a time to rest and restore

Hope the holiday season and new year are bringing you joy and blessings. 

As the holiday hustle and bustle come to a close and the snowy weather sets in, the winter season invites us to S-L-O-W-D-O-W-N. 

Winter can be a time for stillness, reflection, and restoration. Just as we see animals in nature enter hibernation, we, too, are called to rest and restore. In the busyness of our modern society, rest can be looked at as wasting time or being lazy; however, true rest is when our bodies actually have a chance to heal. 

In rest, the gut digests and processes nutrients from the foods we eat, the brain and mind assimilate input from its’ five senses, and the body’s hormones come into better balance, to promote more efficient functioning of all of our organs. This leads to better health outcomes, such as lower blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease, better immune function, and in general, less inflammation and stress in the body. You see, rest can actually be productive!

Here are 5 ways to nourish and restore the body, mind, and spirit this winter season:

*Eat—>whole foods that are in season, such as whole grains (oats, barley, brown rice), root vegetables (winter squash, cabbage, celery root), dried beans, and fruits (apples, grapefruit). This may be in the form of oatmeal, warm soups, or stews. In addition to being great sources of fiber, these foods tend to promote a sense of grounding, in other words, they are healthy comfort foods!

*Move—> gently and slowly. If running and weightlifting have been your go-to exercise practices, this season try incorporating more gentle stretching, slow yoga flows, or yin yoga into your routine. 

*Write—>take up a reflective journaling practice, as a way to process thoughts, perspectives, ideas, and feelings. Just as taking the time to chew and savor our food aids in the digestion process, giving careful consideration to our thoughts can promote greater understanding and clarity. So as our bodies transform food into energy, our minds can harness the processed thoughts to fuel creativity, problem-solving, and personal growth.

*Meditate—>start a meditation practice. If you are new to meditation, this may look like focusing on a word or mantra that has personal meaning for 3-5 minutes per day, or practicing a breathing technique, such as diaphragmatic (deep belly) breathing for 5 minutes daily.

*Rest—>schedule time in your daily routine for rest that is not just sleeping. This may look like sitting and taking intentional deep belly breaths for 5 minutes or holding a restorative yoga pose for 5 minutes, such as child’s pose or legs up the wall.