Blog | Winter Rewilding: A Seven Practice Plan ❄️

How to Stay Wild

As the light changes, we change with it. Energy dips, routines slip.

I can feel Eryri’s winter darkness pressing in, in a way London never quite did.

This seasonal shift is natural, but I feel like this is one of the first times I have felt it.

Here’s the simple plan we’ll use this winter to weave the Seven Practices into everyday winter life.

1) Sunlight → Daily daylight, not heroics

• Go outside within 60 minutes of waking for 10–20 minutes. Morning daylight cues your circadian rhythm and sets you up for better sleep at night.
• Chase real sky: even two minutes on grey days count. Clouds reduce intensity, not the benefits of natural light.
• Skin in the sun: on clearer days, expose skin for a few minutes if it’s comfortable and appropriate.

Habit: Put your coat by the door each evening. Make it easy to wake up and step outside.

2) Sleep → Dim the den, honour the dark

• Manage light: after sunset, dim lamps and (optional) blue-light blocking glasses.
• After sunset: swap bright lighting for lamps and warmer bulbs. Think cosy, not cave (okay, a little cave 🤣).
• Consistent anchor times: same bedtime daily, even on weekends.

3) Air → Airbathe and breathe through your nose

• Find a winter route: (park loop, riverside, tree‑lined street). Visit it weekly to airbathe: slow, nose‑only breathing, relaxed shoulders.
• Indoor refresh: crack the bedroom window for 3–5 minutes (if safe/feasible).

Habit: Ground your walk with a 60-second modified sensory check-in, notice: four things you can see, three you can hear, two you can touch and one you can smell.

4) Movement → Small, frequent, natural

• Find the ground: bring activities to the floor. Use rugs, pillows and blankets to create comfortable floor seating for watching TV, reading, working or hobbies.
• Flat-foot squat: find your primal rest position by practising your flat-foot squat. Use something to raise heels to ease into it if needed.
• Contrast heat and cold: enjoy a warm soak, and seek the cold if it leaves you feeling good.

Habit: Link the flat-foot squat to another regular habit like brushing teeth, to build space for it in your routine.

5) Food → One Wild Thing a Week

• Diversify on purpose: while you can, choose one seasonal wild food per week (I like: nettles, dandelion leaves, ground ivy, turkey tail mushrooms – only with 100% ID).
• Warm broths & ferments: simple stews and pickled or fermented foods like kimchi to mimic a wild winter pantry.

Habit: Learn one new wild plant or mushroom this season.

Plant: Dandelion leaves (chopped and cooked like spinach).

Mushroom: Turkey Tail (dried, blended and added to a stew).

6) Water → Respect the cold, befriend the heat

• Wild water? Prepare. Choose safe entry and exit, go with a buddy, start shallow, and let the breath lead (slow nose inhales, longer nose exhales, you will find your nasal breathing). Have a plan to get warm after.
• Sauna or hot soak to heat your core, recover and build resilience.

Habit: Pack a thermos and warm layer whenever cold water is on the cards.

7) Mindfulness → Sit spot & trailhead breaths

• Sit spot: pick a nearby tree/bench/natural space. Visit weekly for 5–10 minutes. No phone. Notice the season changing in tiny ways.
• Before meals: 3–5 slow nasal breaths; notice hunger, smell, gratitude.

A simple Winter Wild Week (repeatable)

Mon | Step outside within 60 minutes of waking.

Tue | Practice the 4‑3‑2‑1 sensory check‑in.

Wed | Warm shower or bath at night.

Thu | Add one wild thing to a meal (seasonal plant/mushroom or a simple ferment).

Fri | 5–10 minutes at your sit spot.

Sat | Unhurried nature walk; nasal breathing, relaxed shoulders.

Sun | Quick bedroom airing, tidy your floor‑seating nook.

Safety & common sense

• Winter weather can kill: layer up, keep hands/feet warm, and shorten sessions if you’re tired or unwell.
• Tell someone your route/return time for cold and wild walks or swims.
• If you’re unsure about a plant or mushroom, don’t eat it. Ever.
• New to cold exposure, pregnant, or have health conditions? Seek medical guidance first.

Stay wild (gently)

Winter rewards consistency over intensity. Keep it small, repeatable, and kind.

Let nature set the metronome: light in the morning, dimness at night, movement in between, and tiny moments of nature whenever you can find them.

But today? Step outside, look up, breathe through your nose, and let a small smile find you. It’s a beautiful world to live in.