Welcome December: Yin Season Is Here

It's the slower, darker, quieter season. What will you tune in to?

Well friends - I know we technically have 21 days until Solstice, and in the pasture out front the grass is still green…but as far as I’m concerned, winter is here. Friday I woke to a cover of ice on the stock tanks despite my husband’s Thanksgiving Day efforts to install heaters - we’re running them longer now, crisis averted - and the dogs were happy to curtail their walkies in favor of lots of sofa-sitting and giblet-begging. We spent our Black Friday bundled up and snuggled in, canning turkey stock and staying far away from the big box stores. It is, as a farmer-yogi friend likes to say, yin season. Time to fully release those big, energetic efforts and draw inward. Just 108 days until spring - an auspicious number!

I, too, am doing my best to rein in the (welcome) chaos of my first-ever adult summer without a day job (I continue to joke that I no longer work full time - I just work all the time) and ease into a gentle seasonal rhythm. It’s not easy - doshically, I’m a down-the-line Pitta, all activation energy, prone to crankiness when stuff isn’t getting done efficiently enough for my liking. I’m a Capricorn and INTJ too - chilling is not my natural resting state. I’m working at it, though:

• It’s been two weeks since my last caffeinated cup of coffee or tea. Ayurveda strongly recommends that people with my “fiery” disposition avoid heating, acidic, pungent, and sharp foods, and caffeine is at the tippy-top of that list. I’m also one of those lucky creatures known as a perimenopausal woman, and studies suggest caffeine may worsen hot flashes and night sweats. And - I did a little math recently and realized that I’ve had at least three cups of coffee or tea almost every day for the last twenty-seven years. It felt like time to see if I could still exist without chemical assist. So far, I’ve noticed that I was definitely depending on that little serotonin and dopamine kick to manage the lower end of my mood spectrum. The good news: I’m headache-free and beginning to see my energy levels normalize. Still, periodic wellness checks are welcome. Turns out I really was good and addicted to the stuff.

• I’ve been lighting candles in the morning for some quiet pre-dawn contemplation and natural IR light therapy. You can get infrared light outdoors from the sun, particularity in the morning and evening when it’s low in the sky, but winter’s reduced daylight hours can make this a little bit challenging. In contrast, most modern light bulbs - as well as electronics - emit blue light, which can be disruptive to your circadian rhythm. It’s made a huge difference in the quality of my morning to get out of bed and ease into light, letting the sunrise take over gradually.

• Starting this month I’ll also be changing up my posting rhythm. While I’ll still be sending out yoga practices, guided meditations, and recipes, these will come at a cadence of one offering per week - one of each per month. This month’s yoga and meditation practices will continue our trajectory up the chakras - appropriately, we’ve landed at the third eye, or ajna, center of intuition and deep inner knowledge. Expect quiet, contemplation - and yes, a little yin.

Also new this month: this blog’s first-ever episode of Well Rooted Radio, a monthly podcast featuring interviews with folks in and around my community who inspire me and help the place feel a little warmer and brighter. One thing that brings me great comfort and joy is sharing stories of the place I call home and the amazing people I meet here. This month’s episode, I Only Do One Thing, is a wide-ranging trip through farming, raising kids in a small rural town, AI (spoiler: my guest doesn’t think the robots are inevitably coming for us all), and building community by getting in where you fit in. I hope you’ll tune in!

Stay warm, and be well,

Havala

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p.s. -

I’d love to hear about the practices you’re embracing this winter! What are your body, mind, and spirit telling you that they need in this slower, contemplative season?

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p.p.s. -

In my part of West Virginia and looking for my in-person yoga teaching schedule? You can find it under the “yoga” heading of the website.

I also have space for up to three additional health coaching clients in January - I’d love to partner with you in navigating your way through a healthy new year! Our initial conversation is always free.

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Want access to the full library of movement practices, mindfulness, recipes, and stories about the amazing place I call home? I’m running a little special on annual subscriptions for December:

Too many subscriptions, but like seeing this content in the world? You can also add a small one-time contribution to my: