Darkness (Winter Solstice)

On Saturday, December 21st, we (the northern hemisphere) will experience the least amount of sunlight in 365 days. The winter solstice occurs because the earth tilts and as it rotates around the sun it gets varying degrees of direct light.

We've all been privy to the general grumbling that occurs this time of year. Maybe we've perpetuated the grumbling. While it's understandable to enjoy the light, feel energized by it and miss it when we don't have a lot of it, the darkness holds the key to our ability to rest and rejuvenate. It was only recently that I understood why I love fall so much. There are several reasons, not the least of which is it's the beginning of the move inward. Summer has us amped up for months. Fall begins the wind down process. We can wear comfortable, comforting clothing. We can feel more settled.

Too much of anything can be detrimental. Just look at the poles of the earth. They have 6 months of light and dark at a time. There are all kinds of psychological issues associated with this. You can see studies on the physiological detriment of 3rd shift workers. There is a certain rhythm our bodies follow. When we disturb that rhythm, we get sick, physically or mentally.

This week's class is intended to help you see why you feel the way you do about the dark. For some, the dark is scary. I told my son he's afraid of the dark. He said no, he's afraid of coyotes in the dark. Please consider this semantic distinction. Most people aren't afraid of the dark itself. But we fill the dark. I told him, in that case, he's afraid of what he can't see in the dark. He agreed. I think this is true of most. For some, the dark is comforting. What does the dark hold for you?

Our practice will honor the dark while remembering the light. The winter solstice may be the longest night, but it heralds the return of the light. Every night after the 21st will be a little shorter until June.

Perspective

Last week I was working at a particularly negative patients house and was really in it. I didn't want to be there, I was trying not to breathe the smoke they were emitting and I was mopping. Not the most fun. I don't remember the catalyst for the thought, but I suddenly remembered a meeting with the current group of teacher trainees I attended. One of our number recounted a story she had heard on the radio told by an astronaut of his first time in space. He was struck by the perspective. On earth, you just know wind and rain and destruction. From space you can see the totality of a hurricane.  This thought made me smile. It was as if these beautiful, thoughtful people were with me, reminding me not to get caught up in the wind because there's always a bigger picture.

This week we consider the idea of perspective and how it can apply to our lives. I have had the opportunity lately to be in many homes. When you're sick and limited in mobility, your walls become your entire life, unless you're lucky enough to have visitors. It is so easy to get caught up in our own story lines and our own thought/emotion patterns. Hell, even when you can leave the house and aren't sick it can be possible to bring the walls with you.

My fellow trainee from earlier was using the analogy of the earth from space to explain a yogic concept of mind called buddhi. Yogis have categorized more detailed layers of mind than our western model. They say the buddhi level of mind is the part of you which can view the lower levels as the astronaut views the earth from space.

Our lives have moments in which we are overwhelmed by reaction. Each person has different triggers; different reactions. If we can gain even an inch of perspective on the situation, we're more likely to have the space to be able to make decisions instead of reacting.

What can you observe without getting emotionally involved? Mine is sports. I can watch any sporting event (except one in which my son is involved) and not feel a thing. Put yourself in that mental space when you practice this week. It is not something you have to get right. It's not something you have any stake in. It's just what you're doing for a while. All you have to do is watch.

Your Reaction to Extra Stress

Last week we considered ease in the face of stress. This week we continue with this idea. We will create space and fill it with ease, while we learn a little bit more about ourselves and how we deal with additional stress.

We have stress everyday. We have responsibilities that lead to stress. We exist with a base line of stress in our lives. We have full, or almost full, plates with family, home, work, and the attempt to find time for ourselves. So, when we encounter difficult changes in our situation we add to our base line stress. It's only a matter of personal capacity that determines when we will become overwhelmed.

The holidays are a good example of this kind of issue, but it is one we could encounter at any time. Anything unexpected and unpleasant could cause us to feel this additional stress. Car trouble was a problem for me not too long ago. More recently was Thanksgiving and work. I noticed that I was more apt to have negative thoughts and to be hard on myself when I encountered stress about my base line. I have learned to cultivate a piece of myself that sticks up for me, but when I have that extra layer of stress, I revert to an inner monologue that is harsh. My sense of self is diminished. That part of myself that has learned to stand up and demand respect for myself from myself is preoccupied with my extra layer of stress and I revert back to habits I've grown out of.

Today, open yourself up while you practice. Allow yourself the space to perceive. By the time we're through you'll have space, feel more at ease, and be able to handle whatever you've understood about yourself.