Be a verb rather than a noun. – Janet Stone
As I was preparing to write this, I heard this quote and it stopped me immediately. It reminded me that we are actually living and thriving.
Like, right now, in this very moment. We are.
We are constantly changing and moving through the cycles of the seasons, as well as the cycles of life.
Now, sometimes it’s hard to see the thriving part. I get it. Because life happens. There are dark times, and there is light. And the Winter Solstice is a time to acknowledge the dark.
Yoga is all about finding the balance, right? This is why it is important to see the dark to move toward the light as another cycle begins once again to continue to live and thrive.
Why The Winter Solstice Matters
The Winter Solstice is commonly known as the shortest day of the year because of the shortest hours of daylight we experience in the northern hemisphere, due to the Earth’s tilt.
But just as we have night, we also have the sun.
Just as we have a new moon, we also have a full moon.
We know that when it’s nighttime, the sun didn’t go away. We know that when there is a dark new moon, it didn’t go missing in the universe.
The sun and moon are still there.
So when we have darkness, we still have light.
We are still are living and thriving.
In Latin, Solstice translates to meaning “Sun standing still.” And this is because it took people a few days to notice that the days were actually starting to get longer with more sunlight. Thus, the sun paused to engage in a new cycle of bringing light back into our days.
Let’s pause with the sun to take some time to acknowledge our wounds from this past year and forgive our fears to better realign with our intentions as we head into the new year.
What One Thing You Should Do on The Winter Solstice
Darkness is not all bad. It allows us to experience and appreciate the light. And the one thing you should do on the Winter Solstice is to allow yourself to let go of what you don’t need in your life in order to move forward lighter and well, happier.
Easier said than done, I know.
But we are going to do it. And here is how.
Step 1:
Write a letter to yourself, or a list if you prefer, with these topics in mind.
1. What did you witness about yourself this past year?
Do a scan throughout each month and note what happened. What were your reactions to it all? (Pro Tip: this is when keeping a regular journal practice is helpful to look back on!)
2. How did you treat yourself this past year?
Did you take up a bad habit? Did you indulge in the wrong foods? And a big one, what type of thoughts did you feed yourself?
3. Where did you hold yourself back?
Doubt and fear have this incredible way of taking over ourselves to keep us small. Where did you play small this past year?
4. What are you ready to let go of?
I hope negative self-talk can be at the top of your list. But in addition, could it be a bad habit or bad food? Could it be to trust your gut more and let go of doubt for going after the goal you constantly are thinking of?
5. What has this past year meant to you?
Gather this past year up wrap it up in a few keywords that represent what it has meant to you. Even if you had the best year ever, it’s going to be worth your while to let go of it. You can still be proud, but if you hold onto it, you won’t have room for what’s next.
Step 2:
Burn it.
Yep, light your letter or list on fire (in a safe place of course).
This mini Winter Solstice ritual is done for a reason. First, it serves a way to let go of what this past year was for you. You will literally be left lighter because of instead of a letter, you’ll have ashes. Instead of heavy feelings, you will have released them.
The second reason is it serves as a way to invite the light back in. Think about it, if it’s dark, how do you see again? Spark a light of a fire, of course!
Key Step:
As always when setting intentions or reflection, it’s of the utmost importance to do it with a compassionate mindset. It’s ok to acknowledge that is not ideal for you right now, how else will you know what to let go of? But we are human. You’ll do this all over again next year, as the coming year will have its moments of darkness and light.
View this as a place and process as a way to start fresh again. A reset button, if you will. Because a fresh start always feels amazing. Allow yourself to take a a few days, maybe even a week, to just let whatever may have come up, to just be. No action is needed. Enjoy your holiday and get ready to do the next phase in the coming weeks, setting intentions.
And this is so necessary to making the next year better than the last. Even if you had an outstanding year.
But first, take this first step. Forgive your fears and continue to live and thrive.
Next week is all about setting intentions for the new year. This preparatory work is vital to setting the right intentions that will serve you best.
“Be a verb rather than a noun.” – Janet Stone
