Winter Solstice and Yoga
Cultures around the world celebrate the winter solstice, and Indian culture is no different. In traditional Vedic astrology, the winter solstice is called Uttarayana, representing the first day of the sun’s northward journey through the sky when the light is returning. This is an auspicious time because it represents the advent of hope for the future and the universal light that shines within all living beings.
In our Winter Solstice Practice, we focus on this light. The light of the sun is deeply connected to atman or the light of the soul that lies within each of us. When we honor these different moments of the sun’s passage through the sky, we also reconnect to the light within ourselves.
Since the winter solstice is the shortest day with the shortest amount of sunlight, we harness our own inner light instead and begin to nurture our qualities of kindness, compassion, positivity, gratitude, authenticity, creativity, a sense of purpose, empathy, generosity, optimism, and the ability to inspire and uplift others—essentially reflecting a positive and radiant energy that shines from within us.
Because the winter solstice also brings us the longest night, it is often connected to the dark night of the soul, a spiritual concept that invites us to celebrate the depths of who we are, and honor that we all have parts of us that the light has yet to touch. Only out of darkness can light begin to shine.
The dark night of the soul invites us to celebrate the seeds of potential that live within us all. Some believe that when your soul came to this earth, it came equipped with everything it needed to achieve what it needed to achieve. These seeds of awareness are within you, and only by acknowledging them, nourishing them, and giving them time to grow in the darkness, will you be able to bring them into the light.
The night of the Winter Solstice can be a time for you to travel through the soil of your own soul and see what needs attention and nurturing. This is your time to go within, quiet your mind through meditation, and travel deep to the place where your body meets your soul.
By bringing these concepts into our yoga practice, we can deepen into the spiritual truth of yoga and harmonize these energies of light and dark within us.
To prepare for the Winter Solstice, try some of these awareness practices:
Reflect, Reset, and Realign
As the Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year (and the shortest day!), the beginning of winter, and the return of light, our yoga and meditation practices provide an opportunity to pause, reflect on the past year, and to let go of things that no longer serve us or that we no longer need, to realign with our guiding principles, and to express gratitude.
Try a short yoga practice or meditation to bring you to stillness.
Write down three things you are grateful for each day for 30 days. After, continue the practice by thinking of three things you are grateful for either before you go to bed or when you awake—or both!
Think of something that no longer serves you, perhaps an old thought or belief, and practice the American mantra of Let Go. Inhale and LET into you life what you want (I am calm and relaxed as I speak in front of a group) and exhale GO-release what no longer serves you (anxiety, fear of judgment).
Align with Seasonal Energy
By practicing grounding practices like our Yoga Therapeutics I and II, breathwork, and meditation, we align with the introspective and calming energy of the season, which encourages us to become still and connect to ourselves on a deeper level.
Boost Energy and Warmth
Dynamic yoga poses increase circulation and generate warmth, countering the sluggishness and cold of winter, while invigorating both body and mind. Try our Mindful Yoga or our All-Levels classes for an energy boost!
Support Emotional Well-being
The darker days of winter can impact mood. Yoga, with its focus on breath and movement, helps reduce stress, enhance present-moment awareness, and uplift the spirit.
Celebrate Connection to Nature
Yoga during the Solstice honors nature’s cycles, helping us reconnect with the earth’s rhythms and fostering gratitude for seasonal changes. Walk the beach, read with your spine against a tree trunk, observe the migration of birds, create a sanctuary space for yourself.
Rest, reflect, unplug, nourish, and pamper!
Namaste.