Arrival in Winter

The Seasons Within: A Journey to Stillness - Chapter 1

(Theme: Stillness and Acceptance)

The snow crunched beneath Leila’s boots as she approached the cabin, her breath clouding in the crisp, frigid air. A slate-gray sky stretched overhead, heavy with the promise of more snow. Each step felt heavier than the last—not just from the weight of her suitcase, but from the invisible burden she’d carried for years: stress, fatigue, and the nagging sense that she was lost in her own life.

The cabin stood at the edge of a forest, its wooden frame dusted with snow. Smoke curled from the chimney, signaling the warmth that awaited inside. Leila paused on the porch, her gloved hands trembling as she unlocked the door. The key, old and worn, had arrived in the mail weeks ago with a letter from her late grandmother.

The Letter

“My dearest Leila,
You’ve been running for so long. I see it in your letters and hear it in your voice when we used to talk. I left you this cabin not as an escape, but as an invitation—a place to pause, breathe, and remember what it feels like to be yourself.

The mountains have always held secrets for those who listen. Be still, my darling. The answers will come.

With all my love,
Grandma Rose”

Inside the cabin, the air was warm, filled with the faint smell of cedar and the crackle of a fire. Dust covered the surfaces, and the faint hum of silence pressed against her ears. It had been years since she’d been in such quiet. No city sounds, no notifications buzzing, no deadlines looming—just the soft, enveloping stillness.

Leila set down her suitcase and looked around. The cabin was simple—a wooden table with mismatched chairs, a couch draped with a quilt, and bookshelves crammed with old volumes. A large window overlooked the snow-covered forest, where the skeletal branches of the trees stretched skyward.

The silence was deafening. For years, she had filled every moment of her life with noise: meetings, emails, podcasts, social media. Now, with nothing to distract her, the quiet felt unbearable.

The Restlessness of Silence

Leila wandered the small space, unsure of what to do. Her hands skimmed the spines of old books, her eyes scanning titles she didn’t recognize. Finally, she found a leather-bound journal tucked into a drawer. The first page bore her grandmother’s neat handwriting.

“This journal is for you, Leila. Write everything: your fears, your hopes, the things you don’t understand yet. Let the pages hold what you’re not ready to carry.”

Leila stared at the blank pages, the silence pressing harder. What could she even write? She hadn’t been alone with her thoughts in so long that they felt like strangers now, foreign and unruly.

Her first attempt was tentative:
“I’m here. I don’t know what I’m looking for. Maybe nothing.”

She put the pen down, feeling foolish. Yet, something about the act of writing—a physical connection between her hand and the paper—anchored her. It was as though her thoughts had found a small corner of the vast quiet to settle in.

A Snowstorm’s Gift

As evening fell, the sky released its burden. Snow began to fall in thick, heavy flakes, blanketing the forest and muting the world further. Leila watched from the window, her breath fogging the glass. She felt a pull to step outside.

Bundling up, she opened the door and stepped into the storm. The cold bit at her cheeks, but the quiet was transformative. The snow absorbed sound, creating a cocoon of stillness. She stood there, watching the flakes swirl and settle, her breath slowing as she did.

For the first time in what felt like years, Leila simply stood still. No task to complete, no problem to solve. Just her and the snow. Her breath became rhythmic, a natural meditation as she matched her inhales to the fall of the snowflakes and her exhales to the way they melted against the ground.

A Moment of Reflection

Later, as the fire crackled in the hearth, Leila picked up the journal again. Her handwriting was steadier this time.
“The snow was beautiful tonight. It felt like time stopped. Or maybe it’s always like this, and I’ve been moving too fast to notice.”

She set the journal aside and lay on the couch, pulling the quilt over herself. The stillness no longer felt so oppressive. Instead, it was a quiet invitation—a promise of something deeper waiting to be found.

As sleep crept in, she heard her grandmother’s voice in her memory:

“Be still, my darling. The answers will come.”

Mindfulness Practice: Body Scan Meditation

  1. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down.
  2. Close your eyes and take a deep breath, feeling the air fill your lungs and release slowly.
  3. Focus your attention on your toes. Notice any sensations—warmth, coolness, tingling, or tension.
  4. Gradually move your awareness upward, scanning your legs, hips, torso, arms, and head.
  5. If your mind wanders, gently guide it back to the sensations in your body.
  6. Finish with three deep breaths, savoring the stillness you’ve created.
Location: Sweden

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