Short and sweet – this message is woven with my profound gratitude for you, for getting to share my journey with you and vice versa. You move and inspire me, and I know I am not alone.
The coming weekend marks the winter solstice. Of all the things to celebrate at this time of year, for me, the coming of the light is perhaps the most profound. My favorite part about the holidays is the lights. In order for light to be visible, we need the dark. Along with the dark of this time of year, is the deep quiet of waiting. The earth is frozen, animals hibernate. Everything slows as it waits for the warmth and the light.
One year, when I was working as a receptionist at the Presbyterian Counseling Service, we had a staff meeting focused on the dark; what it means to be in the dark at this time of year on a number of levels. I found it profound. It reminded me, that like the yin and the yang, we need the darkness to experience the light. This is a time to embrace the darkness, not push it away. I have come to think of the dark and the quiet of the winter solstice as “the hush of hope.”
Imagine, someone tells you they have a surprise for you (and you can tell from the light in their eyes that it is not a spider or a slimy thing). They tell you to close your eyes, and hold out your hands. There is a moment when you almost hold your breath in anticipation. You know it will be good; you are satisfied to rest in the bright feeling of not knowing. This too, is the hush of hope.
What darkness in you, or in your life, do you need to drop into, to feel, to face, to make friends with, so you can forgive yourself and move on? This is work that needs to be done before you can do what comes next: to rest in the hush of hope.
Coach’s Challenge: Take 20 minutes for yourself. Close your eyes, scan your body, heart, mind, and find a corner of darkness. Breathe into it. What is that spot telling you? How can you extend it compassion, reassurance, and forgiveness? Once you have let it express its darkness, breathe more light into it – allow the black to turn to grey, to smoke, to dawning light. This is the way you build your capacity to carry light into the world, by allowing more and more ease into your physical and energetic self. Bless you and thank you for the light you bring to the world! As always, I invite you to leave a comment — to share your journey.
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