Building My Inner Light Kim Lohan
Winter solstice is approaching and as the days get shorter, I find my energy starting to wane. I decided to make a plan to work on charging up my inner light. Here’s what I came up with, and to make this happen I wrote it in my day planner:
Dec. 21: Dark / light exercises (see Elizabeth’s post below).
Dec. 22: Candlelight meditation.
Dec. 23: Dance party. – I find that anytime I dance around my living room it really charges up my field. I will probably do this by the light of the Christmas tree.
Dec. 24: Go complaint free all day!
Dec. 25: Go to bed 1 hour earlier than normal. – Seriously, I am already looking forward to this.
Dec. 26: Recharge. – Choose something that boosts your energy: maybe it’s a yoga class or hanging out in a bookstore or taking a walk.
Dec. 27: Unplug. – Disconnect from all technology.
Dec. 28: Gratitude notes. – Write a thank you note to a friend, family member or teacher.
Dec. 29: Rent a comedy. – Pick something that strikes your funny bone. I want to spend the night laughing.
Dec. 30: Create a vision board. – Create a collage of what you’d like your life to look like. This is a powerful way to energetically clarify what you want.
Dec. 31: Edit bookshelf. – Go through books and release those with which I am done. Decluttering helps to recharge you and your home.
Dark and Light Elizabeth Bain
December is a busy time of year for many: completing projects; celebrating holidays with friends and family. Here in the Northern Hemisphere it is winter and the days are short, the nights long. Whether you are aware of difficulties traversing this busy season full of contrasting dark and light or not, I’m going to share some simple ways to shift your perspective and recharge yourself when you need it most.
In our dualistic culture/mindset, we tend to label and judge things frequently and quickly (often this is learned from such an early age, we’re not aware of the process). While we could easily get overwhelmed with the thought of removing judgment from our daily lives, here we are just focusing on our labels and judgments of dark and light. Dark is not bad, just as light is not good. Dark and light just are; we choose to label and judge them as bad or good. They are both tools that we can choose to use for our benefit. Dark can be used to create a womb-like space free from distractions and ripe for introspection, getting to know some aspect of self better, dreaming big. Light can be used as fuel whether you are sitting in the sun and feeding the physical body on the cellular level or lighting up the energy bodies for clearing or inspiration.
This year winter solstice falls on December 21st or 22nd depending where you are on the planet. Traditional celebrations are often fire oriented and many cultures have celebrations of light in some form or another. While the solstice is just one day, celebrating light can be an every day event or occasion. To fully celebrate the light, I like to celebrate the dark, too, as there cannot be one without the other.
Exercise 1, Knowing the Dark: Choose a time well after the sun has set, step outside into the dark (in a safe place with lights off or inside create darkness if that’s safer). Breathe, settle into your body and notice what dark feels like for you: physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically. Notice what labels and judgments appear. Just notice what is. Acknowledge the dark. Feel the dark that is outside of you and feel the dark that is inside of you. Feel the void as a space both empty and full of possibilities. Honor and respect the dark. Say any prayers of thanks that come to you. Notice how you feel now: physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically. Then, gently breathe back into your body in the now, opening your eyes as you are ready.
Exercise 2, Knowing the Light: Choose a time when there is sun and pause in the sun (outside preferably, but inside works, too). Breathe, settle into your body and notice what light feels like for you: physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically. Notice what labels and judgments appear. Just notice what is. Acknowledge the light. Feel the light that is outside of you and feel the light that is inside of you. Notice if they merge or not. Notice where that merging does or does not take place. Honor and respect the light. Say any prayers of thanks that come to you. Notice how you feel now: physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically. Then, gently breathe back into your body in the now, opening your eyes as you are ready.
(Tip: If you find that it’s difficult to read the exercise and do it at the same time, find a friend to assist. Have the friend read the exercise to you slowly, calmly, while you relax into the exercise. And then after a pause, trade roles and read aloud for your friend.)
elizabethbain11 