Self Care for the Solstice
December brings the Winter Solstice, and with it, the longest night of the year. Each day leading up to the 21st is just a little shorter and a little darker. As this is also a very busy and potentially stressful time of year with holidays, year-end deadlines, and travel, I thought it might be helpful to offer a practice that both grounds and restores you while honoring the cycles of the seasons. This can be done daily or as needed as a way to center yourself - releasing what no longer serves you and setting an intention or intentions for what you envision. This can also be a great exercise to mark the end of the year, allowing you to release the things you want to leave in 2025 and creating intentions for 2026.
You’ll need only a candle and something to light it (an LED candle will also work!) and paper and something to write with.
First, find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted.
Before you begin, write the things that you’d like to let go of on a small piece of paper. Light your candle, and take a few deep slow breaths, in through your mouth and out through your nose.
Open your eyes, soften your gaze, and focus your attention on the flame of the candle.
Picture yourself being rooted in place - you can visualize tree roots growing out from your body and deep into the earth, grounding you in place.
Sit quietly and try to focus on your breath for as long as is comfortable. Notice any thoughts that come up, and if needed write them on the paper with the other things you’d like to release.
When you are ready, silently express gratitude for what you are releasing. You can either burn the paper, symbolically releasing what was written, or if that’s not an option, rip your paper up into tiny pieces and dispose of it.
Before extinguishing the candle, take a few moments to write your intentions for the next day, week, or month on another piece of paper. Your intentions can be actions you’d like to take, emotions you’d like to feel, or hopes you have for the future. These intentions can be simple or grand.
You can come back to this practice any time you feel like you need some grounding and recentering.
