It’s hard not to feel a bit resentful when the sun is down by the time I walk out of the office at the end of the day. How am I supposed to be productive in my evenings when it’s already night time? Well, maybe I’m not.

In a climate where all four seasons are experienced throughout the year, we        naturally stay busier in the summer months. We know the summer sun is fleeting, so we make the most of it. But sometimes we tire ourselves out. Winter is where we can find    balance for our busy lives. If we look to nature, we can see that the outside world is dying so that it can have a beautiful rebirth in the spring. Almost every part of our      ecosystem is designed around the dormancy of the winter.

“In a way Winter is the real Spring – the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature”

~Edna O’Brien

Sometimes, less is more in our often too-busy modern lives. How can you spend more time going inward this winter? Journaling, taking time to rest, perhaps letting go of things that no longer serve you-whether that might be physical possessions, relationships, habits, etc. The more clearing out we can do this winter, the more room we will have for new and beautiful things to come in the spring!

~Rebecca Elder                                                                                                                          Rebecca Elder holds a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Studies from Truman State University and is an avid proponent of sustainable living and nature based education. Rebecca is also a certified yoga instructor, loves growing, cooking and eating healthy foods, adventuring and hiking with her dog Mindie.