Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

What do you think of when you think of winter? Is it a stressful imagining or a peaceful one? Cozy? Uncomfortable? Necessary? With the inevitable approach of colder months, many of our memories or associations with the season - good or bad - are bound to be emphasized by the ongoing COVID pandemic. Author Katherine May invites us to embrace this winter with all that it has to offer. And May doesn't just mean the season, but rather the "fallow period in life when you're cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from progress, or cast into the role of the outsider." Sounds fairly familiar at the moment, right? We're struggling for community in ways that many of this generation could never have anticipated. In 'Wintering', May gives us a playbook and philosophy to handle our own personal winters. Beautifully written, May was inspired to share her experiences from her own periods of winter and what she has learned from the radical act of real self-care (i.g. getting enough sleep, being restful, and generally slowing down our routines to combat the workaholic culture). May fearlessly combats the wave of toxic positivity - a newly morphed Instagramable version of bootstrap mentality - that has taken over many of the books that attempt to discuss our reactions to stress. What one can instead expect from 'Wintering' is a guide that is more akin to sharing a coffee with a friend than reading a self-help book. 'Wintering' is difficult to place into any one genre. It is the type of British narrative nonfiction I love and is reminiscent in tone and style to the introspection found in Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk. Like Macdonald, May reminds us that opting out of misery isn't an option. Instead we must embrace it and learn from it. May doesn't just look at weathering personal winters, she turns her pen to the anthropological and the historical as she examines how other cultures and creatures prepare for winter. May seeks out the peace and solace found in nature's winter. Observing everything from the hibernating nests of dormice, wolf dens, and the survival tactics of bees, to the practice of ice swimming, the wonder of the northern lights, and the frigid cold of the Arctic Circle and how those who choose to live there embrace winter. Casting her net wide a little closer to home, May writes about different spiritual practices that welcome winter; such as attending the winter equinox celebration at Stonehenge, discussing the rituals of winter with her Finnish friends, and evaluating the experiences of those who are battling with Seasonal Affective Disorder. May even includes the literary aspect of wintering by weighing the importance of snow in fairy tales, meditating on John Donne's poem "A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day" and Sylvia Plath's "Wintering". May concludes that to welcome winter is to survive it. It is a hopeful and philosophical approach that I found deeply comforting. In a lovely bit of writing, May reveals that in times of distress she likes to travel north. That the cold air feels clean and uncluttered and that she can think straight. I adhere to May's belief that the cold has healing properties. As she writes, "you apply ice to a joint after an awkward fall. Why not do the same to life?" There will always be winters. There will always be periods of sadness and solitude. Therefore, we must prepare for them as best we can. What does this look like in practice? Baking? Soup making? Reading my candlelight in cozy socks? Yes and no. Those things certainly aren't going to hurt your mentality when dealing with winters. However, it is more about recognizing when you need to coil into yourself. Protect yourself. Sleep. Slow down. Grow. Anticipate spring. Feel the turning of the year with gratitude. I was initially drawn to pick up 'Wintering' because winter is my favorite season. Reading May's book was like finally being clued in to the operating tenets of a fan club. May and I speak the same language in our love of winter. She eloquently expresses her appreciation of the season on every page. The solitude of the cold dark. The cleansing power of breathing in the scent of snow. The ritual of lighting a home fire or candles in the long evenings. Of hygge. She is also realistic, blunt, and deeply practical, clearly defining band-aids for confronting winter and actual solutions. If, as you have grown, find that you are sinking into workaholic tendencies, that the highlights of the year (like holidays) pass with little joy and too much stress, if you missing feeling the different seasons and instead seem surprised upon their arrival - this book is for you. If you enjoy cultural studies and nonlinear narrative histories - this book is for you. If you like observant and engaging authors who are honest and not prone to navel-gazing - this book is for you. If you enjoy guided meditations - this book is for you. I would recommend this book to just about everyone. Based on the variety of topics within, the likability of the author, and the intriguing chapter layout, 'Wintering' makes for an engaging read that I already want to reread and buy more copies to giveaway.

I dislike winter and this book was very lovely!

Beautiful, beautifully written, deep, vulnerable and warm. We often admit to our closest friends that we or someone we love are going through a “rough patch”. In Tibetan Buddhism, we speak of the bardo, this space of emptiness, where life has stripped us of our identities; divorce, death, job loss, major life events that we may not have necessarily wanted. In this space in-between who we are and who we will be, it’s easy to feel impossibly untethered, unbalanced, lost, sad…afraid. Finding myself in the bardo, I wished I could share with a knowing friend, or go for a walk and be near someone kind, maybe just to hold someone’s hand for a moment. This book is that walk, that friend and maybe a nod from the universe that lets you know that it’s not your imagination, it is incredibly dark and uncomfortable- and this book shows us a way, how to live through it. Well done, Katherine May, and thank you.

I have only just started this, but so far it is very interesting. I love the term "wintering". Seems like a good word to describe certain seasons of many things.

I should’ve read the reviews before I bought the book. I also felt it was quite boring and a little too much weird detail about things such as Stonehedge and other topics. Someone on YouTube recommended it and it sounded like it was more of a book to gather wisdom about life. It truly was boring.

Wow! Though the stories are not overly compelling the language is so smooth that the words simply fly right off the page. It’s so easy to read. There is a very slight barrier between the author’s British vernacular and an American reader but it’s just a mild stumble every now and again. Occasionally the story meanders off course a little, especially toward the end, but it recovers leaving the reader feeling all warm inside. The author is amazing in relating her personal struggles and reflections to others. She does it so well that you feel like you’ve experienced them right there with her. This book is charming, cozy, and thought-provoking.

Chock full of pearls that I highlighted and want to carry me everywhere. I've referred to them when leading by meditation, or when speaking to patients. Winter is as much a season of life as it is a season of the earth. Both are necessary withdrawals from the constant demand to grow! Flourish! Do! Smile! (Don't the sunflowers even get tired of it all?)! Rather, Wintering is a season where life demands a slowing down, a deep introspection, of growing roots- one day those roots will rise, but today we rest.

I found this book interesting and enjoyed learning about different aspects of wintering. The core message resonated with me as a reminder to be kind to myself

A wonderful book about getting over the hard times. Cosy reading.

I bought this book to be more in tune with the vibes of winter, to allow myself to winter. And I read so many good reviews. I was expecting practical tips and how-to's. But that is not what this book is. The author tells you her hard winters and the thoughts she had during them; the few things she tried and her findings on those activities. It's basically a journey with her through her winters. No conclusions, no deep insights, just experiences. Overall a fine book, I liked her writing style. But if you are already aware of the fact that this concept exists, it won't be beneficial to read it. It was a cozy read but I won't be reading it again.

So beautiful! Loved the analogies! Brilliantly written book!

Everyone should read this book. It’s so comforting to read especially if you are going through a time of stress, grief or facing challenges in your life. It is like being given permission to stop and heal from what challenges you. Beautifully written and so engaging. Highly highly recommended.

Great book I really loved it