Happy Winter solstice…the time of year where life can feel like a moment hovering in time. The natural pause in the year before, yes, the excitement of counting down to summer!! A reminder of the cycle of the year. A natural opportunity to pause & check in, to invite reflection. This is the shortest day and the longest night & by now we have had enough of darkness. However this darkness does give us time to reflect & turn inwards. To reconnect with our inner wisdom, to recuperate, to heal. A time to renew. It gives us opportunity to slowly integrate good habits into our life.
Nature reminds us of this with the knowledge that beneath the frozen earth so much growth is happening. The bulbs unfurling to start to peep through in the coming weeks. When we take a moment to recognise, or time to celebrate the winter solstice, it helps us to tune into the cyclical nature of our lives. Connecting with life’s natural rhythm is so good for our soul, from eating seasonal food (no I don’t mean Christmas chocolates!!), to enjoying the shorter times as time to reflect, turn inward & understand what needs to be done to blossom into life as the days lengthen.
Allow your smiles to bud into action in the same way. When you feel low, know that your smiles are waiting beneath the surface ready to bud into flower. Know that every minute you put into positive self care is like a minute longer of daytime…taking you closer to the sunshine of a good mood, a positive day & a wide smile. Remember we are part of nature & that technology, processed food & social media are not. The closer we align our lifestyle to nature, getting outside every day. Eating with the natural cycles of what is in season. Moving our body regularly. Breathing well & mindfully.
And from the solstice we have the excitement of knowing that every day is a few moments longer, taking us closer to warm summer days & indulgent evenings. Time outside with the sunshine on our skin, time enjoying the abundance of nature. Know that even now when it can look so barren outside & feel it inside. Nature is preparing for action, resting & renewing ready to break the surface. There are already buds forming on the trees, some blossom sneaking bravely onto bushes.
So let’s use this time to coordinate a little better with the natural cycle of life. Take this time to reflect & turn inward. Not to collapse, binge or vegetate. Let us set intentions to add as many minutes of self care every day as the day has lengthened…that could be a moments mindful awareness. 5 minutes preparing seasonal food. Half hours indulgent bath or a three hour yoga workshop!! It could be an hour longer in bed or time to read a chapter of your book.
Obviously by the summertime there will be many hours longer in each daytime but hopefully by then you will have established good habits. Habits of being in nature, walking outside, eating less processed food. Every hour will be more about self care because you will have integrated self care into your life. Maybe adding squats as you clean your teeth, maybe walking while you’re on the phone rather than collapsing into a chair. Maybe getting rid of a negative habit like a daily glass of wine, negative patterns like mulling over other peoples opinions (really its only the positive ones that matter!!). Maybe hydrating more, eating more colour & more variety. Maybe spending more time with friends or family. Smiling more and becoming the sunshine in your own life.
So let’s celebrate the lessons nature teaches us. To prepare for summer even in the darkest days. To understand that the potential for happiness is there just like bulbs under the surface .. ready to break through into beautiful flowers when the time is right.
