10 Weeks of Winter

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

A journal style blog exploring the pleasure and enjoyment of winter.

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First Post — 10 Weeks of Winter: An Introduction

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the author

Michelle is an American born Canadian resident of the Pacific Northwest, hobby writer, book lover, and generally of the autodidact polymath smattering of knowledge, skills, and interests.

  • 10 Weeks of Winter: In Review

    The light returns…

    It’s been a week since wrapping up my 10 Weeks of Winter project, and what would be the point of running this experiment without conducting a review? 10 Weeks of Winter was my attempt to reclaim my favorite season throughout the darkest parts of the winter. In recent years I had been experiencing drudgery and low mood during winter and found I was surprisingly relieved when the warmer brighter days of spring arrived. While I know this experience is common for many, it was novel for me. My usual experience at the return of longer days was a feeling of too soon. I wanted to stay in the cold and the dark of winter where I could be cozy inside and maybe see some snow. I love that everything is calmer in winter. Fewer people pile onto the streets or make noise – the weather and darkness seem to keep them at bay. The world becomes peaceful and open and more available for anyone who has paid attention to this phenomenon. Yet, to enjoy it, I need to be in a condition such that I can appreciate the winter season for what it is. I needed something to perk up my mood and reconnect me with my affection for winter.

    Tackling the winter blues…

    I developed several protocols that I thought might have an impact on my experience of winter. My approach involved addressing hormones, sleep and wakefulness (or circadian rhythms), energy, and deep noticing. I was more consistent with some of my protocols than others, but ultimately I arrived at set of approaches for tackling the winter blues that were effective for me and that I will definitely apply during future winter seasons. Here they are in order of effectiveness:

    Vitamin D – Regular daily supplements at a relatively high dose had the most noticeable impact of the protocols on my mood and some impact on energy levels. I fell off supplementing somewhere around Christmas because I was away from home for a bit and didn’t quite get back to my routine. My mood eventually started to tank, and I felt increasingly tired. I got back to supplementing and everything improved. You’ve already heard it everywhere, supplementing vitamin D, especially in winter, is very effective and arguably important to your health.

    Daily Walks Outside (“Get Outside”) – Whether raining, overcast, or a nice sunny winter day, I benefited immensely from a daily walk. It didn’t have to be a long one either. 10 minutes was enough, but 20 or 30 was better, however it has to be done during light hours for the most benefit. I found that between 10 AM and 2 PM were the best times during the dark days of winter. Earlier and later times had light levels that were too low to get the best benefits from getting outside. When I didn’t get my walk in, I noticed more restlessness in the evening. I was moodier and unsettled and had to spend hours in darkness with this uncomfortable feeling. However, on days when I walked the darkness didn’t bother me, and I think I felt more properly ready for bed around bedtime. Getting outside had both grand and subtle impacts on me and happily reached a point at which I looked forward to it. It became something that I wanted to do because I began to associate it with feeling good.

    Reflection – Through writing a daily blog post I gave myself the opportunity to think about how well I was following my protocols, what was working best, and to conjure up or recount my experiences of winter. These reflections helped me stay on track, prioritize protocols during busy times, and, most impactfully, helped me remember and reengage with my favorite season.

    Movement – In addition to daily walks, I maintained a regular stretching and exercising routine. I wasn’t really getting any fitter, but I kept up the habit and probably maintained some strength. This was relatively straightforward for me because I already had consistent practices of working out and stretching, nevertheless, it is something that can slip away from me if I don’t make it a priority. So that’s what I did. I prioritized maintaining a movement practice with no other goal than to keep up the habit. No matter the season, this practice or habit makes me feel better about myself and keeps me relatively strong, which has incredible physical and psychological impacts that could fill up many complete volumes of their own. This isn’t new information to anyone, but it must be included because it is crucial to wellbeing of any kind during any season.

    Cleaning and Clearing – Managing and maintaining my physical space, mind, and body through deliberate cleaning and clearing activities enhanced my winter experience this year. Cleaning and clearing, for me, facilitates creativity, relaxation, and coziness.

    Sauna – Though I didn’t get to the sauna even as close to as often as I wanted to, its effects are so striking that it’s obviously a winter mood booster. Sauna is nearly magic in all its reported health benefits. For me, I love how content and peaceful it makes me feel. It causes me to breathe deeper. It’s a treat for getting some deep heat into the body when it’s cold outside. It’s a happy maker. I absolutely intend to find a way to get a sauna for my home. The biggest detriment was that I had to use one at a gym, which limited my ability, and willingness, to use it. Obviously Scandinavian cultures know what they’re doing in winter. I would strongly recommend trying out sauna to get through the dark and cold of winter.

    Breathing Practices – Application of breathing practices was trickier for me, but they still observably offer some benefits. The main benefit I found was for rest. Abdominal breathing significantly supported how well I got to sleep and the quality of my sleep. Using pranayama practices for energy and heat, while effective, were quite intense for me and caused some sensitivities that were uncomfortable and didn’t really enhance my winter experience. I began to apply the practices more specifically and deliberately over time, which I found better than just generally running through a daily sequence. I don’t think a breathing protocol is necessarily a winter enhancer, but breathing practices have interesting benefits that could be learned and used on an as needed basis depending on other factors and circumstances, like fitness levels, mood, emotional state, etc. It’s not a blunt instrument, as I tried to use it in the beginning. It’s a subtle tool that should be tailored for very directed purposes. With the exception of abdominal breathing, which I found to be generally useful for rest and ease every time.

    Red Light Therapy – For me, red light therapy turned out to be a great tool for skin health and maybe eye health, but I’m not sure it had impacts on rest or circadian rhythms (getting to sleep and waking up). I’m not sure of the impacts on rest partly because I didn’t use it consistently enough to drawn conclusions, and I think some of the other protocols were more dominant in their impacts and so overrode my ability to notice whether or not the red light therapy was having an effect. It’s a good tool for beauty, maybe health, but I’m not sure it’s a critical element of a happy winter.

    Rest – I didn’t get to spend as much direct attention on rest as I had hoped. I continue to believe that rest is a crucial and natural part of winter that should be attended to, but this winter I only reached good rest indirectly. I believe my rest was improved by other protocols (daily walks and breathing practices in particular). I also made some attempts to reduce screentime and mitigate the effects of screen usage with blue blocker glasses. Ultimately I failed to reduce screentime. Writing the blog was a counteraction to reduced screentime, and as much as I tried to engage with more in non-screen activities I just can’t seem to pry myself away. However, I do think the blue blocker glasses helped. After considerable time using blue blocker glasses, I would advocate for their use, especially if gaming or writing or otherwise focusing intently on screens during dark night hours. I purchased Horus X brand glasses from Amazon. I noticed a difference, especially if I was writing a blog post late at night. My eyes and head felt clearer and better than if I didn’t use them and I didn’t seem to have much trouble winding down and getting to sleep. So, rest, yes! However, it’s possible to arrive at good winter rest indirectly.

    Morning Light Viewing – I’m surprised to find myself placing this last. I spent the fall developing my morning light viewing habit so that I could keep it up over the winter. I had been thinking about winter enhancement all year, and this was a big one on my list. But it was hard to maintain. Part of the problem was the time of day for morning light viewing. In the winter, sunrise is as late as 8 AM, and I have things to do at 8 AM. It’s still morning, but it’s getting into the active busy part of the morning. I kept trying to fit it into an early morning walk, but other than the timing being awkward, I wonder if these right at sunrise protocols work better in more equatorial regions, because the positive effects getting daylight in my eyes were considerably more noticeable later in the day when the light was stronger. This protocol is one I wouldn’t force for more winter enjoyment. Instead I would aim for a daily walk during the brightest (even if rainy, snowy, or overcast) parts of the day.

      Building writing momentum…

      A less overt goal I had for this project was to get back into a daily writing habit. I have been working on a novel since 2012 which is about two-thirds of the way completed, and I’d really like to finish it. Partly I just want it done, and partly I have other writing projects I’d like to move onto without this partially completed novel hovering over me. I wanted to use the blog project to build momentum. Frankly, I expected that I would abandon the blog at some point. That’s what usually happens with my overly ambitious ideas. So I’m incredibly pleased to see that I stuck with it. It worked just as well as any daily writing practice I’ve tried resulting in greater ease with writing in larger volumes every day. It also worked to help me see which times of day work best for me to write: confirming that I’m a morning writer and although I can, and did, write in the evening the product is never as good. What I failed to consider for writing a daily blog is the time to proofread and edit posts, which ended up making the blog posts a pretty time-consuming component of my winter. It was worth it, but it ended up limiting or knocking out some other activities. The best part of adhering to this daily writing commitment was that I looked forward to writing the posts most of the time. There were a few days, mostly toward the end of the project, when the little voices in my head had me pretty convinced to give it up and not bother, but I preserved.

      I’m looking forward to taking this writing momentum back into my creative writing projects. It’s encouraging just to know that I really do enjoy writing, and I will be delighted to have the opportunity to dedicate more time to editing my writing rather than just getting it up and ready to be posted in all its shabbiness to meet a deadline. The word count I achieved is also exciting. The 10 Weeks of Winter blog ran up a word count of about 72,000 words from 72 posts. That’s easy math working out to about 1,000 words per post on average. That’s a book people! That means I could write a book in 10 weeks. Well, ideally I could. I do find creative writing takes more time and a slower pace of writing. The creative writing posts, like Blue, took considerably more time and had a lower word count than the straight up non-fiction posts (but they were more fun to write). I suspect I can definitely write 500 words a day, and that should be enough to finish a novel that’s already two-thirds of the way complete!

      How to make winter wonderful…

      In conclusion, to make winter your own personal wonderland, I would recommend the following at a minimum:

      Until then…

      I’m not sure what the future of this blog might be. I may return to it, and maybe I’ll just leave it here for anyone interested in winter enhancements and wintery thoughts. Thanks to all those who followed along. I hope you found some inspiration, whimsy, intrigue, or beauty in it. I had a blast getting to write this 72 day love letter to my favorite season.

    1. Week 10 of Winter: Syrup

      Winter sweet…

      I wanted to wrap up this blog project with a bit of sweetness, so I decided to dedicate this last daily post to the sweetest product of winter: syrup. It’s a little early yet for the syrup harvest, but it’s around the corner. When the daylight gets long and warm enough from around mid-February to March nutritious sap reserves that were stored away from the freeze in the underground roots of trees begin to migrate back up revitalizing the trees for spring and summer growth. Much like bears, plants and trees experience an emergence from winter into spring. In the case of trees, the sap is effectively pumped up from the tree roots into the trunk and branches through alternating freeze-thaw cycles. The sap moves through a tissue layer called the xylem, or sapwood, located just under the cambium. This is the living tissue of trees found closer to the surface that acts as the conveyor. The cambium lies underneath the bark and the sapwood comes next, which makes the sap easy to reach with naught but a drill. Syrup is produced by tapping the sap that’s rising through trees toward the end of winter and reducing it to a concentrated, sweet substance through evaporation.

      The great Canadian maple syrup heist…

      Maple syrup is easily the most known tree syrup product, and here in Canada it’s big business. Did you know that Canada has a maple syrup reserve? It’s a stockpile of barrels of syrup amounting to millions of pounds in weight. Maple syrup is a precious and highly desired commodity, and you know that’s true when it becomes the subject of high-profile crime. In 2011 around 3,000 barrels of maple syrup were stolen from a Quebec warehouse that was owned by the organization which sets the price of Quebec maple syrup – kind of like an oil cartel. Those 3,000 barrels were worth $18.7 million. The thieves syphoned the syrup from barrels in the warehouse, which was later discovered during routine inventory checks. Believe it or not, the syrup was sold on the black market. Yep, syrup, that sweet stuff you put on pancakes, is a black market good. Only about 600 barrels were recovered, and over 20 people were sentenced and fined in this heist. So, what’s the point of all this? There’s something special about syrup, special enough to preserve it, protect it, and to steal it apparently.

      Birch sap…

      I started really thinking about syrup and its wintery connection after I encountered a YouTube video from one of my favorite creators, Jona Jinton, about birch sap. In the video, Jona talks about drinking birch sap to re-energize and revitalize after winter. She doesn’t convert her collected sap into syrup, instead she drinks it raw. However, for most of us, we’re not likely to find fresh birch or maple sap to drink, instead we’re relegated to the evaporated sticky sweet version that we call syrup.

      Nutritious sweetener…

      As with all food that arrives in the market place a little closer to its natural origins, syrup contains nutrients that you wouldn’t find in other sweeteners. Maple syrup has antioxidants from phenolics (total phenolic content around 440 µg/mL), minerals like manganese (up to 100% daily value in 1/4 cup), zinc, copper, riboflavin, and calcium. Birch syrup is rich in vitamins (B vitamins, C), minerals (manganese, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, iron, phosphorus), antioxidants, and 17 amino acids. Birch syrup is also lower in calories than maple (due to xylitol and fructose), with potential benefits for hydration, detoxification, and oral health from xylitol. Yellow birch has higher mineral content and antioxidant value than sugar maple.

      Note that copper is contained in both maple and birch syrups. Copper is an essential mineral for hair color. If your hair is dull, graying early, or already gray adding copper into your diet can brighten and enrich the tone of your hair. It has been shown to recolor early graying hair, and while it may not recolor permanently gray hair it can darken the grays into a deeper hue. Modern diets have been stripped of nutrients. We supplement to offset the detriments of eating overly processed, deficient foods. Instead of managing expensive multitudes of supplements, why not add some delicious real food back into your meals? Syrup is more than flavor, it’s sustenance. It is calorically dense, so obviously don’t overdo it, but consider a touch of syrupy sweetness here and there during your remaining winter and early spring.

      Appeal to a syrupy spring…

      Maple flavor is so strongly associated with fall that I’m not sure I can convince you to bring it into spring. If you must, reserve it for that time of year when the air becomes crisp and cool and the leaves turn gorgeously yellow, red, and orange. Instead, consider ordering some birch syrup to season and sweeten your spring palate and culinary experiments. It’s available online, but finding it in the store might be a little tricky. Birch syrup has a tangy, caramel-like flavor, which is great in sauces, marinades, vinaigrettes, ice cream, or mocktails and cocktails. Or, if you can make the mental switch from fall to spring for maple, start using maple syrup for anything you sweeten, like coffee, tea, oatmeal, desserts, dressings, marinades, and so on.

      Adventures in syrup…

      For more on syrup check out these suggestions:

    2. Week 10 of Winter: Emergence

      Starting slow…

      Humans don’t hibernate. Unlike the bear, we plow through the dark of winter attempting to maintain some kind of pace we kept up throughout the lighter parts of the year. Nevertheless, many of us who live in wintery places feel the pull of the long dark of midwinter and you’ll hear people say that they want to hibernate or that they feel tired or sluggish. It just makes sense, with more darkness, particularly in the morning, winter feels sleepy. We can respond to this pull overtly, dialing back our schedules and getting a few more winks of rest, or we can bypass our physiological inclinations and suffer the drag in whatever ways manifest for us uniquely. When I look around at the people living in my city, I think few, and mostly youthful, people experience little to no impact of winter sleepiness.

      The wise among us know that those ambitious New Years’ resolutions set for the 1st or 2nd of January are practically doomed to fall off by the 20th (or the 3rd). Not only are all of us humans notorious for setting goals way outside our practical, achievable bounds in the short term, it’s not summer, and we don’t have hours and hours of daylight to go for extended runs or get in extra work or learning. It’s still dark before 5 PM, and evenings are more of the cozy low lit variety than stimulating sunshine cascading in the windows far into the end of the day. It’s not realistic, for most of us, to push hard come early January. We can begin new endeavors, but they’re more likely to take hold if aimed at habit formation rather than ramping up pace, efficiencies, or effort. We’re not ready yet, we’re sleepy. The time for switching gears will come, and if we’ve built good habits rather than trying to get there fast while stuck in turtle mode then we’re well set to amp up the energy as February arrives.

      Awakening…

      Creatures of the north measure the light. They respond faithfully, regardless of the temperature, to the sun. As the sun fades toward the end of the year plants and animals conserve their energy going dormant or hibernating. They know at a cellular level what they need to do. At the other end of the winter, when the light grows brighter and longer, the plants and animal emerge from their long rest. Bears emerging from hibernation experience a gradual increase in body temperature which pulls them gently into a wakeful state (this is what happens to you too every morning when you wake up naturally). Their metabolic shift out of hibernation and into a mobile state can take hours to days. For their first 1 to 3 weeks of emergence from hibernation they experience sluggishness, lethargy, stiffness and diminished strength and cognition. Sound familiar? I’ve had mornings like that. Bears are motivated out of their dens by hunger. They’ve spent months existing from the stores on their bodies and now they are craving food to replenish and fuel their energy. Their muscles are stiff from extended immobility – bears need to move, even in a clumsy disheveled way, to get going. They need to stretch and flex and take in the light to bring their bodies and brains back online.

      From the bears we can learn something about mornings and we can learn something about navigating winter. Our mornings are a micro-version of emergence from hibernation. We go through a completely relatable set of physiological stages, just in a tighter timeframe and on a smaller scale. We wake up better when our bodies heat up, ideally naturally triggered by circadian rhythms. From there we need to replenish – water is a good start to the day to wake up, deliver depleted essential molecules to your body, and get your system moving. From there, we need to encourage mobility. Gentle stretches that build into more dynamic motions (like leg swings or jogging in place) encourage the whole body, including the brain, to reach wakeful active states of being. Ideally, viewing more light outside should be added to this wake-up routine. If you’re not awake after that, grab a coffee or tea and get a little chemical support.

      Freshness…

      If we extend the emergence analogy to February, or midwinter, we can benefit from the freshness of the year like we benefit from a supportive morning routine. The light is increasing. It’s time to wake up from the sleepiness of winter, but go gently. Add heat to your remaining winter days. Let your body remember warmth through direct applications of warmth or getting more physically active. Give your body sustenance. Water and protein are the building blocks for strength, mobility, and vitality. Make sure you’re getting what you need. Start moving more. There’s more time to be in the light. It feels more natural to get outside for a walk in the morning or evening, and with more light you’ll feel more energy that you can use to amplify workouts, fitness routines, or other physical activities. Being in February is like being in the freshness of the morning when you’ve stretched and yawned and had a glass of water and you’re ready now to dive into something with a little more focus, intention, and drive. Don’t let it pass you by! It’s a great time to start building fundamentals in an intellectual or physical pursuit. And as you do, you can watch the light grow and grow with increasing speed and warmth. If you go with the light it can carry you right into spring with bursting productivity and opportunities to explore.

    3. Week 10 of Winter: Robins

      When robins return…

      Spring comes early to the Pacific Northwest. We begin to see the pink bunches of plum tree blossoms, purple crocus heads, and yellow primulas by early February. It’s still winter, and snow and freezing temperatures remain with some likelihood in the forecast, but that doesn’t stop nature from its eager emergence. In this temperate rainy place midwinter already starts to look like spring has sprung. I think of it as an in between season. Neither winter nor spring. It’s a brief interlude when the robins return while it feels like winter and looks like spring. I call it robin season.

      Robins are my very favorite bird. They’re friendly, charming, lovely, and bright. They seem to look at you with curiosity and interest. I notice them, and they notice me. And I notice them most at the tail end of January when they flock onto the bare blackened limbs of the trees along the street where I live. They hop about in the sunny or overcast midday light going from branch to telephone wire to parked car to muddy grass along the sidewalks and in front of houses and multistory residences. Rarely alone, robins gather in small groups pecking at the sodden earth for worms and insects and anything that a bird finds tasty to eat. They raise their black beaks and sing lovely throaty calls and tweets out to each other almost like they’re calling for the early spring blossoms from the trees and bulbs.

      Unlike the juncos I see all winter long, robins cloister up through the dark parts of the winter. They seclude themselves and stick to areas where berries are abundant. But as the light begins to lengthen they return cheerfully and vocally to lawns and gardens like a herald harkening that long days are here again.

      Associations from childhood…

      I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love robins. Maybe it’s because a robin was prominently featured in my most beloved children’s story: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. In the story a robin serves as an important guide for the four main characters bringing them from the disastrous ransacked home of Tumnus the Faun to their first encounter to Mr. Beaver. It’s a small part to play in the story, but somehow, for me, unforgettable. I think it’s also that the eldest of the children, Peter, says to Edmund, who is doubting whether or not to follow the robin, “They’re good birds in all the stories I’ve read.” Now, I can’t say that I had ever read a story before or after The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in which there were any robins at all. So I cannot say whether Peter’s statement is right or wrong or based on anything of substance, but it has nevertheless stuck with me for something like 36 years of life since I read the book. When I see a robin I think of the bird in that story, and I’m inclined to suppose that the robin is of good character. I suspect this story also contributes to my association of robins with winter. Since the children enter Narnia during its enchantment under an endless winter (that never has Christmas) the connection of the robin character to the winter season has permanently cemented in my mind.

      Robin season comes…

      Regardless of my formative connection merging robins with winter, I think if you stop and notice the tweets and calls and songs of birds in the coming weeks you’ll hear a note or two of robin song. And if you look around at the birds dotting the lawns and chirping from trees you’ll spot a few dazzling red breasts. And while you look and listen a little longer still you may detect the sweet perfumes around you of hellebore, blossoming magnolias and witch hazels, and lightly scented snow drops, crocus, and pansies. And when you notice all these things remember that you’ve found yourself in that seasonal interlude, the place between winter and spring, where the first of things are born, and the year is pink and new and warming up, and possibilities are planted and start to grow, and the trees and grounds and streets and skies play host to happy little humble red and brown birds. You have found yourself amidst the magic of robin season.

    4. Week 10 of Winter: Coziness

      A winter highlight…

      It’s the last week of January and we’re on the cusp of light returning in more and more noticeable ways, but winter is still here and it will be cold outside for a while longer. To me, this means there’s so much more time for coziness!

      Coziness has to be one of the premier highlights of the winter season. It’s that feeling of being warm, safe, relaxed, and in an interior quiet or playful mood. And it’s enhanced by the contrast of the winter season. If you’re toasty warm inside looking out at the falling snow or blowing rain you feel that much cozier for being able to watch the harsh wet and cold elements from your safe and lovely place inside.

      Coziness as fuel…

      Remembering that contrast is a key to coziness can help amplify your winter season experience. I find it all the more enjoyable to settle into a cozy afternoon if I’ve already gone outside and expended some effort or felt the chill of cold on my skin. Cozy evenings are nicer if I’ve taken a walk earlier that day. Mornings are cold on their own and all it takes is a big sweater and cup of coffee to feel cozy. I use my desire for coziness to fuel my activities during the winter. There’s always a waiting reward for me in a hot shower, hot beverage, hot meal, warm blankets, socks, and sweaters to bring me pleasure after hard work, and they’re always better after hard work and cold winter air.

      Getting warm…

      Whether amplifying coziness with the contrast of cold and physical labor or not, getting warm is the main ingredient of coziness. In my post on heat there are multiple suggestions for bringing heat into one’s winter experience. I find heating my body up with hot showers or baths, sauna, or movement then insulating that heat in with wool socks and big sweaters keeps me in a prolonged state of cozy bliss. So if you want to feel cozy, get warm!

      Setting the mood…

      Coziness is also an aesthetic. Setting up a scene for coziness usually include warm tones like wood, soft textures and cushiony objects, and heat sources like fireplaces or candles. Aromas can also bring in a cozy aura. Spiced foods roasting in the over or simmering on the stove are almost instantly stimulating in the most relaxing kind of way. And don’t forget about sounds. An ASMR quality of kitchen sounds, gentle talking, crackling fires, or rain drumming on the windows starts to add to the experience of coziness. Cozy soundscapes that offer winter ambience can also bring in more coziness even in places and at times of the year where there’s no winter to be seen.

      Cozy activities…

      Now that the mood is set and the body is warm and the winter atmosphere is just right for maximum coziness, how should you spend your cozy time? First, just breathe. Just feel the happiness of being cozy. It’s so good. These are the moments that I love to be alive. Now think about how you feel. Sometimes coziness is sleepy or restful. Sometimes it’s a peaceful or quiet solitude. Sometimes it’s a togetherness of being cozy with others. Sometimes it’s playful and spirited. For each of these cozy feelings there are seemingly infinitely good ways to spend your time.

      Ideas for a restful or sleepy coziness:

      • Watch the sky, day or night, rain or snow, clear or cloudy through the window. Just gaze and be at ease.
      • Take a nap.
      • Listen to an audiobook.
      • Do gentle stretches, yin yoga, or NSDR (non-sleep deep rest).
      • Light a candle and watch the flame.

      Ideas for a cozy peaceful or quiet solitude:

      • Read a book.
      • Write something.
      • Meditate, contemplate, or explore your inner thoughts and feelings.
      • Create something: crafts, music, art, food.
      • Do a puzzle.
      • Dream a little dream. Plan your next adventure or your next endeavor.
      • Watch old movies from before 1965.
      • Clean and organize. Notice your surroundings and make them even cozier. Do those agenda-free puttering around activities like cleaning dead leaves off of plants or right the angles on shelved or hanging things. Just wander and tinker and touch up and experience the sensuality of your surroundings.

      Ideas for playful and spirited coziness or being cozy together:

      • Check out the ideas for peaceful or quiet solitude above and bring others into it!
      • Play board games.
      • Play video games.
      • Read poetry to each other.
      • Have a tea party.
      • Look up DIY engineering experiments and do them together.
      • Clear your floor space and practice rolls and falls onto pillows and blankets (a foundation for parkour or martial arts and general injury prevention).
      • Practice yoga.
      • Do some internet research on something you’re interested in or want to do.
      • Make AI generated videos and images.
      • Devise surprises and pranks for your friends or workmates (use some discernment).
      • Write jokes or limericks.
      • Make a lavish dessert.
      • Build a pillow and blanket fort and tell ghost stories in it.

      Coziness shortcut…

      My favorite shortcut path to coziness is through a hot beverage. Hot drinks bring both warmth and aroma, putting me in a cozy mood with every sip. Even the ritual of preparing hot beverages contains its own meditative coziness. Hot bowls of soup can also quickly cozy up a lunch or a dinner with steaming savory smells and warm satisfying flavors. Check out my hot drink and soup recipes.

      Cozy Beverages:

      Winter Soups:

    5. Week 10 of Winter: Red Light Therapy

      Aging…

      I’m not yet in the “winter of my life”, but I am in early autumn.  As the seasons and cycles of life take me toward my favorite time of year, I’m learning how to embrace the changes to my body, my appearance, and my wellbeing. I’ve never been a person to focus much on looks, but as a younger person it’s easier to look reasonably good without much effort. Youth is effortlessly beautiful. As I age the question becomes, how to experience the later seasons of life as a pretty fall and a gorgeous winter?

      Winter aesthetics…

      For anyone who has been reading this blog, you’ll know I draw lessons from my favorite season. Winter, to me, is easily the most beautiful season. It’s striking, simple, and pristine. If I were to apply the beauty of winter as a model for personal aesthetics I would say it’s about getting back to basics. Clean crisp lines, like the silhouettes of trees, mountain ridgelines, and silver highlights of clouds cut shape and depth into the winter view. There is little color, but where there is color is it bold and deliberate. That which endures stands out in the winter, highlighted as a point of focus or prominence. For me personally, I think I can assemble a style from these observations. Of my features I would choose my eyes to highlight. My dress can use basic colors with occasional dramatic color. For lines, attention to edging in highlights or lowlights will create more interesting contrast, and physical fitness always serves best for attractive lines and structure.

      Along with the diminished easeful attractiveness, maintaining my appearance has become more demanding. I suppose there is always the option to not care, and I’ve considered it. A part of me resists the idea of make beauty routines a regular part of my life when they never have been before – I don’t even wear makeup. But I find that when I feel that I look good or put together I have more confidence and generally feel better about myself. It has a psychological impact on my life. And perhaps there is something respectful toward others to show up looking like I cared a bit about taking care of myself.

      Of course the other lens to bring the discussion of appearance is physical health. Maintaining strength and mobility not only impacts appearance, but it has significant implications for overall health, mood, mental acuity, and ability. If I can carry muscle mass and flexibility into the winter of life I’ll likely be able to live a better more active life for longer.

      Red light therapy…

      Throughout my 10 Weeks of Winter project, I tried a few protocols with the intention of improving my experience of winter. One of these protocols I did not find had an obvious impact on my experience of winter, but it did have an impact on appearance and health. I began using a red light therapy panel for 5 minutes in the morning and 7 minutes in the evening daily. My hope was that it might have an impact on my circadian rhythms, but as I fell off from using it and then started it up again I didn’t notice an impact on sleep quality or wakefulness in the morning as much as from other protocols like abdominal breathing and daily walks. However, using the red light therapy panel seems to have a great impact on the look and feel of my skin and hair. It also seems to have mild impacts on my vision. Now, maybe these changes were impacted by other factors, like higher doses of vitamin D, but my observation of changes seem connected to using the red light therapy panel. I’ve heard red light therapy also can help with physical injury and recovery, though I haven’t tested this. Ultimately, red light therapy is a protocol I intend to extend beyond winter into a regular health or beauty routine to continue to experience some of the physical rejuvenation benefits that I’ve observed so far this winter.

    6. Week 10 of Winter: Winter White Bean Soup

      Pleasant and warm…

      Mild, nutritious, and satisfying, white bean soup is my choice to round out the final week in this 10 Weeks of Winter project. It’s got a wee bit more kick than the soups I made earlier in January, but remains a good simple winter soup that’s light on the digestive system. The spices used in the Winter White Bean Soup recipe create a pleasant warming effect. This is the kind of soup that’s perfect to share with a friendly companion over a lunchtime visit on a cold and rainy winter day with a side of avocado toast.

      Winter White Bean Soup Recipe

      Total cook and prep time: 40-60 minutes

      Makes 8-10 servings.

      Ingredients:

      • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
      • 1 onion, chopped
      • 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
      • 3 celery sticks, chopped
      • 1 avocado, chopped
      • 1½ tsp smoked salt, to taste (or regular salt)
      • 1½ tsp cumin
      • Juice of 1 lemon
      • 1 can coconut cream
      • Optional: mild Italian turkey sausage or other meat or protein
      • 4 cups kale, chopped
      • 4 14oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
      • 5 cups bone broth or chicken stock
      • ½ tsp celery seed
      • 1 tsp cardamom
      • 1 ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded

      Instructions:

      1. In large soup pot, sauté the onion and garlic olive oil for 6 minutes
      2. Add celery and avocado and sauté for another 4 minutes
      3. Season with smoked or regular salt and coriander
      4. Add lemon juice and coconut cream and heat until warm, smooth, and thoroughly mixed
      5. Remove contents of soup pot into blender or bowl and blend until creamy with blend or emersion blender
      6. If adding meat, chop and cook completely in soup pot
      7. Add blended soup base back into pot, stir to combine then add beans and bone broth
      8. Heat until soup reaches a low simmer
      9. Add celery seed and cardamom seasoning
      10. Simmer for 10 minutes
      11. Add parmesan cheese and stir until combined
      12. Add kale and stir and simmer for another 8 minutes

      To serve, dish soup into bowl and garnish with parmesan cheese and broccoli sprouts or other micro greens, and add a slice of lemon if desired.

      For more winter soups, check out:

      Winter white bean soup photo album…

      Stages of making winter white bean soup.

      Bowl of winter white bean soup.

    7. Week 10 of Winter: Minimalism

      Minimalism lessons…

      Minimalism. It’s not for me. But I’ve learned from it. Minimalism achieves:

      • Cleanliness
      • Deliberate focus
      • Functionality

      All point to clarity and simplification.

      I benefit from minimalism even if it contrasts with my personality. I need what it achieves.

      Winter is a minimalist season. It is bare. In winter it is easier to see what matters. Observe this master practitioner to learn its secrets.

      Applying minimalism…

      Approach minimalism through:

      • Space – white space on the page, keeping less, displaying less, creating and maintaining space over stuff
      • Choice – decide what matters most and only use, keep, or display only that

      Minimalism tools and techniques:

      • Organization – organize objects, items, thoughts, and concepts into like categories and keep them grouped together
      • Accessibility – all items should be available for immediate use either on display or in an organized container (e.g., shelf, drawer, bin) in which items are all visible and available at the point of access (i.e., when you open the drawer)
      • Floor Space – optimize floor space by keeping objects and items to the sides of the space or in cavity spaces, such as underneath the couch or bed
      • Visual Space – use furniture items that can be looked through like items with separated metal bars, open shelving, or tables with thin legs and profiles
      • Merchandising – think like a merchandiser or hotel owner to place items neatly in their most appealing and functional locations

      Minimalism for work and creativity…

      Minimalism supports focus. Effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity follow from improved focus. Creativity, too, benefits from enhanced focus.

      Applying minimalism to a space facilitates a multi-purpose function. The space can transition to serve specific activities with particular focuses. A living room can become a workout room, an office, an art studio, and an entertainment center when it is maintained as a blank space to be imposed upon. But a minimalist spaces will not become specialist spaces like a workshop, a recording studio, a lab, or a gym.

      Applying minimalism to a project can serve as a constraint which generates a better product. This result occurs through forcing choice. It limits irrelevancies and departures. But it produces an austere product.

      Degree of minimalism…

      Minimalism can be applied to varying degrees. Here are some applications I use:

      • Specific rooms – I prefer a highly functional, uncluttered bathroom. It is easier to use and keep clean when it is spare. By contrast, my bedroom I prefer to keep more free form.
      • Space prioritization – I prefer having clear floor space to bare vertical spaces. I focus on keeping the floors open and use the vertical space at the sides for storage. Others may prefer uncluttered wall space. Ceilings can be considered for storage or open space. Choosing to store items underneath furniture versus being able to look through furniture is another option for space prioritization.
      • Ad hoc – I apply minimalism as needed to my work or my space when I get overwhelmed or need mental clarity. It is a valuable assistant for focus.
      • Cleansing and detoxing – I use minimalism to mentally and emotionally detox. Organizing, throwing things out, and being in more spaciousness helps clear the mind and supports activities that heal the body.

    8. Week 9 of Winter: Cleansing and Detoxing

      The time is right…

      At this time of settling into the new year when there are several more weeks of winter ahead followed by a fast approaching spring, the conditions are ripe for cleansing and detoxing. Rather than jumping into a hardcore detox protocol starting January 1st, waiting until the end of January or early February can be an optimal set up for thinking about helping the body to cleanse and release toxins. There’s been room to let the abundances and excesses of the holidays fade. Attempts have probably been made to make change for the new year, and realities and practicalities have probably sunk in – what’s actually doable versus what’s aspirational starts to become clear. It’s helpful to have that clarity and distance from indulgence before going into something like a detox or a cleanse.

      Functional or fashionable…

      In the modern era cleansing and detoxing have become an important part of our lives because we are exposed to so many environmental toxins and hyper-novelty while just going about our day-to-day routines. Our bodies and our minds need a break. They need a chance to process out the substances and influences that aren’t supposed to be there, or at least aren’t supposed to be there in the quantities that have accumulated. Engaging with a cleansing or detoxing protocol helps support the mind and body to complete the processes they’re already trying to run to get healthier and back to an equilibrium.

      Winter is an ideal season for cleansing and detoxing. It’s a spacious time, a time for rest, and a time for renewal, which is exactly what’s needed to cleanse and detox. Going through a reset can boost goals and planned activities like fitness, diet, and mental wellness. It’s a great way to get a jump start on ramping up for the spring, especially as the days begin to grow longer.

      Cleansing and detoxing options…

      In a way getting into cleansing and detoxing is both completely simple and totally challenging. It’s simple in that your body already does it. Left to its own devices, it would take care of business and detox by itself. Maybe drinking some water and getting some good sleep would be a support, but you wouldn’t need much more than that. There’s something to be said for not over-complicating things. But life will over-complicate things for you. Sometimes we need a little more support than just what our bodies can do on their own, or we need practices and protocols to help us overcome the barriers and limitations that prevent us from letting our bodies and minds detox. When that’s the case, we usually turn to plans, programs, apps, books, gurus, and other usually for sale approaches to help get us where we’re going.

      In the domain of cleansing and detoxing the options and variety of plans, programs, teachers, etc. is overwhelming! I’ve tried a few myself, all with their own pros and cons of course. I’m not going to be making any recommendations here except to say that a late January/early February cleanse is generally speaking a good idea. As for the actual approach you take, that’s your call. Try to figure out what you want from a cleanse, and pick a priority item instead of trying to fit everything into one (that rarely works or serves anyone well). Some possible reasons include: detoxing from environmental toxins, detoxing from substances, detoxing from social media or screentime, resetting the palate, isolating variables in diet or nutrition, caloric restriction, general health or wellness support, organ function, immune function, reduce inflammation, spiritual practice, stoicism practice, etc. Use your main priority (maybe it wasn’t listed) to find a program that will support you – there’s definitely one out there!

      Another question to consider before selecting an approach is how hard do you want to go? Some cleansing and detoxing protocols are strict and rigid and long! There are benefits to this, and there are downsides. A stricter program can give you more insight about your own needs and limitations, and it can have more exaggerated results. However, a stricter program can lower your morale, take you through some challenging low points, and possibly cause you real physical distress. Definitely read any medical disclaimers to make sure the program you choose is a good fit. On the other hand, there are lighter gentler programs you can follow. The benefits may not be as dramatic, but there are still benefits. You may find a less rigid program is more sustainable and helpful in the longer term because it’s something you might be able to stick with better or cycle in and out as needed. No matter what you choose you will learn something. As for me, I’ve done tough ones. I did learn a lot from them, and while I wouldn’t say I would never do a strict cleanse again, I have no plans to go that route any time soon. Instead, I’m more likely to incorporate a few practices and protocols I’ve learned along the way for a gentle supportive winter cleanse.

      A gentle January cleanse…

      There is no research behind my January cleanse except my own anecdotal experience. It’s not medical or scientific. It’s just a set of practices that work for me. Throughout this blog there are a number of posts that go into aspects of cleansing and detoxing, such as walking, breathing, and tea. These are the kinds of activities and interventions I like to mix and match into a cleanse. Starting Sunday, I will begin a three-week cleanse including the following:

      • Hydration focus – 62 ounces of water per day, which is a lot for me because I’m an under-hydrator
      • Include 2 or more detox teas and water infusions such as dandelion tea, nettle tea, citrus and cranberry water (cold water infusion of lemon and orange slices mixed with small amount of pure cranberry juice)
      • Ginger or turmeric tea in the evening for warming and digestion – creates ease
      • Breathing exercises: bhastrika pranayama in the morning instead of coffee and abdominal breathing before bed
      • Walking: extend daily walk to minimum of 30 minutes
      • (++bonus items – keep reading)

      The basic idea for my protocol is to support my system for general cleansing. Water flushes the system. Teas and infusions incorporating certain foods assist the detoxing organs and blood to efficiently cleanse the body. Breathing and walking facilitate movement, and exhalation is a natural path to detoxification. Plus all the liquid and activity naturally causes me to consume fewer calories and so sets me up for cleaner lighter eating, as well as reset my excessive coffee drinking habit. This approach is entirely intervention driven. I will not be abstaining from anything, but rather angling for the interventions to offset other behaviors and effects.

      Let’s get weird…

      Now for the bonus. This one is a takeaway from one of the stricter protocols I followed a couple times. Once or twice a year, I perform a daily water or coffee enema in the morning for 7 days straight. It’s hard to explain, you have to try it to get it. I have found this protocol gives me an energy boost and really clears my head. It’s not something you should do all the time. If you use coffee it should be cool to the touch (not warm or hot). Just be careful if you choose to do this and look up how to do it properly. I will be including this practice for one week within my cleanse, probably toward the end. Seriously, it sounds weird, but it makes me feel great!

      Resources from this blog…

      If you’re mixing and matching your own protocol like I am, be sure to check out the following posts for supportive recipes, thoughts, and activities for cleansing and detoxing:

      Recipes:

      Activities and Ideas:

    9. Week 9 of Winter: Silver

      Silver winter magic…

      Pause before it slips away. Stay a moment in the place where the world is old and the world is new. Listen to the sound of wind and ice and the dampened quiet of snow. Listen closer to the music of growing roots, moaning caves, and crisp cries of winter creatures.  Glinting white fur or a flash of wing catches the eye like a distant mirage. Maybe something lives here, or maybe it was nothing but sparkled snow reflecting the pale winter sun like burnished silver.

      Too soon the sun will come angling in washing out the silver winter magic with yellow and orange heat. It will warm the winter into spring and summer like oil paints layered over a perfect bare canvas. All the mystery, all the bones and seeds of things will be buried in an onslaught of life. The silver winter will be lost, but not gone. It’s always waiting, quietly. It dwells in the absence of things, in the ground, and in the night. It will always return, because it’s where everything else came from.

      Winter lies in silver starlight as the place that came before and the place that came after. Here in the silver winter we may close the door on the things that are ready to remain behind. Let the winter night take them back and return them to the place of darkness. Return them to their cosmic origins as fuel for the silver stars. Burn what remains of that which is done and reform it into something new.

      Here in the silver winter a dream is born. It flies on wings of the silver starlight traveling the span of darkened space fast and across centuries to reach the watching eyes of someone in the winter night. In the burst of a moment and the still of a moment a connection is forged between stars and life that came from stars all along a silver beam.

      When winter recedes like a shadow shrinking in the noonday sun I look for the silver places. They secret away beneath things, around flowing water, high atop mountain peaks, and at the end of the night just before morning. I hear the silver sound in the whistling wind, and I taste the silver snow when the rain is cold. A silver mist may come to lie across the mossy rocks or layer in amongst the forested hills. There too winter waits. But for now winter remains. The relief of the silver season extends its rest for a while longer. Let it have all that was and turn it silver. Let it remake the world born from silver. Let the winter silver trace and line every moment of the year to come with a little winter magic.