A Winter Manifesto

As the days get shorter, I notice myself seeking warmth and comfort — hot tea, hearty soups, an earlier bedtime, layered sweaters. In Ayurveda, this is when Vata is most prominent: cold, light, subtle, mobile, and rough. When we’re tuned in, our bodies let us know it’s time for balance, nudging us toward warmth, rest, and care.

Throughout the ages, winter has beckoned us to slow down. We see it in the natural world: shorter days trigger a desire to sleep more, animals conserve their energy, trees pause their growth and the earth goes dormant.

But as humans, we no longer feel we need to follow nature’s lead. Our lives are now well-lit and fast-paced year round. We seek convenience — to a fault. We look to screens to entertain us during our waking hours. And we schedule ourselves until there are no pockets of time left to listen to or take care of ourselves.

Maybe we can no longer even hear winter’s quiet invitation:

“Rest now, dear one.”

But I want to be someone who heeds that invitation. Someone who honors this time of slowing down and going within.

But how? How do we step outside of cultural norms and the race we all seem to participate in?

One way I think we can do this is by setting intentions for the season. We can ask ourselves:

• How do I want this season to feel?

• How do I want to feel in my body?

• What do I crave for myself as we enter the darkest days of the year?

We can write our own Winter Manifesto, and put it somewhere we’ll see every day — a gentle reminder of how WE lead our lives, not society. And remember: This is not about improving ourselves — this is about caringfor ourselves. So think about what you need to feel good this winter.

Then we can then take small, consistent actions to make this manifesto our reality.

Will you do this with me?

Here’s a template for you to use: (click image to download)

Below is mine, as an example. I share this to hopefully spark inspiration, not as a guide. Yours might look different from mine, depending on what you need during this season. Honor that.

So I hope you give this a try. Let it guide you gently through the season and remind you that you are leading your days — your winter, your way.