Today marks the first day of winter and it’s longest night of the year in the northern hempishere. 

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In yogic tradition, winter soltice is like a spiritual New Year and it’s a time for starting new cycles of rituals, especially rituals involving self-care, self-healing and personal growth.

 

On Winter Solstice, the Sun or solar energy reaches its lowest ebb.  And at this low point, renewal, regeneration and rebirth naturally comes forth. This means nature is supporting an energy of transformation. You can think of this as our collective consciousness being ultra receptive to change and transformation.

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We can use this transformational power that’s abundant in nature to fuel our lives.  Start thinking about your dreams, intentions, and goals right now.  Plant your seeds today.

  

Winter Solstice is connected to the Divine Mother, Pachamama, the Universal Goddess. The darkness of the night is symbolic of resting and being nourished in the dark womb of our Mother.  We’re in fact living in the womb of Mother Divine, we might not see Mother Divine all around us, but She is there.  Imagine connecting to Divine Mother throughout this day into the darkness of this night. The veil between the physical and spiritual world is said to be thinnest on winter solstice, so our intentions are more fertile when planted into the cosmic consciousness. 

 

 

After this day, sunlight and our days continue to grow each day. The Sun reflects our Atman or our Divine Self, the Sun represents the Cosmic Prana or cosmic life-force that lives in our spiritual hearts. Today is a day to honor this solar self within us, within our hearts. Today we remember that our true spiritual nature, the sun within our hearts is beyond all darkness, all sorrow, all struggles! Our spirit is eternal and free. 

 

The winter solstice is an important time for all nature-based traditions, native American, yogic, goddess tribes. Make a commitment to a Sadhana or spiritual practice on this powerful galactic day. Choose whatever feels good to you because spiritual practice is personal and individual to your needs.Here are a few practices you can incorporate to cultivate deeper awareness and connection

 

• Meditate 

• Sing mantras

• Listening to spiritual music

• Create some silent meditative space

• Reconnect to the sacred.  

• Recommit to your life-purpose or Dharma

• Chanting sacred mantras

•  Make offerings to the Sun

• Lighting candles or do a fire ceremony

• Make sacred offerings into the fire.

• Burn sage and release old wounds, traumas, and all things no longer serving you

• Chant the Gayatri Mantra

• Start a Wellness Program (check out the Complete Course in Ayurveda and consider committing to your wellbeing in a big way)

• Take your herbal remedies with greater intention

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