The Winter Solstice on December 21st is an auspicious moment in the Wheel of the Year.
As the days have gotten shorter, nature invites you to turn inward.
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night, representing this shift in the annual cycle, where we will slowly tip back toward balance again at the Spring Equinox...
...and then eventually the Summer Solstice where the light will reach its zenith, its full bloom...
...back to the Fall Equinox where the balance of night and day hinges for a brief moment before tipping back toward darkness at the Winter Solstice.
And so the cycle of nature flows.
The Winter Solstice symbolizes both the cocoon of darkness and the promise of rebirth:
Remember, the night is not inferior to the day.
Yin is not inferior to Yang.
Slowness is not worse than speed (though it seems that way in our modern society that celebrates speed and "measures your self worth with your productivity," to paraphrase the brilliant Brene Brown).
To honor this moment of introspection, inner quiet, and reflection at The Winter Solstice, here's a short 14 minute Guided Meditation:
Physically the Winter Solstice is the marker where longer days will return. Emotionally and psychologically, this can represent your own inner rebirth.
Winter is the Yin time of year, though let's be honest: we don't often align with the rhythms or wisdom of nature.
Yin is lunar, quiet, yielding, soft.
But most of us spend the last few weeks of the year in an even more Yang way: hurrying, bustling, overfilling the schedule and over-stretching ourselves...no wonder we live in a culture of burn out, anxiety, and never feeling like we're keeping up!
I hope you enjoy this Winter Solstice Meditation! (Click the video player above.)
