Today is the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of winter. Spiritually, the solstice marks a time for the release of negative thought patterns and bad habits and embracing hope and renewal amid the darkness of winter as we begin to see our days slowly get longer.
As nature settles into stillness and hibernation, we may also feel a draw to turn inward — nurturing ourselves through self-care rituals and finding time in our daily lives to be still and quiet and reflective.
Below are a few ways to honor this time of year and yourself as we enter the winter season this week:
Take a walk outside. Be aware of the coolness of the air on your skin. Take a deep breath in through the nose and notice the scents: the trees and fallen leaves, soil, wood smoke.
Yoga, of course! Practice slow, gentle yoga. Meditate by focusing on your breath and bringing your awareness to your Ajna chakra (your third eye between your brows) as you reflect on anything in your life that is no longer serving you well. Acknowledge it, honor it, release it.
It’s very cliche, I know, but one of my best-loved self-care rituals is to sit in a hot bath. I ask that my family give me the time and space to just be without doing for a little while.
If you’re looking for an easy way to practice self-care this holiday week, create an account on our website (or log-in to your current account) and check out the recording of tonight’s Yin class in the content library. It’s FREE for any logged-in customer and focuses on meditation, breath, basic, long-held poses and ends with a short Nidra. It’s available now through next Friday (12/30). Grab some blankets and pillows and take an hour to be a human being instead of a human doing