Healing: A Wintering Season

Healing, in my experience, happens in phases. It can be a gradual process—something you chip away at daily, monthly, year after year. But then there are the deep trenches of healing, the kind that feel more intense, more consuming than the everyday work of self-growth.

These deep phases are often called the “Dark Night of the Soul” or a Wintering season. When I went through my own Dark Night, I had no interest in being social. I wasn’t depressed—I just needed solitude. I needed rest from the outside world. It felt like hibernation, which is likely why this phase of healing is so often compared to winter.

Sometimes, when grief or unprocessed emotions weigh too heavily on us, the Universe steps in and isolates us for our own well-being. Instinctively, we retreat. We crave the comfort and predictability of our own company because managing the needs, emotions, and energy of others feels overwhelming. So, we turn inward.

During these times, it’s essential to honor the call to rest. This isn’t the time to distract yourself with busyness; it’s the time to quiet the noise so you can hear yourself again. If you believe in God or the guiding forces of the Universe, this is often when external distractions fade, and a deeper dialogue begins to unfold between you and the divine.

Wintering is challenging because it forces us to sit with emotions we might rather avoid. But just as spring follows winter, this season of stillness prepares us for renewal. Beneath the surface, something beautiful is growing—waiting for its moment to push through the mud and bloom in the light.

If you find yourself in a Wintering Season, trust the quiet pull to retreat. Rest, nourish yourself, and know that when this season passes, you will emerge transformed—stronger, softer, and more radiant than before.