How winter can teach us about how to care for our heart and essence

Winter knows , and in its generosity teaches us and nature how to really care for what is truly precious for us. Is a season of essential only, no luxuries and no BS also. Nature is stripped at its basics, naked, no frills. Some are stripped at the level of a seed hidden in depth of the earth, protected like it is the treasure of the world. It kind of is...

Walk outside and notice how quiet and still everything is. Snow hides sounds, covers all colors and everything becomes essence only. In stillness and quietness we can began to develop clarity, what we try to hide, emerges from the shadows, and truth is revealed. Winter provides a canvas to develop clarity into self and our true essence.

To survive the winter you have to harden. Winter takes you to the purity , the essence of all things. Be aware what you harden in the winter because it can mean your salvation or your death.

As you see a young tree going through its first winter, to survive the outside bark has to harden to protect the inside. If the inside hardens , or the outside doe not harden fast enough the tree can die or change forever. What have you harden to survive? was it the right part ? or was it your heart? or soul?

Clarissa Pinkola Estes in Dangerous Old woman, tells the story of Snow White. She dies 3 times until she learns to harden and thicken her skin and develop wisdom. Although initially I though her story was extreme, when I took a deeper look at self I wonder how many death I died to learn my lessons?

Something has to die for something to be born. The price of wisdom is paid in innocence. Wisdom is like the bark on the tree is not smooth, tender , is rough, and tough and hard. It's like my grandma's hands. Nothing smooth there. Have you notice how over years our skin starts to look like the bark on trees?

However the bark protects the essence of life, protect love , compassion and treasure of all beings. Be careful that you do not harden the wrong part, the inside , the essence as you go through the winters of your life. That you don't get confused and think the enemy is inside. Learning how to keep our heart soft, powerful and loving, while hardening some parts to endure the winters of life is a lesson to all of us. Giving selves permission to set the limits, to learn and develop wisdom from our experiences should be intentional and explicit.

I hope I continue to connect with my precious treasure inside of me, to nurture, love protect my heart and essence. To continue practices of lovingkindness, compassion and deep softening that is essential to our inner world. To have courage in a world where being tough is valued, to be soft.

I also will continue to listen to my intuition and harden some parts, to set firm boundaries, to use my voice for justice , to allow my wisdom to guide me and trust it without bending. In world where being normal is valued to be courageous to be different and have a strong voice when expected to be soft. To harden and stand in face of cold and adversity.

As with every winter, the tree in front of my house ( marvel at its beauty in the picture) makes into the spring , this gives me great comfort , hope and deep trust in the universe and nature , that I, also will make it through the winter. And so are you my reader.

Protect your heart, flowers in the spring only blossom from love.