Apricity - The Winter Sun
To apricitate means to bask in the Winter Sun. The winter sun is sweet and gentle like honey. She soaks the windswept shores in her honey caress. I turn my face towards her and she sings to me, soothing even the deepest heartache.
Apricity. My love.
The Winter Solstice fell yesterday. The darkest day. A time to set intentions for the brightening days. A time to shed. I think of the deciduous trees, how they shed their leaves to conserve energy for new growth. They allow parts of themselves to die every year with no shame or regret. We have so much to learn from the trees.
Winter reminds me of England. The colder weather calls for cosy jumpers and reading books in bed, candles flickering, fire on. The dark evenings wrap me up in their loving embrace, I sleep by 8pm and I wake later with the rising sun.
My walks to Bengello through the Bangalay Forest get wilder and wilder. The wind whips my hair and I hear the call of the mountain. The wind howls down from Mother Mountain Gulaga as she rises like a beacon from the mist. She’s asking me to step up.
As the Sufi poet Rumi says
‘every leaf that grows will tell you,
what you sow will bear fruit.
So if you have any sense, my friend
don’t plant anything but love,
What we focus on will grow. We are what we repeatedly do. So I make a commitment to her, to this world, to lead with love. To ensure my thoughts, words and actions are coming from love, rather than fear. To not get caught in the illusion of lack. To remember who I am. To heal anything that keeps me stuck and to awaken every day to the magic that is all around.
The Solstice, whether Summer or Winter is a portal. It’s a time to remember the magic that is all around.
In ancient cultures our ancestors were much more tuned in to the unseen energetic realm. They believed in omens and spirit guides. We could look at this and think it’s ‘superstition’ but what if it’s not? The more I tune in with the seasons, the more I notice the plants coming into flower heralding the changing of the light, the more I rest, the more I look after myself, the more I experience this magic. I’ll think about a friend and they’ll call me. I’ll ask for a sign and it comes. What if we’ve busied and distracted ourselves into disconnection?
We have an incredible opportunity to relearn the ‘old ways’. To tap back into ritual and spirituality, to infuse our lives with meaning and nourish our souls. We can use technology, scientific advances and all the knowledge we have to add richness to this fundamental tapestry of life. It doesn’t have to be a battle. We are multi-dimensional beings and we can be everything at once.
The solstice reminds us that in the darkest day, light is coming, and in the lightest day, the dark is coming. Dark and light are not good or bad. They simply are. We cannot know one without the other. Without darkness we couldn’t sleep (have you ever tried to sleep in an airport?? I have and it’s not a fun time).
PRACTICE
Now, more than ever I invite you to go inwards. Start a meditation practice. Sit with yourself for 2 minutes. Start really small at first. Just 2 minutes. Set a timer. Light a candle. Create an altar, which simply means placing significant items in a significant place in your house. Sit on a cushion in front of this alter. Say thank you for waking up. For your warm bed. For your friends and family. For whatever and whoever you feel grateful for. Ask yourself ‘how do I want to live’. Ask yourself, ‘are my thoughts, words and actions leading me closer to inner peace or further from it.’
At the end of the day come back to your alter. Take a review of your day. Remember how many times you felt connected to your heart. Remember your morning intention. Even if at the end of the day you realise you didn’t remember your morning intention for even a second, it’s a celebration. Because NOW you’re remembering. This is intentional living.
Above all, you cannot tune into your own intuition if your nervous system is run ragged. Rest is so important. This is a great time to practice Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra (come to Friday nights Flow to Let Go), Gentle Yoga. If you’re usually a sweaty vinyasa flow person, the faster and hotter the better, this is an invitation to try slowing things down. If you feel too sluggish, a little of the sweaty can bring you out of that slump. Just like nature, our bodies are constantly working to find balance (homeostasis). We can use the plethora of practices available at our fingertips (thanks internet) to regulate our nervous system. What a gift! What an incredible time to be alive.
I’ll see you on the mat. All my love