Ahead of me in line was an elderly woman, a good 3 inches shorter than me. Her gray and white thinning hair was perfectly combed and placed back in an antique butterfly barett, attempting to hide a slightly balding spot on her scalp. That morning she had put obvious care into matching her cream colored cardigan with her khaki slacks. As she slowly moved forward to the next window she began a conversation.
"Hello Jan! Can you believe this weather? I woke up to a driveway full of snow!" She said with hilarious preparedness. The man behind me chimed in.
"It is starting, isn't it!" The woman turned around and smiled.
"I wonder if it will be like last year, where we will get five feet in a couple of days. I do not know if I could stand it."
"I know! I checked the weather this morning and it looks like we are going to get a big storm system coming in Sunday and Monday. We are sure in for it. "
"Oh, bother. I just wish we could get through this faster." She turned back to the cashier to thumb through the different types of stamps she could purchase.
Winter. No one wants it, likes it or can stand it. I overhear conversations at the grocery store, movie theater and in passing on the street; no matter where I go the general consensus on this season is drab. It is inconvenient, dark, depressing and can only be tolerated by the strong and able.
A new disorder that has gained a reputation in the health field is Seasonal Affective Disorder (or S.A.D.). It is a mood disorder characterized by depressive symptoms most often in the winter. When I assess what I hear around town it appears that most everyone has this 'disorder' to some degree. The symptoms can include difficulty waking up in the morning, morning sickness, tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat, craving for carbohydrates, withdrawal and pessimism.
In the nutrition world it is thought that the above experience could be due to a lack of Vitamin D, nutritional deficiencies from not eating a diet as fresh and varied as in the summer and lack of exercise. I conjecture whether my vigilance with my body is why I am not on the rough side of the fence.
As I walk out of the post office building the wind is tunneling through the parking lot. The clouds are so low that it feels as though I have just stepped out into a larger room. My boots crunch on frozen corrals of snow that have cemented the tracks of cars and feet. Winter to me feels like magic. The snow or rain calms the streets to a hum and even the simple act of walking through the air conjures up a feeling of being crisply alive. The skin resisting the air, the small sounds of sloshing, dropping and swooshing echoes through the senses. At home at night when all the lights are off and I lie in bed winter comforts and holds me dear with her solitude and guiding hand, pushing me inward deeper into myself.Why is it that we have become so accustomed to refusing the joys of winter?
This holiday I have yet to experience the blues. Do I like chopping wood in frigid air? Not all the time. Is it enjoyable to wake up and step onto a frozen floor? I dread it. Yet somehow winter forces me to be empowered and take the reigns on my life more than any other season. Winter requires us all to be vigilant about our needs and wants and to bring light into darkness. She is teaching us to create our own reality; a reality that takes precedence over what we our given.
My winter routine varies. I always exercise every morning. This morning I jump roped. I can feel the heat my body creates pulse outward as my heart rate goes up. I can feel myself creating my own atmosphere as the room no longer feels empty and cold and is inhabited by my intention.I dress with joy, layering scarves and sweaters that cushion my body and make me smile.
I take supplements (Vitamin D included) and drink a lot of water.
I eat foods that are fresh and warm. This morning I had a creamy and decadent baked yam mixed with a baked purple potato, drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and some nutritional yeast.
I only read books and watch programs that inspire and delight me.
I stop and listen no matter where I am to winter knocking on the door beckoning me to come and play.
If you suffer from the possible symptoms of S.A.D. remember one powerful concept: you are responsible for your health. What have you done today for creating warmth in your life? Do you allow your schedule to be constituted by the outside world, or do you let your own desire sculpt your day?
S.A.D may affect us simply because we have not learned how to create warmth from the inside, outward. We may be so used to getting a fix from our environment that we have forgotten how to give to ourselves and produce our own inner sun. Here are my top tips for creating your own heat and liveliness in your winter life:
- Move your body everyday, no exception.
- Take on winter sports. Skiing, snowshoeing, hockey or just running.
- Exercise indoors by joining the gym or buying workout DVDs.
- Buy a raincoat and other winter gear to invest in getting out in nature no matter what conditions exist.
- Go to bed earlier and take lulls as an opportunity to catch up on sleep.
- Focus on fresh and in season produce in the winter to give you the mood and brain-boosting nutrients you need.
- Turn off the TV and pursue a hobby that you have been putting off because of time. Painting, writing a novel, crafts, quilting, cooking; you name it.
- Take Vitamin D and Essential Fatty Acid supplements to support balanced winter moods.
- Invite friends over for dinner parties or other events.
- Enroll in a college class.
Cheers to winter!
Nat
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