Celebrate the Winter Solstice ~ Journey Inward to the Soul By lauren Hanna, Founder of Sonic Yoga

As we move through the challenges of life, we are always in the flow from darkness to light and back again…. The yogi’s journey is working with the two beautiful rhythms of darkness and light, releasing into their ebb and flow, and allowing them to carry us forward on our path.  Honoring both ends of this spectrum is the key to our inner peace & balance.

One way to awaken your connection to your inner peace is to apply yourself in a deepening study of Yoga and meditation.Join our upcoming Sonic Yoga Teacher Training and Self Study program to calm the noise in your mind and heart and open to a blissful state of acceptance and inner peace.

During the darkness of winter solstice, the longest night and shortest day, we are drawn inward. It is a time of inner reflection and great self- awareness. It is the time of surrender and acceptance, a sometimes intense but often beautiful experience.

The union of darkness and light is a critical principle in the Yogic tradition. The lotus flower is the ideal image of this symbolic union; the lotus grows from the dark murky waters and blossoms into the brilliant radiant flower, but without its murky roots, its expansion would be impossible.

As we journey along our spiritual paths from this period of darkness to light the Winter Solstice allows us to celebrate the potency of the darkness which allows for the inevitable opening to the light within.

I encourage you in joining me to take some time this month to journey inward to relax into the womb of darkness and to contemplate the inner places of the self.  Let go and surrender life as it is, learn to live with acceptance of the time of dormancy.   There is a natural composting that goes on during this period. It is an opportunity to release what is not serving back to the earth.

As you turn the soil and plant the seeds in the darkness this prepares you for the coming of the radiant blossoming into the light. Just as we plant our tulip bulbs in the fall so, they may marinate in the darkness and prepare for their blossoming in the spring. I encourage you to till your inner soil and plant the seeds of your own expansion to come.

The Winter Solstice is upon us. In just a few weeks will be experiencing the shortest day and longest darkest night.  I know this time of year can be challenging for many, I admit it can be hard watching the days grow shorter and shorter.  

 But there are powerful gifts in the darkness, and I’d love to share a few with you:  

• The darkness allows us to seek out and connect more profoundly with our inner wisdom. The darkness calls us inward; it helps us to go deeper in our meditation practice. It allows for self-reflection and self-inquiry, which ultimately lead to healing, growth and transformation.

• The darkness creates fewer distractions and awakens intuition. This is a sacred time of stillness. Everything slows down around us. It provides an opportunity to be in the quiet sanctity of our inner world.  We can hear and listen to our intuition more clearly when the outer noise is quiet. 

• The darkness is the easiest time to work with our shadow.  The darkness reveals the shadow aspects of ourselves that we keep repressed with the outer distractions of spring and summer. In the dark we can work with the hurt and sad parts of ourselves so that they can be healed. 

• The darkness is the perfect time to shed and release.  It becomes easier to release and let go of pain and trauma during this time. We are ripe for relaxing into the release of all that we have been holding through the year. It is like letting out a huge deep sigh.

• The darkness is an opportunity to rest and restore.  In the fall and winter season we are called to hibernate, to rest and be gentle with ourselves. The winter season allows for both body and spirit to revitalize and replenish.

• The darkness brings context and allows the inner light to shine even more brightly. It’s like entering a long dark tunnel and trusting that the brilliant sun light shines on the other side.  Or mining in a dark cave for the brilliant diamond that lies shining within.  It helps us to discover who we truly are. 

• The darkness opens the portal to the soul. The darkness calls us inward where we can explore the inner self.  It allows us to go deeper into the depth of who we are. It opens the doorway for us to see into the unlimited energy that is our soul. 

Happy Solstice. May you embrace the darkness and all its gifts and connect to the parts of yourself that often go unnoticed in the busyness of life. I hope you enjoy the inward journey to the soul and that its unlimitedness and many gifts are revealed to you.

With Unlimited Love,

Lauren