Winter Retreat of Discovery

 

"I need solitude; I need to feel I belong to myself."

Virginia Woolf

When all of the leaves have gracefully descended and temperatures have plummeted, my winter retreat begins. In the solitude, I discover my true nature and examine all of the ways I choose to avoid, deny, and emotionally escape.

In this stillness, I am inspired by the innocent falling snowflakes and the mesmerizing flames dancing in the fireplace or a simply lighted candle.  Freedom is unearthed as I revisit all that I hold dear as a human being or spiritual warrior.

With this distance from a faster pace, options, and perspectives surface in the quiet of my mind. There is clarity regarding my less than desirable choices and missed opportunities due to lack of participation.  This prepares me for a new beginning with the first signs of spring.