Nature is my teacher- Evergreens in winter- Preserving essence and following our natural way

   As fall makes way for winter here in the NW (our first snow arrived yesterday), I was out walking and observed the various states of the plants, the trees in particular. In our region, we are blessed to be surrounded by so many beautiful evergreens, though we have many deciduous trees as well.
   The natural way of life when the cold (yin) seasons begin to dominate is to recede into the interior. Vitality retreats into the roots so that it may survive the harshness of fall storms and winter cold. Then, as the yang begins to ascend in spring, vitality moves outward and new growth resumes.
   The deciduous trees teach us a lesson about how to live in harmony with the natural changes in the rhythm of life. When the conditions are favorable, they burst forth with life and grow. As the conditions become unfavorable, they retreat into the roots and wait. For us as people to live in this manner, following the nature of the universe, is a deep thing, perhaps the deepest thing in the world.
   Yet the evergreens teach us a different lesson. They are able to preserve their vitality in an expressed state even through the harshest of winters. We see this reflected in the foliage that remains through the yin seasons. They maintain their vibrant color all year long. How is it that they can achieve this? By preserving their essence and following their own nature. Even in the dead stillness and frozen grip of winter the evergreens shine forth like it was a summer day. If we as people can learn to preserve our essence and not let our quiet be disturbed by the noise that surrounds us, maintain our center amidst the constant transformations that surround us, discover our true nature and not stray from it, this is an even deeper thing, beyond this world...

health advice for transitioning into the cold seasons

Today the clouds and rain are here, and it leads me to reflect...
As late summer is peaking and transitioning towards fall, it is important for us to observe the changes in nature and reflect them in our own lives and habits. Late summer is a time of fullness, of stillness, of the harvest. Life has been outside, but it is getting ready to move inwards for the cold seasons. Yet it is still full, the fruits are ripe and ready to eat. It is a good time to clean up the yard, to take care of those unfinished projects, to reflect on what we have done over the past year, to enjoy the fruits of those labors, and to begin thinking about how we will approach the coming year.
The cold seasons provide time for inner work, for creative activities like the arts, for learning about new things, for reading, for indoor activities. So especially in the NW where it is such a long cold season, I think it is important to get outside as much as we can in these last few weeks of nice weather. This will help carry us through the rainy season.
This is also a time when animals in nature put on that extra layer of fat for the winter. We may not like this idea so much ourselves, but it is a natural part of the season- fruits and vegetables are plentiful, it is a good time for sharing group meals etc. So don't be too hard on yourself about it. Spring and summer are really the natural times to get active and try to lose weight, we are now getting into the seasons of more internal work.
    So take those walks, try to get up into the mountains if you can, take time to reflect, to enjoy the stillness, enjoy and give thanks for the abundance of fruits and vegies, and take in those last rays of sunshine!