Solace in solstice

Modern living seems to really disconnect us from the cycles of life with our planet. We have artificial lights that imitate sunlight, heat when it's cold, and most of us don't grow our own food to know when planting/harvesting occur. The more in touch I become with the cycles of Earth, the greater my connection grows to this joyous mystery called life. Solstices and equinoxes give us time to remember what the world was like millions of years ago when humans woke up to the sun and slept outside under the moon. Time and days were counted by the moon and the placement of stars in the sky. (Reading over this last paragraph really makes me think I could not only be a hippie sorority girl, but also a Pagan.)

Today is the shortest day of the year and as darkness descends we come into a time of celebration. The start of winter in the natural world symbolizes rest and rejuvenation - a time to go inward and a rebirth and literally being brought back to life.

By honoring the Earth's cycles we honor ourselves, it isn't about being a specific religion or a "tree hugger." It's about reflecting and remembering we're apart of something with every being on this planet. Here are a few ideas of ways to celebrate the coming of light:

-eating dinner by candlelight

-having an hour without turning on any lights and being in darkness
-celebrating the sunrise

-take a nightime walk and look at the world in darkness

-going to holiday light exhibits such as Zoo lights or Botanical Gardens

-do sun salutations to celebrate coming light

Perhaps another way of celebrating, would be to graduate from a yoga teacher training and bring light to the world through education and yoga. :) That's my plan for the evening.

As the middle way always seems to balance...I will live in my warm apartment with an alarm clock that imitates the sun and gives me the optional sounds of birds or the ocean to wake up to. I find solace with the rhythms of life and the more I honor them the more I want the simplicity of life as it used to be (only hopefully with heat). Namaste!

Today I'm grateful for rituals, holiday lights, and my fellow YTTs!