My Seasonal Manifesto | Winter 2019

Over the past few years I’ve been creating simple seasonal manifestos to add a layer of appreciation to the small things happening in my day to day. After doing this I started to notice more and enjoyed the comforts and familiar cycles of the seasons and used the practice to slow down and savour the moments. Having a manifesto brings a more considered pace and focus into my life and I enjoy taking inspiration and cues from nature around me to help me live in the season and connect in the way I want to.

Every season sees a shift, from the cycles of nature, to changes in the weather and the way we connect to our surroundings. You know it feels like winter when you head outside and use a special cosy coat reserved for that cold part of the year, you add a few more layers than normal, pop on a bobble hat and gloves, and see your breath condense in the air. The sunrise and sunset times shift noticeably and the days are short, the colour of the light changes, and there is a general feeling that hibernating under blankets with a cup of something warm and a good book is the best thing to do. I know it feels that way for us.

I feel like new chapters begin at the start of each season. I take real pleasure from noticing the changes and cycles that predictably happen each year. I especially love the blurry edges to the seasons as we transition to the next. As with nature, life is always changing and noticing the small shifts shows us the familiar progress. If we can learn to connect to nature, appreciate that the seasons change, we can all have the opportunity to feel comfortable with the changes happening around us in our lives and appreciate them for what they are. In my work as a seasonal coach the shifts of the seasons play a role in accepting and shaping change. These changes can feel slow and sustainable and have a comfort that comes with them, they can sometimes feel uncomfortable too, both aspects are what I work on when coaching.

I like to make a connection to the seasons, and encourage myself to write a manifesto and declare my intentions for the season ahead. It enables me to notice more about the season, think about what I plan to bring into my life, to decide what I want to focus on, and how I want to connect to nature and the season I am living in. As our daughter grows up I look forward to seeing these manifestos change and shift to incorporate her first experiences for us as a family, and to bring real awareness to the seasons and learn about nature.

Winter is a time for hibernating, for conserving energy, for simplicity and contemplating. My winter manifesto is simple and made up of five intentions that I’ve been living with since early January when I wrote them...

Cultivate our space inside

Gently document our first winter as parents

Rest, hibernate and recover

Walk and notice the shapes of winter

Plan with simplicity and clarity

I’ll let you know how I get on in March when we shift to spring and have a new manifesto to shape the season. Join me in writing a seasonal manifesto to help you cultivate and live a creative and wholesome life through the seasons, and connect to the season of winter.