The Art of Wintering: Part 1

I hope that this blog post finds you well? I write this on a gloomy, cold, wet December day, the darkness seems almost constant at this point in the year, and yet we are 3 weeks away from the shortest day. For me right now there is a strong wintering element in my life outside of the season, a bit of extra darkness, a bit of a chill, a need to retreat away from the usual events and patterns to deal with other, trickier things. Life goes like this sometimes, and the wintery periods of our lives don't always align to the seasons. So, when I speak of wintering in this series of blog posts I am speaking of both types - the season in nature, and also the season of winter in our lives.

There is an art to wintering, a way of finding a sort of peace with the inevitability of the cold and dark. It is harder, certainly, to find comfort and peace in the cold and dark. But acceptance is key, there is no point railing against the winter, it is here for the time it is here. Of course right now there is the added tension between our instinct to retreat into comfort and introspection at the same time as the juggernaut that is Christmas demands that we do the opposite.

Warm drinks, cosy corners, good books, little craft projects and candlelight are my go to for comfort on a long dark evening. That and seeking out the company of my best, safest and most supportive humans and, of course, the floofy terrors Rhubarb and Custard, who are world leaders in demonstrating the importance of rest and comfort! We are all different and find comfort in different things, the key is to lean into what works for you.

Rhubarb and Custard at Rest.

In the winter chill I sometimes treat myself to a bed based mini yoga practice before I go to sleep, that way I get to have a bit of yogic goodness whilst I also stay comfy and cosy and warm. This very much aligns with the lower energy and more introspective and thoughtful energy of wintering.

Here is a really gentle, nurturing practice you can do when feeling low on energy, and you do not even have to move from under the duvet!

1) Lying on your back slowly roll head from side to side, easing tension from the neck.

2) Hug your left knee into your chest, maybe taking some little ankle twirls as you go. Swap legs.

3) Take a reclining twist, bend your knees with feet flat on the bed, drop the knees over to the left, turn your head to the right. Stay for a minute or two, or more! Then swap sides.

4) Pranayama – my favourite for bedtime is a simple counted breath. In for 4, hold for 7 out for 8, repeat for a few minutes. Breathwork is amazing for quietening the mind, calming the central nervous system, for supporting us body mind and soul in just the gentlest way, our breath is always with us after all.

5) If the mind is particularly busy and worrying at something, perhaps try adding a mantra to your sleep preparation – simply by repeating to yourself in your mind something along the lines of “it is time to let go” or “I welcome stillness and sleep” can help to soothe and quieten the mind. Your brain is going to be thinking things anyway, so taking some control of the minds narrative can help guide you to a positive place for supporting you and your rest!

Time spent mindfully, being aware of the body, the breath and the mind helps to soothe us, offering deep rest and genuine relaxation in a holistic way.

This week sees the Cold Moon - the final full moon of 2025. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook (and if you don't hop on and follow - search for emmasyogahut on both platforms!) a lovely version of moon salutations will be appearing as part of the Calming Countdown to Christmas series of videos with mini meditations, mini pranayama exercises (breathwork) and mini yoga practices scattered through the month to help harness inner peace. Accessible, portable, easy things that take one or two minutes to calm and ground you.

Perhaps this week a way of leaning into the quiet introspection of winter is to just spend a moment in awareness of the beauty of the moon and her cycles:

Under the dark cloak of winter, the cold moon will climb above our town and nearby villages - a silvery lantern glowing against the winters night. The final full moon of the year arrives with a silent brilliance as nature holds her breath, painting the damp, cold ground in sparkling silver. This is the last lunar light before the year fades. Look up, the sky is telling you the last story of the year that has just been!

Perhaps you might even like to take this full moon as an opportunity quietly contemplate the things you wish to let go of - that you do not want to take with you into the remaining weeks of the year.

Classes start again a little later than usual in January. The lovely Earley Crescent Resource Centre is having its floors redone early in January. So all classes – including our In house Yoga Hut classes, will be starting again on the week of 12^th January. It is a longer break than usual over Christmas and partly this is a conscious act of self care on my part - life has been complex recently and that has taken a toll - I tell others they cannot pour from an empty cup, so I am trying my best to make sure that I do the same for myself! Full details about next term will be sent out to all the weekly class people in a couple of weeks!

I am looking forward to seeing some of you at the Alternative Christmas Night Out this Friday! Still a couple of cheeky places left as a couple of people have had to drop out, if a night of gentle candlelit yoga, a beautiful, seasonal yoga nidra meditation with sound bath and some delicious mince pies seem like it might be a helpful addition to the run up to Christmas then click here to book your space! https://www.emmasyogahut.co.uk/service-page/alternative-festive-night-out?referral=service_list_widget

I hope the early part of your winter is cosy. I will be back across winter with more on the art of wintering!

Take care,

With love,

Emma xx

(Emma runs Emma’s Yoga Hut in Earley. A teeny garden studio for nurturing holistic small group yoga. She is a yoga student and yoga teacher and has practiced yoga for nearly 30 years. She trained with the Traditional Yoga Association right here in Reading between 2016 and 2018 to achieve her 500 hour yoga teaching accreditation. She has additional teaching qualifications in Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra. She is an Internationally Accredited Sound Bath Facilitator and specialises in singing bowls. She teaches Chair Yoga classes at local community centres where there is almost always a coffee and a chat after class. Emma is passionate about getting the beautiful benefits of yoga out to as many people as possible, and she tries her best to practice yoga every day, even if this is just taking savasana under a blanket for a while!!)