By Alicia Genna

“Tired eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the Eastern glow.” — Robert Plant

The winter solstice marks the end of the annual cycle of birth, growth, and decline. It is a time of hushed darkness, internal rewiring, and deep meaningful dreams.

The days approaching the winter solstice are of dim, shallow light. The nights are prolonged and “the beads of time pass slow.” Movement that is unhurried, steady, and calculated is characteristic of this time. It is a turning point marked by a bone-penetrating cold that gives birth to warmth again — the midwinter moment from which new life seeds. From this deep mood, the days are reborn and slowly begin to grow. It is Yin transforming into Yang in nature.

Solstice derives from the Latin “solstitium” which means stopped, stationary, or still. Though there is always movement in nature, to the naked eye, the sun appears to be suspended in the sky during this time. Here in New York, the sun makes a bashful appearance above our horizon for a mere nine hours.

The darkness, slowness, and deepness should encourage us to remain quiet, still, aware, and reflective. This is a time to meditate, for as perspective is most profound in the winter of one’s life, so will be perspective at the end of the seasonal cycle. We are in a space between death and rebirth, the most mysterious place. You can find volumes of knowledge here.

In this time surrounding the winter solstice, go to sleep early and rise later, as hibernation is the way of winter — let the sun’s rays warm the atmosphere before you expose yourself to the elements and let your dreams fill the night. Find respite from your stressors — allow the best potential for your immunity by decreasing its antagonists. Pamper your body, mind, and soul with slow practices — Epsom salt baths, warm massages, hearty broths, meditations, and introduction of rituals.

Following the solstice will be a new beginning. Continue the practices discovered in your wise, old season. Continue to listen to and nurture yourself. From this point forward, the darkness will recede. Replant yourself into the world on the best platform as the sun slowly begins to take the stage again.

Oh, and don’t forget… “dance in the dark of night, sing to the mornin’ light.”

By Alicia Genna

“We lose a great deal, I think, when we lose this sense and feeling for the sun. When all has been said, the adventure of the sun is the great natural drama by which we live, and not to have joy in it and awe of it, not to share in it, is to close a dull door on nature’s sustaining and poetic spirit.” – Henry Beston

Henry Beston, Nietzsche, those composers of the ancient Chinese medical doctrine the Neijing, and countless other great thinkers, writers, and admirers of the natural world describe this undeniable connection between humanity and the Sun and seasons. From the Gregorian calendar to our individual emotional inclinations, our worlds have been shaped by the rotation of Earth around Sun, and we’re never more aware of this connection than when the seasons change.

Living in harmony with the orbit - the cyclical variations - allows us to understand and transcend our relationship with the Sun. As the days sink into quieter rhythm, gradually cooling and darkening, we too should begin a transition from the transformative and dynamic movement of Summer to refinement and returning to the root – a transition into our internal Autumn.

Aligning yourself with the nature of this season is a valuable practice for the improvement and support of health: Eat vegetables and whole grains to aid in the autumnal cleanse. Consume warm and hearty foods like nuts and roots to ready your belly for Winter. Relax in the late afternoon and evening hours to reinstate a calm and restfulness. Focus internally to cultivate body and mind. Breathe deeply to clear impurities from the blood. Take long walks outside (with a scarf) in nature to absorb the dwindling sunbeams and relish the beauty.

Leaving behind the wild and sublime nature of Summer often carries with it a feeling of loss, a “fall” from that higher plane where life is full and the world seems to be spinning faster than normal. But it’s important to let things go gracefully (as the fall of leaves) – keep only the pure - and ground yourself (take root). Autumn is about harnessing the essentials and eliminating the exorbitant. It is a time to offer your body, mind, and soul the very best stores for Winter.