Welcome to a winter solstice meditation from Katha Vyas.
Take a moment to settle into this sacred space,
To feel the warmth of your body against this winter earth.
Allow your body to nestle into a comfortable position.
Perhaps you have a pillow or a soft blanket,
Or feel the crunch of leaves beneath your sitting bones.
Take a few deep breaths and slowly begin to awaken your senses here.
Notice where there might be tension in your body,
In the space behind your eyes,
The joints of your jaw,
The muscles holding your shoulders to your spine.
Release those pockets of energy back down deep into the earth.
Feel how solid the earth is beneath you,
How much you can release into her as she holds you.
The winter solstice is upon us.
The light of the sun begins a new solar cycle at winter solstice,
And we are welcomed into the longest and darkest day of the year.
We exhale into the dark and nurture the newborn life there to be cultivated.
This is mirrored in nature as seeds are buried in the darkness of the earth to emerge once again with the life-giving rays of the sun in spring.
Envision yourself walking along the floor of a lush winter forest,
Shining with newly fallen snow.
Bright stars shine in the backdrop of a soft,
Purple-black night sky.
As you reach the base of a great towering tree,
You find a small opening to a hollow cave beneath the branches.
Envision yourself curling into the soft earth beneath the snow here,
Like a bear thick with warm fur burrowing beneath the earth for rest.
We too are invited to release into the darkness of our spirit.
As you rest in the warm cave of your mind's eye,
Allow yourself to feel anything that is asking to be felt in this moment.
Just notice what is there without trying to change or push away your feelings.
They are welcome here.
Do you feel pressure to make changes or be in action in the world?
Perhaps there are dark,
Unsettling thoughts.
As you embrace your thoughts,
Perhaps you notice that there are some that feel removed from you,
As though implanted in your mind from some outside force.
You might picture these thoughts flowing from your body as thick black smoke swirling above your curled form.
Picture yourself sending these thoughts some gratitude for the way they were trying to protect you.
Then crack the door to your warm,
Cozy cave before ushering the smoke out into the snowy winter air.
Perhaps there is joy in the invitation for respite.
You might feel your body sink further,
Allowing your muscles to relax,
Breathing in this welcome rest.
By allowing ourselves to feel our emotions and experience our own darkness,
The darkness itself can become the spiritual cradle into which our inner light and new life is born.
Trust your inner strength in its ability to hold all of you.
This light never dims and can hold so much more than we allow ourselves to believe.
For today,
Let yourself rest in the peace of darkness,
Knowing the changing of the season and the return of brighter days is ahead.
Be reminded that you are always connected to Source,
And your inner light never dims.
Be well.
