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Happy Winter Solstice, dear friends!
While many of us associate the Winter Solstice with darkness ~ the darkest day of the year or the longest night of the year ~ this day is actually considered the return of the light, the return of the sun, and bringing light to the darkness ~ as after today, the daylight will become progressively longer while the nights and dark are shorter.
As we enter winter, we enter into a season of slowing down. A time to hibernate. To get quiet. To listen more. To really tune in. It's a time for releasing, reflecting, shedding and honoring. To honor this first official day of winter, I invite you to create a little space for this simple ritual that honors the return of the light while also honoring this season of going inward.
A Simple Ritual for the Winter Solstice
Find a quiet space where you can spend at least a few minutes for reflection and conscious breathing. To honor the return of the light, you may want to light a few candles or clear your space by burning some sage, palo santo or even incense. You may also feel free to add any crystals or winter provisions that inspire you, such as a piece of firewood, pinecones, a scarf, or anything that inspires you to cozy up and go inward.
Now that your space is set up, find a comfortable seat, either in a chair with your feet planted on the floor, or sitting in a cross legged pose, perhaps elevated on a cushion, and begin to breathe in and out of your nose. After a few rounds of breath, we will begin Breath of Light.
Breath of Light
This breath technique builds energy, strengthens the aura, calms fiery energy and calms the nervous system by relieving stress. To practice this breath, take 7 sips of air in through the nose as you visualize, sense or feel that you are breathing in light (this will be one full inhale divided into 7 sips of breath). With each sniff of breath, you may choose to visualize light filling each chakra along the spine. As you get to the 7th sniff of breath, pause as you visualize light filling the brain, and then as you exhale in one full breath, visualize a beautiful fountain of light spilling out from the crown of your head, filling your aura. Repeat this breath for 3 minutes or for however long it feels good to you to bathe in the brilliance of your own light.
Set Your Intentions for the Season As you complete this practice, take a few extra minutes to tune into your intuition and ask yourself what two things you want to focus on during this winter season that will help you align more fully with your true self. When you have these two intentions, write them down and put them on your mini solstice altar. You can choose to leave this altar up all winter long with your words (intentions) growing brighter with the sun, or you may choose to take your words and plant them in the next week ~ or perhaps on New Year's Eve or Day ~ in a small pot or in your garden along with your choice of seeds. Water them regularly and watch them grow with the sun.
Chant, sing or listen to the Gayatri Mantra
Here is the LINK to my favorite version.
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May you receive endless blessings this Winter Season.
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Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash