I have learned Winter is a calming time, a relaxing time, a quiet time, a reflective time. A time to become more still, listen more, a time to take notice. But Winter can be an intense time if I ignore all of this.
By accident I stumbled upon the importance of taking notice of the smaller things. The things that do not yell for attention, the things that simply are. Within that process this new video was born. As I explain in this new video, while I was walking through the woods I from one moment to the next noticed all the shades of green that are still present here in this Low Land during winter. It are not the shades of green of Spring which almost seem to jump at you and wave; they are so bright it is hard not to notice them.
These wintry shades of green seem to hold some kind of ancient wisdom. Through being there for a long time, through their quiet continuity. I have been trying to move through these darker and colder hours with their wisdom present in my mind.
It is not about how fast I go and it does not have to be shiny, fresh and constantly full of life. This time is about going slow but going in a continuous manner. Like a real slow ‘babbling brook’. Listening to myself, nurturing and nourishing myself and hell, that isn’t easy. Allowing myself to take time, to listen to what I need. To speak into existence where my boundaries, borders and limits are and to act on them. To meet myself in the darkness either calm, confused, lost, hurt, happy or content.
This beautiful Low Land is teaching me its wisdom, its pace and through this I am more and more seeing its richness. Beauty, wisdom, connection it all surrounds us directly.
Within this process, all the different mosses brought me back to a thought I have been thinking about for quite some time. In this video I also talk about growing my roots and connecting to nature around me through getting to know her. I have been trying to look for this connection everywhere but right underneath my feet. I personally have experienced how important it is to have this connection because in my belief, without it, sooner or later we will feel disconnected, confused, lost… Because we are part of nature and by not knowing her, we do not know a, big, part of ourselves.
I hope this video may bring you anything from a glimpse to a whirlwind of what taking your time to notice, to sit still, to observe, to listen to and getting to know nature can be like. In the same way I took notice of all the wintry shades of green. If you feel called to I would love to invite you to watch the video down below. It is in Dutch but there are English subtitles available.
I am moving along, sometimes dancing along to these last bits of Winter before Spring spreads herself out upon our landscape. Enjoying and marveling at the practice of making a fire each day, lighting candles, trying to find my center in the Winter storms, to let my hair shake loose, as well as my fingertips, to listen to all the geese flying over our house and to express myself for the sake of sanity, of joy, of releasing.
Have a slow New Moon full of quiet moments where you may take notice of a thing or two, or three!
IJsselvrouw 