In The Depths of Winter
We had the last Full Moon of the calendar year last weekend.
It was a 'Major Lunar Standstill', which only happens every 18.6 years. It means that the moon rose as far to the north as she ever does.
And tomorrow, we have the Winter Solstice for those of us north of the Equator (9.20am here in Ireland, Saturday 21st December). The shortest day of daylight in the year. The longest night.
(Amazingly, 9.5 hours less of daylight than we had for the Summer Solstice in June.)
Our ancestors knew how to be at this time of year. Resting, reflecting, being still, being content in the darkness.
That makes sense, doesn't it?
And yet, our modern life, in the lead up to Christmas, is often the opposite. Hectic-ness, busy-ness, 'do, do, do', exhaustion, just wanting to get ourselves 'over the line'.
I first started practicing mindfulness fairly regularly, about 12 years ago, when I was super busy and pretty stressed most of the time. (And to be honest, I was mightily impressed with myself, that I could handle so much, and keep functioning so well. (Or so I thought.....))
One big learning I had on my mindfulness journey, was the idea that our energy, our awareness, can actually be in front of us.
For example - when I was driving, usually running a little late (whilst hoping that I would make the time up and arrive on time) - my upper body was braced forward in the driver's seat, shoulders hunched forwards (all quite subtle - but definitely physical tension), meaning that my neck and head were also forwards, with my hands tightly gripping the steering wheel.
At the time, completely unconscious of this stressed position.
And interestingly, this 'braced forward' position (which was most likely how I walked as well) I came to learn, also represented my pre-frontal cortex wanting to be out in front, leading the way, with all its (her?) wonderful analytical thinking, planning, pre-empting, do-ing prowess.
As I dwelt on this, I could almost feel the buzz of this part of my brain, and that it was out front.
I began to practice 'coming backwards' into my head and body.
At first, I wasn't quite sure what this meant, or at least, how to 'sense' it, or experience it in my body. But as I persisted with the practice, I started to feel it. Just some kind of inner move of energy, from my forehead, back into the middle of my head; from the front of my body, into my back. And it was very relaxing!
And so I offer you that, if you feel like you have to always be on 'go, go, go' mode. Just imagine that backward movement of energy, of focus. Maybe close your eyes and imagine your eyes looking backwards into your mind, soften the eyes. Imagine where the back of your head is. Then imagine the back of your body - perhaps move down from the back of your head, to the base of your skull, then the back of your neck, back of your shoulders, upper back, middle back, lower back and back of the pelvis. Maintaining your attention on all of these parts. If you're able to lie down on the floor, or bed right now, try that too. Then you can feel the physical contact between these places and the actual floor or bed. Imagine your body sinking down, being held by the floor for example. You could also release even more on your out breath - so with a few out breaths, sinking even more into the floor.
In this way, we get to be still.
We move out of our busy mind, and into another part of us, that knows stillness and peace. And it's very lovely when we find it.
We can be reminded that our busy mind (usually left hemisphere) is not our 'baseline state'.
In reality, it IS where most of us spend the majority of our time, in our Western culture.
So as Dan McTiernan says in his Embodied Permaculture meditations, we shouldn't criticise or castigate ourselves when we realise we've been in our busy mind.
Rather, we clock it, 'Ah, there I was again!' and we have the option to go to this other place of Being.
Settled, calm, peaceful, embodied, grounded, still.
Which is what this very special time in Winter is inviting us to do.
Rest. Hibernate. Be gentle with yourself. Slow down. Sleep.
(Dan McTiernan's course is great for this - see Resources.)
As I reflect on how Nature is very wise, and is often giving us all the clues (like the answers are hiding in plain sight!) - I love to think of how our fellow more-than-human beings are at this dark time of year.
Maybe not totally hibernating, but lying low, being quiet, keeping each other warm, being cosy in the dark, conserving energy....
I've also had a couple of wonderful opportunities this week to be in a mindful, Winter-dark, compassionate space with other people. With huge thanks to Ruth Davey FRSA for her mindful photography class, and the hosts of the Climate Coaching Alliance Compassionate Pod (Jane Brendgen, Liz Hall, Lindsay Wittenberg & Mark McMordie) for creating such a special place for Coaches to be together. (Open to all Coaches! And carrying on monthly from January again... see below.)
You may have heard me use the phrase before - 'Rest is Radical'.
This is the notion that it actually goes against the grain in our society, for us to rest. We tend to believe we must be productive all the time, we must have concrete outcomes, that a day is 'wasted' if all we did was rest.
How bizarre, when you think about it!
We're mammals. We are Nature too. We can't actually get away from that.
Time to lean in to your 'mammal-ness' I'd say.
Be a mammal this solstice season.
(And...... I just heard, the UN recently made December 21st - the solstice - 'World Meditation Day'. Another invitation to practice rest, inner embodiment, and quietness.)
'Til Next Time.....Go Well
To contact me: wendy@wendyrobinson.org
Resources:
Dan McTiernan's wonderful embodied course - 9-week course online, as part of community (I've just started Week 1, so I might see you there!)
https://earthbound.fi/embodied-permaculture-course
Climate Coaching Alliance - Compassion Pod - meets monthly, for meditation and community sharing:
https://www.climatecoachingalliance.org/communities/compassion-pod/