An Opportunity for Spiritual Renewal

Winter Solstice is a deeply sacred time of the year when humanity's quest to live in greater light converges with the cycles of nature to create an opportunity for great insight, inspiration, and spiritual renewal. 

​The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Western hemisphere. It represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. As the sunlight lessens each day, there is a natural impulse to turn inward and go deep within to connect with and strengthen our inner light - that pure radiant spark within.

That inner spark was here long before we were born into these bodies, and will be here long after we die. It always has been and always will be. It is the true point of cause in our lives and the catalyst for all loving acts and creative labors. This inner spark is essentially the ever present light of love. 

This light is celebrated by cultures around the world through many different Winter festivals and rich seasonal traditions. During the window of opportunity that opens during this period, we can more naturally and easily connect with the inner light than at other times of the years. How do we prepare for and make the most of this powerful cyclic opportunity?
 
During the season of light it is easy to get caught up in the busyness and hectic nature of the season and miss the insights and revelations that are there for us in the stillness and dark of the this time. Here are a few tried and true practices to savor and help you experience the fullness of this powerful time:

• Take time for silent reflection and stillness each day during the week prior to Solstice. 

Even five or ten minutes of quiet and stillness go a long way towards remembering and honoring what is most essential in our lives.

• Attune to the inner light.

A simple way to do this is to light a candle and sit in silence as you acknowledge that you are in essence, light. The light is always there, in every part of you and in every person or experience you encounter. We don't need to find the light, simply acknowledging its radiant presence in every moment, in every situation, and in every person is deeply comforting and enlivening.

• Acknowledge the pain in your life and realize it is part of the fullness of life. 

Paradoxically, we can more easily connect with light by being willing to embrace the darkness. Light and darkness are interrelated aspects of every experience. They are like the in breathe and the out breath, the yin and yang aspects of our human existence. True peace comes from allowing both to be in our lives, because both teach and guide us in unique ways on the journey of self discovery.

Pain is the inner darkness we often run from, afraid it will overcome us and steal our aliveness and the precarious sense that all is well. Yet in every experience of pain and darkness is the potential for liberation and the revelation of greater light. The ongoing cyclic process of contraction into darkness and expansion into light is a powerful catalyst for grow and evolution. 

Rather than avoiding the painful situations or feelings in your life, simply allow them to be, with full and loving acceptance. Loving acceptance often dissolves the pain and contraction, and creates the optimum conditions for the next cycle of growth and expansion into greater light.

• Be willing to let go of all that no longer serves. 

We can learn so much by observing the natural world. Many plants and trees shed their leaves in the late fall. In the process of letting go and releasing what is no longer needed, the fallenleaves enrich the soil and provide nourishment for the many lives all around them. By the time Solstice comes, many trees and plants stand naked and unadorned, quietly turning their life force inward to gather strength for the next cycle of outward growth that is sure to come in the Spring.

A powerful question to ask around the time of the Solstice is: "What can I shed in order to more fully nourish life within and around me?" Maybe you are ready and willing to release a negative habitual way of thinking or an addictive tendency. Maybe it is time to release a friendship that is no longer enriching in order to create space for a more nourishing friendship to grace your life. Simply being willing to let go is a powerful first step.

• Take the hand of another. 

Imagine for a moment making your way through a dark underground tunnel, completely alone. You occasionally stumble on the uneven ground as you tentatively make your way through the darkness. Your hands guide you along as subterranean water occasionally drips down from the sides of the tunnel, startling you with its unexpected wetness. This doesn't sound like much fun, does it?

Now imagine traveling through the same tunnel. This time you are holding the hand of someone you love. Your companion is not there to save you or show you the way out, but is simply there to share the experience. The darkness may still be oppressive, the ground still uneven, and the dripping water still startling, yet somehow it doesn't seem as scary or difficult. That is the power of connection.
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Who needs you to take their hand right now? Love and connection may be exactly what is needed to rekindle their light... and yours.

• Join me in a free Telegathering and Meditation on Solstice Eve, Sunday, December 20th at 6:30 pm PST.

Come together with others from around the globe to meditate and celebrate during the solstice period. There is no charge for this event and all are invited.

The call in phone number is: 1(302)202-1104 (your usual long distance charges apply). The conference code is: 910612. Be sure to add this to your calendar!
 
Until then, may these practices be a powerful catalyst for many great moments of inspiration and heartfelt connection with others.
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With love and holiday cheer,
Ariana
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