Home in Portland

After much driving, I've been back in Portland for one week. It's nice to be back in a place where, even on rainy nights, it feels good to take a walk outside.
 
On the way home I tried to make my drive as pleasant as possible by continuing to visit sacred sites and nature through Colorado, Utah, Idaho and eastern Oregon. My friend Jennifer, from Portland, called me the morning I was in northwest Colorado and heading to Utah. I think she was the perfect messenger to make sure I did not miss Arches National Park!
 
What now? So much outward activity begs balance with inward time. For the next two months I'll be doing a retreat at home with spiritual practice. I invite you to consider your own time of balancing outward activity (work, social time, shopping, holiday travel) with restfulness. Below are some tips about how you can maximize your own alignment with the quiet and dark season of winter. If you are signed up for my newsletter you will receive Clay Pot Medicine newsletters twice a month. What you will find in each is a text for meditation and contemplation. 

Tips on how to align with the winter season:

• Spend time in nature. Observe nature and follow its cues. Notice the lack of new growth and focus on the internal aspect. The trees let go of the leaves and bring sap inside for storage. What can you let go of? What do you notice that you can conserve in yourself?
• Be in the dark or dim the lights. Acclimatize yourself to the winter by allowing yourself to experience less light. In the evening, turn off overhead lights as early as possible and consider turning off any bright lights in your house. Take walks in the evening outside.
• Do qigong or tai ji. When it’s cold we tend to stay inside more and be less active. But actually our bodies will thank us by moving gently and practicing daily flexibility in a meditative state.
• See your friends and family less often. Give yourself some alone time. When the holidays arrive, you will have avoided some exhaustion and be ready to appreciate the time you spend with others. Do you ever notice you feel depressed after being busy with other people all day long? This is a symptom that you need more time alone, so take that time.
• Write a journal. Not social media journaling, but a journal for your own reflections without intent to share with anyone else. Consider writing about things you noticed in nature, how your body feels, and what it was like to celebrate holidays.