12/22/2021
Happy Winter Solstice! ✨the darkest day births the beginning of light. With each passing day, our light begins to grow, and only after the most extreme darkness of today.
In Daoism, this is illustrated in the Taiji symbol ☯️. As you can see, the dark side is growing at the bottom, the large bulbous area at about 6 o’clock. The moment right after the largest area of darkness, the lightness of the symbol is shown, the birth and growth of Yang.
This may seem hard to explain but just think of this, on Winter Solstice, it’s the darkest day, shortest day, the least amount of light.
The very next day, the days begin to get longer until we reach summer solstice, the longest day with the most brightness. The very next day the days begin to shorten. And so on.
These cycles of life and seasons are a reflection of our inner landscape. It’s the ebb and flow of our energy, mood, sleep cycle and our attunement to our environment and others.
These two correspondences…yin/yang, fire/water, feminine/masculine, and function/form are interdependent and cannot exist without the other.
When we embrace each side and accept the season as our guide to our health and well being, we are supported by a greater force that is undeniable. The universe around us. This is the Dao. ✨
How I embrace the Yin/Kidney cycle:
- more sleep
- more bone broth, soups + stews
- more fresh ginger tea
- more warming spices
- more hot epsom salt baths
- more reading + introspection
- less screen time
- less raw foods
- less sweating
- less talking
How are you embracing the Winter season? Many Yin blessings to you and yours! ✨
