Bryony Rowntree | Coaching logo
Share:

Nurturing Your Inner Warmth in Winter

by | Listen, Read

Bryony Rowntree

Generally speaking, we recognise the importance of warmth for our physical immune system – we drink warm drinks, nourish ourselves with warm broths and protect our bodies with warm clothing – but it is also important to tend our inner warmth for our mental immune system and whole wellbeing.

Summer warmth is lively and expansive; lifting us up and getting us going. Winter warmth is cosier and simpler; bringing us in close for rest and recuperation. Keeping our inner warmth going through the darker season is like the bulbs being held in the earth so that they may grow again in the Spring.

In my work, I hear people’s fear of stopping – “I might not get up again!” – but we are part of nature and so are connected to the seasons; Spring will lift us into new growth too. In order to be ready for that, we need to shed leaves and prioritise rest as much as we can, in whatever form that takes. If we do this, we will be well placed to unfurl with the Spring.

Showing kindness, compassion and love towards ourselves is a core part of keeping our inner warmth going. We spend so much time caring for others, working, planning, holding the mental load and so on. It is crucial that we tend that ember of warmth in winter so that we can sustain and, when life and capacity allow, flourish and enjoy all that we are and all that we do.

Tending our heart warmth also means that we are more able to bring warmth to our relationships, showing kindness, compassion and love towards others too. Something that is even more needed in this time when so many of us are struggling and running on little capacity. As a Japanese proverb says, “One kind word can warm three winter months.”

Take time to think about what you need throughout Midwinter to keep your inner warmth going.

I invite you to listen to this guided visualisation for Sustaining Your Heart Embers.