{"id":2010,"date":"2020-02-11T20:48:06","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T20:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/?p=2010"},"modified":"2020-02-11T20:48:07","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T20:48:07","slug":"the-wisdom-of-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/2020\/02\/11\/the-wisdom-of-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"The wisdom of winter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <em>Tao<\/em> moves by returning in endless cycles.<br>                                    <em>Tao Te Ching, <\/em>Chapter 40<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Tao Te Ching <\/em>echoes nature\u2019s cycles of growth and renewal. Each winter, the vibrant autumn leaves fall from the birch and maple trees, leaving their bare branches reaching for the sky. The nights are long, darkness falls early, and in many parts of the country animals hibernate. Winter is a season to go within, a time of contemplation to prepare for a new springtime of growth and renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our western industrialized culture, we can easily forget nature\u2019s cycles. With electric lights, the Internet, and 24\/7 connectivity, we are pressured and pushed to be always \u201con,\u201d to multitask, to rush from one thing to another in a frantic pace that is both unnatural and unsustainable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20200207_171857-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2015\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20200207_171857-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20200207_171857-1-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20200207_171857-1-768x528.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nature\u2019s changing seasons affirm the cyclical wisdom of <em>Tao. <\/em>In January, I prune the rosebushes in my northern California garden to reinforce them for winter dormancy. Pruning &nbsp;encourages new growth and leaves the center open, giving the roses room to breathe. In order to flourish, rose bushes need a period of dormancy to promote new growth and abundant blossoms in the spring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20190621_120859.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2016\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20190621_120859.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20190621_120859-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2020\/02\/20190621_120859-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As you enter this season in your life, could you benefit from pruning away unhelpful &nbsp;attitudes and emotional states to make room for new possibilities? &nbsp;If so, here are some ways to begin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stop Worrying and Complaining.<\/strong> Incessant worry and complaining can lead to a downward spiral of hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. <br>The next time you find yourself facing a problem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Ask yourself, \u201cWhat can I do about it?\u201d<\/li><li>If you can do something, take positive action.<\/li><li>If you can\u2019t solve the problem, reach out to get help. Find someone who can.<\/li><li> And remember to treat yourself with compassion  <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Release Envy and\nResentment. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These negative states can poison your mind, draining your energy\nand even undermining your health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you find yourself envying someone else\u2019s\naccomplishments, tell yourself, \u201cThat\u2019s great that ____ did that. I can fulfill\nmy dreams too.\u201d <\/li><li>Closely associated with envy is gossip. It\u2019s\namazing how much time we can spend talking about others, usually unfavorably.\nMake it a point<em> not <\/em>to talk about\nother people\u2019s business. When someone tries to engage you in gossip, change the\nsubject. <\/li><li>Release resentment. Whenever you feel an old\nhurt or disappointment, label your feelings (\u201churt,\u201d \u201cangry,\u201d \u201cdisappointed\u201d),\nthen express compassion for yourself, treating yourself as you would a dear\nfriend. Take a deep breath, release it, and return to the present moment.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Release Feelings of\nInadequacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whenever you feel inadequate, stop comparing yourself to others. &nbsp;Remind yourself that you are a unique human\nbeing with your own talents, strengths, and destiny. Take a slow, deep breath\nand release it. Continuing to breathe slowly and deeply, put your hand on your\nheart and say to yourself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>May I be filled with loving kindness<\/li><li>May I be safe<\/li><li>May I be well<\/li><li>May I be peaceful and at ease<\/li><li>May I be happy.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The loving kindness meditation is a simple but powerful way to\novercome any negative emotional state. First ask yourself \u201cHow am I feeling?\u201d &nbsp;Next send loving kindness to yourself, and then\nask \u201cWhat do I need?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since there is a lot of suffering in our world these days, why not share this compassionate practice with others? You can extend loving kindness to the people in your life (\u201cmay [name] be filled with loving kindness. . .\u201d), to your country, and to this beautiful planet we call home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Tao moves by returning in endless cycles. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 40 The Tao Te Ching echoes nature\u2019s cycles of growth and renewal. Each winter, the vibrant autumn leaves fall from the birch and maple trees, leaving their bare &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/2020\/02\/11\/the-wisdom-of-winter\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","kk_blocks_editor_width":"","_kiokenblocks_attr":"","_kiokenblocks_dimensions":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[31],"class_list":["post-2010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-meditation"],"gutentor_comment":0,"qubely_featured_image_url":null,"qubely_author":{"display_name":"writeherewritenow","author_link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/author\/writeherewritenow\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"The Tao moves by returning in endless cycles. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 40 The Tao Te Ching echoes nature\u2019s cycles of growth and renewal. Each winter, the vibrant autumn leaves fall from the birch and maple trees, leaving their bare &hellip; Continue reading &rarr;","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2010"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2017,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010\/revisions\/2017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}