Is it spring or winter?
- Dia Woods
- Feb 2
- 4 min read
FOR someone who is fascinated by the idea of the potential of slow mornings and has lived it for over a decade now, it comes as a surprise that January was devoid of these mornings - it was devoid of sitting with my dairy, having a leisurely cup of coffee, reflecting, enjoying the sun shine through the window as the gentle winter breeze wafts in. I did not have the luxury of these moments in all of January. The younger me would have worried that I've lost those moments of #metime and #slowliving .. something i value immensely.
But the wiser me knows better!
A friend recently sent me an Insta reel about winter and spring, and the ever changing seasons that govern our planet. The reel focuses on the seasonal cycle that turns colours in leaves and makes them wither away, the cycle of flowering - how flowers wilt only to bloom again in a few months. It threw light on how an entire landscape of a country maybe fully green one month, and completely brown just a few months later. The reel concluded with a few questions for us to reflect on
'aren't we humans the same?'
'are we not supposed to change with the weather?'
'can we have months of spring when we are blooming and producing? And can we also have wintering to shed what we need to, rest and rejuvenate?'
I saw myself nodding vigorously!
The fulfilment I receive during my down time - during my wintering months, is so complete that I am rearing to go as I move into the next season. I've rested, reflected, rejuvenated, shed those emotions that are not worthy, let those barriers wilt away; only to come back full of energy!
What's fascinating is that I ain't planning it, it just happens when i listen to the body and the soul and pay attention to what it needs.
I see myself just preparing for downtime during the last quarter of a calendar year. I notice that this has just happened automatically in the last 5 years, without much planning. This is the time when things slow down for me, when I embrace creativity, art, spirituality in the deepest of ways. When I'm expressing to the fullest as the calling of my soul; expressing through art or articles, through paintings or writings. And then when I feel I've fully lived at the winter pace, spent time in solitude, when I feel fully rested; I know I'm ready - to bloom and shine again!
As I sit back for a moment of slow bliss on this Sunday morning, just stepping into February over the weekend, i realise that January was a month of spring in my human experience. It was the time to bloom and shine. It was the time to embrace possibilities and live to the fullest potential.
I've traveled for close to 15 days this month, to Delhi, Karnataka and Chattisgarh.
I've met several people to discuss the possibilities of new projects, brainstormed to create the most innovative ideas with my team and clients, visited communities and the field to learn from the grassroots, launched our new website, ideated a new product offering and more!
I signed up for educating myself, pursuing two courses currently, one is a 6-month leadership program, the other is an 8-month program on Social Impact Strategy!
I've visited friends or had friends visit almost every weekend, taken my dad for a vacation, spent quality time with my mom, dog and partner, celebrated my best friend's birthday!
I've broadly planned how I want this year to be, created space for travel and living, looked up a Yoga camp I want to go to this year, booked myself to visit my brother at the States, shortlisted a solo travel option, put intention for a European trip with my partner for 2025 downtime and more
Often times, I'm asked how i pack so much and still am productive, creative and performing to my fullest capacity. Sometimes I wonder myself. I owe it to two things:
1. The practice of being in the present
(and let me tell you it takes work, it isn't easy when the mind travels to the past or the future, but that isn't reality is it? The reality is only in the present, in this moment. So i focus on the moment at hand)
2. Living all seasons of the human experience
(I have learnt to embrace both winter and spring wholeheartedly....it was never easy to be wintering, the 'fear of missing out' on productivity was de-energizing. I've had spells of feeling that I've wasted my life away, wasted productive years, wasted opportunities for growth.... but I know that was just the fear speaking... The fear of missing out!
We need to work on ourselves, to know ourselves and recognize in us the months of spring and wintering, and surrender to the seasonal change)
My creativity and productivity maximised in 2020 and has stayed here ever since... Since the downtime I experienced in the lockdown for the very first time in my adult life. That downtime made me witness what I got from it, and how I got even better at what i do. The down time was a foundation for excellence, for greater performance, for increased productivity, for motivation like never before, for focus, for intention, for manifestation.
I write this piece, because I know that often times our generation struggles with the desire to be producing at all times. But i speak from lived experience that when there are periods of no production, you WILL see the productivity soar up multifold the very next cycle, just like how the flowers bloom fully, every spring.
It is nature, we are NATURE!
Have a blessed Sunday 💜
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