The winter solstice is the Day of Yule,
The birth of the new solar year.
In many traditions,
In many cultures,
It is the day of honoring the sun.
And while it's the shortest day,
It is the longest night of the year.
Often in life,
We hope darkness will end and that light will begin.
But we must accept the darkness within ourselves and others.
And yet still hold hope for the light.
Our darkness does not need to be scary.
It can actually be quite peaceful.
This is a perfect time for regeneration,
Renewal,
And especially self-reflection.
Nature teaches us to slow down,
To be patient and wait.
Animals,
For instance,
Hibernate at this time of year.
In yoga,
One of the eight stages is prachahara.
It refers to withdrawal from the five senses from external objects.
This allows us the opportunity for inward reflection,
To examine and let go of the past,
And to set new goals and intentions.
The solstice is our personal awakening.
In the spring,
We clean our house.
In the winter,
We clean our minds.
So lean into the silence and the darkness.
Light a candle and sit in silence.
We will offer you a bell when the session has concluded.
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