The transition has happened.

It is no longer a matter of stewing and brewing in our guts and life journeys. The sun has shifted into new found energy, dipping into the horizon at earlier times, maybe peaking its head out in waves during the day, but always there behind the clouds.

That beautiful large warm orb marks seasonal changes with its enormous cast of warmth.

When it hides behind the moon and eclipses across the sky to shield the earth, the message is clear: it is time to reconnect, reunite, reignite, restore, and realign. Hearts are celebrating and sealing what the summer months ushered in. Autumn is in full swing.

Winter is just around the corner—it is cold outside.

After Halloween, the tease of the temperatures hovering between mildly comfortable and alluringly very comfortable was prevailing all through the continent. It was as if we had another opportunity to don our shorts, tank tops, flip flops, and still reap the benefits of nature’s Vitamin D.

Then, the earth said let’s hibernate. Let us gather the loved ones, whether four-legged creatures or two-legged humans, and come inside. Sip on some hot tea, bake something, shower your insides with comfort foods, wear a robe all day, dare to peak your head out and go for a brisk walk in nature, look at your yoga mat and appease it with your warm body and sleek yoga pants, stay close to those who lift you up and bring you warmth and a smile.

This is what it means to come in from the cold.

We can fight it; we can complain about it. We can even flee it to warmer climes, but it isn’t so much the weather that causes our internal dialogue, as much as it is the need to rest and replenish.

This energy shift towards Thanksgiving is asking us to be with those we love and what we need to keep our hearts intact and on point. Firing up our internal passions, yet moving forward through the exaggerated food intakes of the next few days (and months, actually) where the anxious aftermath of “Oh my, did I really have three helpings of that green bean casserole?” cannot deter us from the purpose of our beings.

Spending time with family, friends, and animals who make us feel incredibly satisfied and enriched is more the meaning of this hibernation time. There are no presents. There are no rules.

But, there are a few things that might enlighten your spirit as the temperatures continue to hover in digits that cause us to shiver and layer.

1. Take lots of hot baths: A ritual with far more than just warming up. It renews and relaxes. I emerge from these daily during the colder months, put on the warm robe fresh from the dryer, wallow in the soft buttery feel, lie down for a bit, then….

2. Drink hot tea like it’s going out of style: Starting the day with tea, taking an afternoon break with tea, sipping tea after every activity, either coming in from the outside, or creating something meaningful inside, hot tea has just about every purpose wrapped up. I find that my tea cabinet overflows during the colder months, all flavors, packets, loose leaf, and a healthy dose of dark chocolate to accompany almost every cup.

3. Get thee to a gym: I used to practically live in a gym or health club. Not only was it my profession, but I felt very comfortable among the metal weights, the balancing equipment, the camaraderie, all the while feeling my body strong and mighty, and helping others feel the same. Now, the gym has taken on a different meaning. I venture in to its confines to keep my yoga and running muscles healthy and fit, and nurture the aging process that Mother Nature has bestowed upon me. If I can see a striation in any muscle during the colder months, that always feels good, and is somewhat of a testament that hard work pays off, thankfully.

4. Arts and crafts: Creating any project from scratch is the most rewarding and nourishing of all. Little altars with prized items that include angel messages in the form of coins or feathers, interesting rocks, books, metal contorted things that only have meaning to you, crystals, jewelry with significance, essential oils, candles, you name it.  Cold weather and hobbies go hand in hand. Create and inspire throughout your abode. Watch the flow of energy change. It is remarkable how tasking with color and texture throughout our homes will transform negative ions into positively charged feelings.

And……

5. Add a Himalayan Salt lamp to your home: Year round with this subtle beauty and the art you had just created, or the relationship that you had recently entered into will thank you for continuing to release the gunk of past months or years. These Himalayan salt lamps come in all shapes and sizes, can be placed in feng shui mode throughout your casa, and offer a healing energetic presence that surrounds your four walls.

Which leads to the final cold weather ritual….

6. Homemade food: Taking a trip to the grocery store during this time of year has to be done thoughtfully and timely.  Most people are stocking up for items well into Christmas, with the idea that baking and cooking at home is the most awesome opportunity to bring souls together. Every meal, and the accompanying aroma, makes you almost forget the cold weather outside. There is such an enriching feel inside our bones to whenever homemade food is created and cooked in the kitchen with love. Always a delight for the senses for all involved in the making.

This time of year harbors enormous amounts of togetherness and love. Travel safely. Hug every person who matters in your life.

Give thanks and gratitude for all you have and everything you have become.

The turmoil of months’ past is a forgotten memory and all that is left are open hearts, cozy fireplaces, maybe a football game or two, and the indoor rituals to last until the first flower opens up in spring.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

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Editor: Bryonie Wise