Barefoot in the Snow
It’s funny, some days I feel like winter will NEVER-EVER end. Then I look at the calendar and remind myself that it’s only just the beginning of March. This winter hasn’t been any snowy-er or colder than other winters. The earth is turning and the seasons are working themselves out just like they are supposed to. All is good.
Besides, here in NE Ohio we’ve had snow in mid May – in recent years, mind you.
So it may be a while before spring shows her face and sticks around for any length of time.
Meanwhile, I’m just trying to get through another deep freeze and another snow fall.
Sometimes the simplest way to cope with cabin fever is to step outside and take a breath of fresh air! Even if the temperature is freezing and the thought of bundling up sounds exhausting, stepping outside for a minute or two can help reinvigorate your circulation and lend a sense of newfound energy.
Of course, those of us with outside animals or livestock HAVE to go outside a couple of times a day but when I do I’m “all business”. Getting the work done so I can come back in to a hot cup of tea.
Spending time outdoors in nature is an integral part of Henry Lindlahr’s therapeutic “Nature Cure” system which is still practiced around the world today. Developed over 100 years ago, Nature Cure is designed to bring a person’s body, mind, and spirit in harmony and balance with nature.
When cabin fever starts to set in, we tend to feel a sense of resistance toward our present environment and the weather outside. Embracing some of the simple elements of Nature Cure during winter’s end can help bring about a sense of harmony with our surroundings, making coping with that pent up feeling we call cabin fever easier to deal with.
One traditional Nature Cure practice suggests briefly stepping outside BAREFOOT on the cold ground or snow to help stimulate vitality throughout the body. If you live in an area where it snows, consider using it as a way to reinvigorate your senses! It will certainly wake you up.
I started doing this back in 2014 when I was cooped up during cancer treatment. I was sick of being sick. Sick of being cold. And sick of being in the house. So I stepped outside in the snow barefoot.
I felt like a low volt lightening bolt went from the earth to my head and my scalp tingled a bit. It was magical!
Stepping out and taking a moment to feel good and truly grounded is good medicine.
Just don’t stay out there too long.
