Winter solstice is the longest night of the year. A time of darkness. A time to rest, restore and rejuvenate. It is the edge of darkness and signifies a gradual return towards the light.
Darkness is often seen as something to be feared. It can be seen to represent the unknown, or evil forces. How many people are afraid of the dark? When we cannot see with our eyes, we feel vulnerable and alone.
But the darkness can be a place to heal. Without being able to see the outside, it is easier to look inside. Our other senses become more powerful and we pay more attention to them.
Within darkness there is mystery – a place where the impossible is possible.
Mystery is one of life’s greatest gifts, but it can also be uncomfortable. In life I have learned an undeniable truth: The less we know, the more we think we know. And the more we know, we realize how little we know.
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”
~ Albert Einstein
The winter solstice is a time of moon energy, a cooling energy. The sun radiates its own light. The moon reflects the light of the sun. Yin is quiet. Yang is active. Both are needed to balance each other.
Use this time to do more restorative yoga poses. Spend time letting gravity release muscular tension and tightness. Let your mind rest in the present without concern for the past, or expectation of the future.
The winter solstice also reminds us that when we reach the edge, it is time to return in the direction of center. The edge is a place to visit with full awareness and appreciation so we do not injure ourselves. It demands respect and acknowledgement of our limits.
With patience and acceptance, we can often expand our edges, expand our skills, and expand our knowledge. The edges are a place of growth as well as a place of limitation. Sounds contradictory possibly, but limits can teach us how look in another direction or go back to the drawing board experiment from what we do know.
Embrace the darkness and notice what you “see”.
