Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign hello and welcome to Deep in your yoga practice. I am Lauren Leduc, the owner and founder of True Love Yoga in Kansas City, Missouri. And today in this episode we'll be honoring the winter solstice through a yogic, ayurvedic and philosophical lens. December 21st was the winter solstice this year and I invite you to take this time to find a deep pause and slow down, reflect and attune to this potent time. This solstice can get buried under the other holidays of this year, but it is something people have been celebrating for a long time and I've chosen to honor it in my family life and rituals. My daughter and I read a sunbread book every year and then we make a loaf of bread that looks like the sun. As we are celebrating this shortest day of the year and the rebirth of the sun to come, so days will get longer and longer, which is this beautiful symbol of hope.
[00:01:09] So what is the winter solstice? It is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. It's this turning point. From this moment the light begins to return. The this is historically honored across cultures through many different observances as a sacred threshold between dark and light, death and rebirth. In yogic terms, the solstice is a natural samhita or a moment between that invites awareness, stillness as well as surrender. So of course we'll look at this through a yogic lens. There are several correlating energetic and philosophical concepts that come to mind. The with the winter solstice one being the fifth limb of yoga in the eight limb system, which is pratyahara or sense withdrawal, as well as durana, the sixth limb which is focus. They're both keys. Here we get to shelter from the cold, perhaps turn ourselves inward and maybe focus on what we're letting go of as the light returns. The solstice also reflects the tamasic energy.
[00:02:22] This is one of the states of nature in yoga and this energy is heavy and slow and inward. But the solstice also holds a seed of rajas energy which is kind of fiery, change oriented energy.
[00:02:40] And in my opinion it holds a bit of satva as well, which is this sweetness and clarity.
[00:02:48] And we find that through the hope of the return of the sun, the solstice is also an invitation to swadhyaya, one of the niyamas or spiritual observations of yoga, which is self study. So we can go inward, take note of how we're feeling this season, maybe notice what we're letting go of and what we're bringing into our lives. And it's also an opportunity to practice Ishwara Pranidana, which is surrender. We are part of this natural cycle of nature and we get to be a part of it and surrender to it and honor it through the solstice. This is also a time to embrace satya or truth as well as inner knowing, so we can take authentic and truthful stock of our lives and evaluate it with reverence, letting go of what we need to let go of, adding in what we would like to add in winter. Solstice also connects to Ayurveda, yoga, Sister Science. Winter is considered a kapha season. Technically, we're still in vata right now, which is airy and change oriented. But we're also moving into kapha, which is a cold and heavy and damp energy which encourages us to ground and also to find warming and nourishing practices.
[00:04:04] So this is an ideal time for abhyanga or self massage, for slow yoga, like gentle or yin or restorative, for warm spices, for soup, for tea, for introspection as well. The solstice supports building ojas or vitality and nourishing the nervous system. Ayurveda teaches us to align with the season and not resist it. It is so easy to want to hide from winter, but instead Ayurveda invites us to embrace it and to balance ourselves with it. The solstice is the ultimate reminder to slow down, to warm up and turn inward, according to Ayurveda. I wanted to offer a few rituals if you would like to observe the solstice. You can mark this sacred day or days through home practices. You might choose to do a candlelit slow flow or yin practice. Maybe you find a meditation practice in the dark or even trataka by lighting a candle and gazing at it as your meditation. Maybe you're journaling on what has been gestating in the dark. So what is lying in the corners of your minds that needs to come to light? You might take a moment for a silent meal or even a tea ceremony. And I definitely also recommend getting outside. So it's a great time to take a nature walk at sunrise or sunset and to really note the different changes that have occurred in nature and to find gratitude for them. Dormancy doesn't mean death. It is simply time for rest, replenishment and renewal. We'll be continuing this theme of letting go in our next episode. It's the last episode of the year and I'll lead you through a release ritual. I love to do this every year. It's such a great way to take stock, to honor the moment and to be really conscious of where our life is, honor where it's been, and be intentional about where it's going. So I'd love you to come back next week with a journal, a candle, and an open heart, and we can release the year together. I'd love to invite you to True Love Yoga for Yin classes and restorative classes to honor stillness, our teacher training programs for deeper yogic wisdom, and of course, expert guidance from our teachers. Thank you so much for joining me today for this Winter Soul, this episode. I will see you next week. Om Shanti. Om. Peace.
