There is a song by Harry Chapin called “All of Life Is a Circle” and I can’t stop singing it. I am pretty sure it has something to do with the ending of another year, the holidays and the winter solstice.
The lyrics go:
All of life is a circle, sunrise and sundown
The moon goes through the night time
Until the sun comes shining round…
It’s a short song, but it makes the point that life is a cycle. There are daily cycles, monthly cycles, yearly cycles and, in fact, there is even a 27,000-year cycle of the sun and its planets revolving around the Milky Way.
And we are currently in our very own cycle – the cycle of slowing down. Some mammals hibernate, the smart ones migrate south for the winter, and the rest of us go into slow mode.
Sunlight in the northern hemisphere (above 40 degrees latitude) doesn’t have enough ultraviolet light to help us produce Vitamin D. This causes us to suffer from depression, lethargy, and low-grade fatigue.
At this time of year we need more rest; we just do. But when you are up, get as much light as possible. The best possible option: follow the Canadian Geese down south and camp on a sunny beach. But if you haven’t got the time or money, there are alternatives.
Remember, this slow mode weighing you down is part of a cycle. Like everything else, it will end and a new phase will begin. Spring is on its way (eventually), bringing those happy, sunny days.
Now that we have all this snow – what do you do outside in the winter? Which activities can you suggest that others may not have tried? Please share your thoughts – I may give them a try myself!
See you next week,
Dr Tony
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The Intention Experiment with Lynn McTaggert
Coming from the Caribbean, I’m fascinated by snow. I love the change of seasons that Canada offers. I don’t skate or ski well. In fact, I have fallen off of ski lifts enough times to consider them to be hazardous objects.
My favourite outdoor pastime in the winter is shoveling snow. I get a full cardio and strength training workout without getting bored. I think of bending my knees, using my legs and stomach muscles to lift the snow while keeping one hand on the handle of the shovel and the other close to the shovel’s head. I throw the snow in front of me without twisting my back. I like to throw the snow high to see the wind catch it and deposit it further than I can normally throw (doesn’t work when the wind is blowing toward me… I get sprinkled with dazzling, diamond slivers of ice crystals).
There is an art to shoveling a driveway. I deposit the snow evenly across my front lawn so the snow banks don’t get too high (I’m short). I make sure the snow banks at the end of my driveway are rounded (easier to back the car out). I clear a path three feet wide beyond the end of my drive way so that the snow plough makes a smaller windrow than if it compressed all of that snow into one big massive ice log.
When my cat, Odin, was a kitten, he loved to run up to the top of the snow bank and belly slide to the bottom. He would do this over and over until he got tired and I had to carry him inside. This is the same cat who would run through the sprinkler chasing water drops in the summer. Having Odin outside while I shoveled was lots of fun. He is now 17 years old and not up for such playful antics.
I’ve been told the Inuit have a hundred words to describe snow. I wish I knew as much about snow as they do. I’m intrigued as to how snow can be light and dry one day, wet and heavy the next, fluffy and magical some times, perfect for snowmen at other times, and miserable to walk or drive in at the worst times.
For me, it’s magical being outdoors with the snow.
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