This week marks the longest night of the year - Winter Solstice. It is the darkest day, and one of the four most powerful times for healing, manifesting, and setting the tone for the rising of the Light in our lives and on this hemisphere of the planet. There is so much significance in this time of darkness, as the dark represents the womb before birthing new life. It is easier to reflect on one's life, as well as imagine what beauty can be grown on the path ahead. This time of year is when farmers take a pause, repair areas of their operation that have been damaged or broken, and plan for the season ahead. Field research has to be done in order to know what changes need to be made on the farm, which unfinished projects need to be completed, what seeds and other supplies need to be ordered, and what chores need to be done. Just like the animals in colder regions, this is also a time to catch up on rest and hibernate. The darkness provides the pineal stimulation to slow us down in order to restore and revitalize both the the body and the land itself. People who still farm during the winter months tend to have lighter crops of hardy plants, which still provide more time and space for down time. The same is true for us. We can use this time to make changes and repairs, as well as to plan ahead for our lives in the upcoming year. We are able to till the soil of our lives in order for it to be ready to grow our dreams. This is the season to slow down and prepare ourselves and our lives for what is to come.
There are the natural cycles that call for times of hard work, times of rest, and times of balancing the two. This is a time of rest. When we listen to the body and the cycles of nature, we are in sync with the natural flow of life. Our human competitive nature and need to be successful and accomplished sometimes gets in the way of this natural flow. Pushing too hard has never gotten anyone where they wanted to be. It usually ends in illness, burn out, or even accidents. The mind tells us to push harder, and our body and soul lean toward the ebb and flow from high energy to deep restoration. Like the snake biting its own tail, the person who goes against nature only ends up hurting themselves and falling into a cycle of self-destruction. The best way to stay in Love with what you do, passionate about work, creatively productive in performance, and high in energy is to have downtime, to rest, to take breaks, and to let go of what you are doing on a daily basis in to step away for a short period of time. This time of rest has been researched and proven to help replenish the brain, lengthen attention span, increase motivation, add to creativity, and expand in productivity. Downtime is part of the recipe of success. When we find a way to create balance in our lives in order to work, play, and rest in equal amounts, our ability to reach our highest potential increases. We tend to operate at greater levels and experience more success, fulfillment, and happiness when we allow ourselves to take breaks.
What is downtime exactly? Most hard-working people don't understand that resting is NOT spending time on social media, watching TV or a movie, doing laundry or other house chores, or reading a book. Yes, these things may be relaxing and stress relieving, but they still require the brain to be "on". Downtime is when the brain has the opportunity to fully let go, wander, dream, imagine, and go into "default mode" much like the computer screen does when you haven't used it for a certain amount of time. Memories are actually enhanced and restored when the brain is allowed to go where it wants to go. A thought sometimes pops in out of nowhere, which can lead to an idea or a dream, which can carry us to inner awakenings, understandings, or resolutions that help us move through some of our greatest challenges. It is where the magic happens. You hear stories of people who got into accidents or spent time in a coma saying that they were grateful for the opportunity to fully let go and surrender to the process of life during that time. They had to spend many hours detached from their physical lives and had the experience of listening to the soul and letting go of the material world completely. They were open to cosmic visions, higher guidance, and deep soul dreams that changed their lives and their paths completely. This would have never taken place without Divine intervention. Instead of calling in an outer force to slow us down, we can utilize the winter season of each year to do our mind-body-soul a huge favor and rest and restore.
Embrace the season and enjoy these winter months of rebirthing. We wish everyone a Happy Winter Solstice filled with perfect health, peace, and happiness!