Sweet, sweet December.

This month feels like the coziest doorway – it is as though you are standing outside as the night starts to get chilly but hear soft, alluring music playing from a candlelit window. Slowly, the door opens, and you feel joyfully beckoned and welcomed by the image of a warm burning fire in the hearth and soft cozy blankets and pillows ready to snuggle up in. Of course a fresh cup of hot cocoa sits upon the mantle, perfect temperature for drinking right away, and for sure topped with fresh whipped cream (and maybe even a few chocolate sprinkles for a little extra delight).

December feels like the safe and secure home space, the place where we can root into, turn inward, and dream expansively.

We can also think of December as the space in which we prepare for the long night – the gentle invitation to start preparing for deep restoration as we enter the darkest months and the depth of winter.

It is the opening of the container in which we explore the inner workings of our soul, embrace the dream state that comes with deep slumber, and as Nature does, return to our roots and examine – without judgement – our shadow selves.

Photo by Nachelle Nocom on Unsplash

Preparing for the Long Night

While this is largely a metaphor here in Colorado, cheekily symbolizing shorter days and longer nights, for some parts of the northern hemisphere, this time of year really truly is a period of long nights – with some folks near the arctic circle only seeing a few hours of sunlight at all for several weeks.

It is also these cultures – such as those in Scandinavia – that have mastered the art of cozy and romanticizing what often is a harsh season for so many of us (You can also reference an earlier blog post where we share additional ideas, including herbal allies, to up the cozy factor!). There is no doubt that winter, especially in the deepest parts of it, comes with challenges. Prolonged periods of dark and cold can contribute to seasonal blues, and many come to dread this time of year.

However, the depth of winter can be a deeply medicinal time, should we choose to embrace it.

In the fast paced world we live in, this is a time in which we can be almost forced to slow down, and for good reason! If we observe nature during this time, it has a profound quiet – animals hunker down to hibernate, plants no longer bloom or produce fruit, lakes and streams slowly freeze over and become still, and snow provides a sweet, comforting blanket over the earth as she slumbers. This is also a time in which our own internal rhythms may call for us to do the same – we may not feel as productive, or we may opt more often to snuggle up and watch nostalgic Christmas movies and postpone our to-do list here and there. This is not only great, but completely biological. We thrive when we allow ourselves to rest, and in a world and society that so often glorifies burn out, exhaustion, or immense productivity, to deepen into rest can be a radical act!

Photo by mohsen ameri on Unsplash

Take some time amidst the holiday season to cozy up your space – perhaps remove clutter, pull the heavy quilts out of the closet, decorate with pine and holly and twinkle lights, and invest in candles made from local beeswax – make your home a place that feels delicious and warm in contrast to the outside frigid temperatures!

 

Embracing the Shadow Self

The natural world lives in the balance between light and dark, it does not solely embrace the light. Instead it recognizes that the dark brings introspection, deep restoration, and a continual period of reflection. The dark half of the year is steeped in mystery and wonder, a sort of dream-like liminal space that allows for profound growth before the beginning of a new cycle again in the spring.

This can be a time in which we can embrace and explore our shadow selves. The idea of one’s “shadow” spurs from Carl Jung, and it is the idea that we often suppress aspects of ourselves that can lead to emotional triggers or contribute to dis-ease in the body if we do not address them. While these aspects can absolutely be rooted in more uncomfortable themes of the psyche such as unresolved trauma or corners of ourselves we have yet to grow, it can also encompass themes such as where we might be creating self-inflicted barriers, unpacking insecurities, or where we have opportunities to expand our world view in more positive ways.

Just as the earth takes some time within the year to turn deeply inward and examine its shadow – we too can align ourselves with these energies and bring these buried aspects of ourselves into the light so they may be healed.

Perhaps we can sit in a guided meditation to explore our shadow selves, or take some time to journal some prompts that align with this season such as:

• Which parts of myself crave deep rest, but I resist? What am I afraid of happening if I choose to slow down?
• What part of myself is asking to die back, return to the root, or compost?
• Where am I craving inner warmth, and what causes these places to feel cold?

Invoking Radical Rest

In a society that measures success by performance that results in maximum output, or is always seeking the next best way to cut inefficiencies, taking time to rest, even briefly, can stir up deep discomfort. It may invoke feelings of guilt or even make us feel that we are not worthy or that our accomplishments are less meaningful.

However, nature is once again our greatest teacher and ally in this lesson. Each year, after a period of extended rest, with the coming light and spring, the earth is no less productive. Leaves always return to the trees, seeds always sprout, the birds always return from their winter vacation, the bees begin to hum… it continues on. We also see where forcing productivity when the earth yearns to rest has a negative effect – such as soil that is continually tilled until it becomes dust, or where constant extraction of resources and stress to an ecosystem no longer allows for replenishment.

 

Photo by Zohre Nemati on Unsplash

We can instead embrace deep rest as a sacred and radical act. This is a way to defy the very grind that is making us sick and stressing our nervous systems. By doing this we also honor our very biological nature and live in alignment with the energy of this season.

Here are some ways you can further integrate radical rest into your day to day throughout the winter season:

Say no more – take account of what expends your energy. Choose to partake in activities or gatherings that nourish, versus deplete, your soul.

Designate a day of sacred rest – we get it, the to-do list always feels endless and it can be hard to step away from! So go ahead and start small, perhaps even with a half of a day to begin with once a month. This can look like choosing to make your morning slow and intentional – maybe stay cozy in bed just 10 minutes longer. Or choose to have breakfast in bed! Then, we encourage you to make a whole day dedicated to rest!

Integrate habits that contribute to restorative rest – With the dark time, swap evening screen time for activities that signal rest in the evenings, such as reading books with dimmed lights, or drinking cozy, warming, elixirs by the fire as you snuggle with your kiddos.

Work with herbs that have gentle hypnotic or sedative effects to help ease the body into deeper slumber in your evening tea (may we suggest our Time for Bed Tea?) such as Chamomile, Daminana, Passionflower, or Hops.

 

Allies for Deep Winter Nervous System Nourishment

It is also important to acknowledge that often our day to day requires us to be “on” for a significant amount of time. Some of this is inevitable – such as needing to complete tasks at work by certain deadlines, or keeping up with our children’s extracurricular activities. However, our nervous systems are still much like those of our early ancestors, and have not quite yet adapted to the bombarding of stress responses we experience on a daily basis. This includes the feeling of tightness in our stomach when a news headline flashes on our phone every hour, feeling drained after a day spent indoors with fluorescent lighting, or running to catch the bus. Our nervous systems are designed for more periodic stressors, such as the relatively rare occurrence of running into a predator here and there, so it is no wonder that when we experience stressors several times a day that our nerves are a bit fried.

The deep winter is a great time in which to journey with plant allies that can help to bring healing to these frayed nerves and bring us back into our bodies.

Here are some suggestions:

Work with nervous system allies such as Oatstraw or Lemon Balm that help bring ease and support the body’s longing for deeper rest. You can also quiet racing thoughts and a wandering mind with allies such as Skullcap or Vervain.

Dance with herbs that promote deep rest and meditative or dream-states. When we allow ourselves to rest and dream, we not only restore the physical body, but also can deepen into channels that allow for creative flow and introspection. Herbs in this realm include Tulsi, Lavender, Blue Lotus, and Mugwort.

Sink into introspection and allow expansion of the heart with herbs that allow us to answer the call to turn our attention inward and build our inner resilience with plant allies such as Ashwagandha, Linden, Cacao, Hawthorn, Motherwort, and Reishi.

Photo by Dhilip Antony on Unsplash

We thank you again for another beautiful year in exploring our relationship with the plants. We hope that this blog can give you some insight and inspiration for calling in deeper rest and alignment with the winter season this December, so that you may begin 2026 with rejuvenation and joy. We wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, and send our community so much love!