What does winter ask of you? As a lover and devotee of Nature and of course Ayurveda and Yoga I am particularly watchful of what nature is doing and why. The winter solstice is just around the corner. The December solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. Winter is often a time of reflection and hibernation. All of nature sleeps and awaits the return of the long days full of sun and warmth. For all of earths creatures including humans, nothing is so fundamental as the length of daylight. Sun is God to all, the ultimate source of life on earth.
It is this time that the Sun marks a transition into longer days and shorter nights. The fire in the belly also begins to transition from deep with in the core.
Regardless of your spiritual or cultural heritage, if you live in North America today there’s a good chance you will be caught up, perhaps involuntarily or out of habit, in the commercial whirl wind known as “the holidays.” It tends to leave us depleted in more ways than one.
This year set intentions for a more intuitive, simpler, and natural holiday season. Winter solstice can be a profound way to tune into the magic and beauty of the season. It can also be a time to tune in and reconnect with family, friends and self.
Throughout the ages midwinter has been a significant time of ritual, reflection, and renewal. Creating a meaningful celebration of winter solstice, either in place of or in addition to other holiday activities, can help us cultivate a deeper connection to nature and family and all the things that matter most to us. Winter can be a time of feeding the spirit and nurturing the soul, not just doing, shopping and depleting our bank account and fraying our nerves.
Create a new tradition this year and make it one of deep meaning and connection to what really matters most. Ill leave that for you to decide.
Happy Peaceful Solstice
Cory