How are the first few days of 2023 going for you, my Well-Seasoned Sister?

Surrounded by boxes of yet-to-be stored holiday decorations? Home with a passel of cold-and-flu family members? Trying to muster up the discipline to get started on the culturally obligatory New Year's Resolution list?

However it looks & wherever you find yourself today, it seems that navigating the post-holidays is a THING for most every woman I know.

Whenever I feel some degree of overwhelm, I tend to call in a few of my Well-Seasoned relatives for support--- you know, relatives like Sister Tree and Sister Bear, both of whom are chock full of natural, earthy wisdom.

In the dark, cold that is January, all Sister Tree's energy continues to go inward and downward, all the way into her roots. At the same time, Sister Bear surrenders to her season of well-earned hibernation.

**Guess what? The same infradian* rhythms embedded in Sister Tree and Sister Bear are also embedded in our human DNA!**

[NOTE: Infradian rhythms control such things as migration, hibernation, molting, menstruation, and lunar/tidal cycling.]

And these same rhythms that call both Bear & Tree to withdraw from the hustle of previous seasons, are triggered within our own bodies to signal that it's time for slowing down and getting earthy.

It's time to draw near to home and hearth in order to rest and restore. It's the season to pay attention to our own rooted foundations--our wellness, our resources, & our living spaces-- in order to survive and be replenished for the next growing season.

It seems that surviving winter + becoming thoroughly rejuvenated for the coming Spring is vital to sustaining the natural flow of our Life Force.

Such Crone-ish wisdom isn't something most of us have been taught nor seen modeled in our culture. Fortunately, there is a people living on a part of the planet where winters are long and dark and bitter, but who not only manage to survive winter, they actually derive great joy in the midst of it.

Who, you ask? Why, the Scandanavians, of course.

Are you familiar with the Danish concept of hygge (pronounced hoo-gah)?

While there's no simple English translation, hygge conveys the goodness to be found in the simple things of life related to physical well-being, little daily pleasures, and the coziness of home and hearth. So…

Settling into your favorite cushioned chair with a delicious new book? Hygge.
Sipping hot cider around an outdoor firepit with a few friends? Also, hygge.
Covering yourself in a fluffy knit blanket while you stretch out on the couch in your most comfortable sweatpants for a yummy afernoon nap? Yes, hygge!
Layering up in warm boots, coat, scarf, hat, mittens, etc. for an unplugged snow walk? Very hygge.
Meeting up with a friend at the cheery, local coffee shop for a relaxed, extended catch up? You got it--hygge.
Smiling & humming as you spend an afternoon baking & frosting a cake to share with some loved ones that evening? Oh, yes indeedy, hygge all the way.

What's NOT hygge?

Hibernating in isolation & depression
Living in response to the demands of technology (unchecked scrolling, nonstop availability via your phone, etc.)
Being cold & uncomfortable
Perpetuating the "keep on keeping on,” of the daily hustle--you know, the one that we've come to think of as normal but that is actually sucking the life right outta us.

Getting your hygge started

#1 Pay attention & Get curious

Ask yourself, "What simple, familiar comforts would bring me pleasure now?

Then, pay attention to what comes up in your body. Feeling itchy or cold or cramped or unsettled? You can hygge that. Notice when a longing arises--"Gee, I wish I could cozy up in bed with a book or sit down for a coffee-catch up with my friend." Guess what? Totally hygge-able.

My own hygge list included beeswax candles + the thickest, cottony-est clothing + more fires in woodstove & on back porch chiminea + well-lit corner of the couch with a throw blanket & book handy.

#2 Create & Gather

Scout around your home in search of items that fit your unique preferences, and then gather them together in ways that allow you to hygge your way. Other small enhancements might be purchased, possibly with a holiday gift card in your possession?

Most every hygge adjustment I made involved resituating what I already had in the house. I got the beeswax candles out of the drawer & onto the table (and put a lighter right beside it, so I wouldn't have any excuse NOT to use them). I also put a higher watted bulb in my couch lamp and situated a blanket + several books there.

Other simple things, like a 3-pack of duraflame logs + some twinkle lights, required a trip to the store. But, I determined to hygge with some K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sweetie), which is the essence of hygge anyway.

#3 Practice

Slow and steady, okay? Maybe, make a pact to drink that first cup of coffee with your phone on airplane mode, breathing in the aromatic goodness and welcoming the day, completely uninterrupted. Maybe forgo the TV as background company when you arrive home each evening, and instead put on your lounge pants and conduct a simple, evening candle-lighting ceremony before preparing dinner. Maybe reach out to ONE friend today and invite them for a coffee shop meet=up.

By the way, I learned the beauty of extended loungewear in the evening when staying with my youngest daughter & her family this past year. I mean, THE MINUTE they get home from work (at that time, 4:30 PM), they both change out of their daily wear and simply hang out in the clothes they'll eventually sleep in. I had always waited until 5 minutes before bedtime to pj-up, but no more. Not since I've come to understand how this simple ritual releases tons of cozy, pleasurable feels.

We humans are genetically encoded to Winter well.

Unfortunately, we've been culturally conditioned to ignore our natural inclinations and to jump right into a further exhausting, New Year's resolution checklist.

The very good news is that with a little intentionality, we can reclaim the Winter rhythms that lead to increased vitality over the many seasons of the many years in our wild and precious lives.