The Movie of Your Winter

A winter’s tale by Judy Hirsh Sampath

Winter is calling you in. The conditions of winter is a natural calling to close the draft out, curl up to keep warm inside, enter into an internal journey on the inside, linger longer in the dark pause to rest, to spend time in your inner neighbourhood, getting to know the characters who live in the community of your own body.

The word “hibernate” originates from the Latin to ‘occupy winter quarters’. Consider the word ‘quarters’ and how you will inhabit them.

This exercise that may inspire you to hibernate in the creative quarters of your being and see where it leads you. It’s not a “yoga practice” as such but can offer in-sight and self-awareness in the most unexpected ways.

Imagine a movie of your life; a story you tell about yourself from your past or a hope you have for the future. Where would you begin? Which story would you choose? What genre would it be - romantic comedy, thriller, Disney fantasy, musical, melodrama, horror, documentary?

Occupy your winter quarters. Close your eyes and move your body, small micro movements to big sweeping movements, see what comes. Notice sensations in your body and choose one to focus on. Lean into yourself. Who is here? Can you see, hear, feel them? Get into character. If this sounds silly, well silly can be refreshing if you don’t ‘do silly’ often.

If this doesn’t work for you, go to your wardrobe and pick out a costume. A good way to start is to find an outfit hidden in the back of your wardrobe that you have never thrown away because it has meaningful memories for you, a picture in time of who you were in that moment.  Move in character, speak in character, throw some shapes that express the essence of the character, find a pace or rhythm - get deeper into this part of you. Ask yourself, who the main character is here, what resources they have and what difficulties they are experiencing. 

Check in with your senses. What can you see on the screen behind your forehead (chidakasha), what is the soundtrack, follow where it takes you, how do these ideas land in your body. This may be enough. You don’t have to do this as a linear narrative, pick a moment and dwell in your quarters, cosy up with a bed time story to yourself.

Or continue to act, write, move, imagine to find a creative outlet. 

From here, you can develop the narrative – where you would start, what and who you would include and how would you like the ending to be. Take time with the ending, try out all different endings and choose one that satisfies you in some way, it can be ‘based on a true story’ but with new embellishments, characters, scenes and especially a new and wildly imagined ending! How does ‘happily ever after’ translate for you, if at all?

Be as creative and wildly daring as you like. it’s all inside, a vast well of characters, voices, spirits, memories – your body has been with you for the whole of your life, it is holding a lot! Allow yourself to dream free, turn thoughts into hopes and dreams, limitless possibilities and choices. Why not write a letter to the editor about how this unfolded for you?

If you would like to dream wildly about your life stories and direction, contact Judy for a discovery call judy@yogaunited.com  Who knows where it might lead.