Most of us know the Winter Solstice as the darkest day of the year, the moment when the northern hemisphere of the earth is tilted farthest away from the sun—it happens around 7:30 pm this Thursday, December 21. Some see it as a gloomy time that we need to just get through, so we can look forward to spring and summer.
The meaning, however, carries a much deeper significance. It’s the time when the substantial, contracting qualities of Yin—along with the cold and darkness—hand off the baton to the rising, expanding qualities of Yang, which include warmth and lightness.
It’s an odd but well-known mystery that the time following the winter solstice is when the greatest numbers of people die, but for those who understand how Chinese Medicine views it, it’s not surprising at all.
Let’s look at the taiji symbol—what many call the Yin-Yang symbol.
It’s easy to look at the Summer Solstice on this symbol and say, “Hey, what goes up must come down, right?” But the same is true for the Winter Solstice, i.e. what comes down must go up. Except that inertia is real and it can be hard to dig ourselves out of the hole of being sedentary and withdrawn.
That’s where that white dot in the symbol comes into play. That dot is the seed of Yang that helps us pivot from the most Yin and carries us into the time of Yang: greater activity, growth, making plans and carrying them out.
That white dot is where you come in, because there are very real things you can do that will help carry you through the rest of the winter while the weather—along with your body and spirit—is slowly warming up and preparing the earth for growth.
Here are things you can do right before, during, and after the solstice. Try any of them and you’ll find your body, mind, and spirit are lighter for it!
Light a candle at 7:30 pm this Thursday. It’s a symbolic and intentional bringing of the light—an intention to keep on living life to its fullest.
Use this time to consider where you are in life and how you would like to grow as a human being in the coming year.
Eat something warm and nourishing and spicy: a soup, stew, or stir fry is a great option. All the heavy, rich foods and sugary desserts you’ve been eating? Not so much. They make you feel more sluggish, not less.
Bring more warmth into your system. A steam or sauna is a great way to do this. A brisk walk or the warming yogic breath, ujjayi pranayama are also great.
Fire is the element of Yang, the heart, and joy. This is a great time to find joy and be creative. Play with your animals, and spend time with others who make you laugh. Paint, sing, write, collage. What else brings you joy?