that my body needed to balance the sitting, with movement, so I started including more yoga and qigong practices into my day (both mindful movement practices) while also getting out more for social connection .. both of these changes balanced the seasonal energy and kept my inner fire burning.
The Seasonal Calendar
Then, one day while journalling, the concept of a seasonal calendar simply flowed onto the page. I was so excited, I pulled out my paints and spent the whole day putting random thoughts and visuals onto a page. Here is something that I wrote at the time:
“Cultivating a deeper awareness and understanding of the seasonal changes unfolding in our external environment can help us understand their influence on our internal world .. our energy, mood, attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and choices. The changing seasons can also inspire and inform our meditation, mindfulness and daily rituals, so that we can balance and harmonise our inner and outer worlds.”
From my own experience, also inspired also by my interest in Ayurveda and TCM which are just two of the ancient traditions that believe nature to be our best teacher, I found that having a simple theme each month gave me a mindful focus for my meditation (a refreshing new ‘lens’) and a sense of alignment with the energy and wisdom of the season.
Each seasonal Meditation Box has a unique theme drawn from that seasonal calendar and each box comes with a guide explaining the potency of the theme at that time of year.
Winter ‘Retreat’ Box
In the natural world, Winter is a call for plants, trees, and some animals, to withdraw or hibernate, to conserve and preserve energy for work that needs to be done below the surface. In Winter, nature takes 'retreat'.
A retreat is a rare and magical opportunity to pause and be still, to rest and heal, to reflect and ignite our spirit.
The Winter 'Retreat' Box holds a range of practices, products and experiences, including a DIY Home Retreat Guide, to support you in finding retreat .. whether that might be in a moment, an hour, a day or longer. And, I can think of no better companion for our season of Retreat than our very special and beautiful feature book .. Practice You by Elena Brower.
The Winter 'Retreat' Meditation Box ships on 6th June 2023 - FURTHER DETAILS HERE
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