NOT JUST A BRITISH THING - WHY IT’S GOOD TO TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER, WHATEVER THE WEATHER
Us Brits are famous for how very much we like to talk about the weather — and let’s face it, we can often be the butt of the joke for it. But what is so ridiculous, really, about our collective favourite subject? Talking about the weather is so much more than just a polite way to make small talk. An instant way to get the convo going, it can help us to connect with people — sharing a bit about our respective environments, whether they’re similar or completely different!
By talking about the weather, we are reconnecting with the nature around us, observing how it affects ourselves and others, and for a brief moment at least, we find ourselves truly present. We realise that with all our machinery and technology, the “wrong” bit of weather can completely stall public transport, planes, trains, etc., and that with all the science and knowledge we have built, we still cannot predict it accurately. Nature does not live by our rules or our desire to standardise everything! Think about how giving thanks for your food goes some way to connecting with the food on your plate that will become you, with the people who grew it, engaging with your senses, which goes on to aid digestion and satisfaction. In the same way, talking about the weather is essential for many of us who work long hours indoors surrounded by artificial light, unnatural temperatures and poor air quality. Even if we step outside we might be greeted with mostly more buildings, so tapping into a healthy dose of rain or shine by being consciously aware of it is essential to our human needs. In the ‘70s, the biophilia hypothesis suggested what we already suspected: humans seem to be innately attracted to nature. We seek it out in various forms, whether that’s laying on the beach or going for a full-blown hike, and it’s an essential part of helping us be happy and healthy. Our bodies are really barometers for nature, the constant feedback of our environment informing our daily choices on both subtle and physical levels. So it’s no wonder that we like to observe the daily changes in the weather.
Plus, with our British aversion to striking up conversation with strangers, imagine how uncomfortable it would be if we didn’t have the weather to discuss! According to a survey, half of dog owners made new friends thanks to their pets — when I got my dog Julie, I met more people in my local area in 2 months than I had in the previous 8 years I’d lived there. During those conversations, we talked about our dogs, sure, but after that we would switch to the weather pretty sharpish. It’s an inclusive subject. Even when we might connect with colleagues or relatives across the world via Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp we can immediately set the scene for each other by describing how the weather is for us that day and then remarking on how similar or different it is. There’s not many other “safe” topics which universally apply to everyone!
The weather in our country informs the seasons, it has a predictable rhythm while also throwing us curveballs (more often than not on our British Island) keeping us on our toes and requiring anyone who likes to be prepared to carry a brolly, coat, hat, scarf and have a clean shirt on in case they need to whip off every other layer — all in one day, at somewhat unpredictable times of the year. Our climate determines what foods can grow easily in this country and therefore what’s affordable but also what’s good to eat. And this weather — especially when it comes to seasons — has such a massive impact on how we experience the world. For one thing, different Dosha types respond differently to each kind of weather, which highlights our individuality and is another way we can start to understand people with different constitutions to ours. A cold, wet sluggish day (or season — think winter going into spring), for example for a Kapha person with whom this type of weather shares all of the same qualities, can be much more of a struggle than for Vata or Pitta types who have more of the opposite qualities to it and can therefore navigate it with more ease. Pitta types who run hot will find hot summer days especially combined with spicy foods quite a challenge. Vata types are easily stressed in the autumn run-up to winter, with its dry, windy, cold weather that exacerbates Vata qualities. As for fashion, in Britain it changes drastically from winter to summer, from darker colours to preserve our body heat and match our hibernating mood in those darker afternoons and evenings, all the way to a rainbow of bright colours, plus bright whites for a fresh and cooling effect in the sunshine of summer. This may seem superficial, but is so important to how we feel generally, what foods we are in the mood for, which activities… The weather so determines how we live our lives that in places like L.A. and Sydney, where the sun shines bright most days, people are generally more active. It’s the environment that does it! Even thinking about how our hair is different every day depending on the weather — even though technically speaking, the strands are dead!
So to you all, keep calm and carry on — keep making observations about the weather as part of conversation and keep joking about the fact us Brits keep doing it. After all, our weather is erratic, which gives us plenty to talk about and keeps us one step closer to being connected with nature. It reminds us to respect nature and find our balance within it. All the elements in the right dose have the ability to bring us back into balance and help us heal. Too little or too much and we run into problems! It helps us recognise how the energy of our environment affects us, across a population and within our little ‘ol selves as individuals. For more ideas on how to balance yourself out in your day-to-day check out East by West for recipes which you can tweak to suit how you’re feeling that day and read more about the Doshas here. For more on the properties of different seasons, check out the posts below: