Yearly Archives: 2008

Yesterday was Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. I find such wonder here, a sacredness. There is a feeling of depth, mystery and inner wisdom. The longest night gives space for us to go within ourselves, into our hearts, and discover what is resting here, what is hiding in the depths of the darkness.

Often, we turn away from the darkness, as it is unknown and the insights are sometimes unwanted. It can lead to realizations that may change the path we are on, it may hold too much pain to bear, or be too frightening. It may push our boundaries of what we are capable of, of what our heart desires this life to be about. Yet, it is wise. And so it is comforting, knowing that this wisdom knows… knows where the path leads, knows what will become. If we are able to hear the wisdom, trusting it is the only necessity.

Yesterday I celebrated the solstice by beginning 108 days of inquiry and meditation. Akshara and I have each made the commitment to sit for an hour a day, giving this time to the inner wisdom. As part of my meditation, I will be breathing through the Microcosmic Orbit, a practice that I find to be very peaceful and calming. I have previously done 100 days of meditation with a practice called Stillness-Movement, which I found to be very profound and life changing. Doing a practice for 100 days offers a deeper experience. We travel a journey that continues to deepen inward as each day unfolds. Eventually, it feels as if the meditation is doing us instead of us doing the meditation. I am looking forward to the journey that will take us into spring.

Today, the first day of the new year of light, I feel so blessed to be alive, witnessing it’s return. I sense the opening of the way and I turn to face the new dawn. I ask, what is it offering? It is life in all it’s wonder, sharing with us a gift of insight and planting of the seeds. And it shares the ability to be absorbed by all that is here.

As the nights get shorter again, slowly, we have the inner strength to find comfort in the unknown, in the mysterious darkness of the truth of ourselves. We may eventually discover the light is also here, just hiding underneath the darkness, just out of sight. Patiently, the light waits for the darkness to dissolve around it, just by us seeing and noticing it, so that the light may shine in it’s true radiance and beauty.