Four Benefits of Embracing Seasonal Living

Many lifetimes ago, as a preschool teacher, I would shape my lessons around a curriculum that changed according to the seasons. I didn't think much about it then. I just looked forward to all the crafts and how the learning environment would shift depending on what season it was. But now I realise just how important it is to maintain this conscious connection to the flow of the seasons because it can teach us so much about our true place in the world and how to appreciate the natural rhythms of our lives.

There are many benefits to embracing seasonal living but the four most important ones that stand out for me are:

It makes us more resilient.

Nature embraces all parts of the cycle of life. By paying attention to nature We see not only the various phases of life and death but also of rebirth. Being mindful of this process reminds us that there is hope after a time of darkness and that sometimes a storm is necessary for the soil to renew itself. We see things as a process, which allows us to cultivate patience and we feel less of a need for instant gratification. We learn to trust the process.

It reminds us that we are part of something larger.

The seasons are not independent parts. They contain the seeds of each other. They are interdependent. They support each other to sustain the earth. They are parts of a bigger whole. When we align ourselves to the flow of the seasons we are aligning ourselves to the earth. We begin to see how our lives are part of the whole and not just contained within our homes and the world in our heads.

It promotes connected living.

Embracing seasonal living connects us to the flow of nature and the world around us. Reflecting on our own life through what we learn through nature allows us to better understand how we fit into the flow of life. And it engages our intuition which is an important part of our wellbeing. If we feel connected to the world around us, we seek to build stronger communities because we realise we are all parts of the same whole.

It encourages us to slow down.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of embracing seasonal living is that it reminds us to slow down and tune in to what the season has to offer. Marking the seasonal transitions with celebrations also reminds us to make time to reconnect with those we love. In my opinion, we need these markers otherwise it is oh too easy to get lost in our busy everyday lives.

I've only recently decided that this is the path for me and I haven't quite decided how I'm going to go about it. I believe that there isn't one right way to embrace seasonal living. It really just comes down to an intentional lifestyle choice, but how you align with the flow depends on what feels right for you.

*Photograph by Polina Kovaleva