Though our surroundings at this time of year relentlessly remind us of Christmas (unless you have spent the last 26 days under a rock, which might be preferrable), there is another event that I mark as most precious and under-acknowledged in common social circles: Winter Solstice. The shortest, darkest day of the year is today, with just nine hours and twenty minutes between sunrise and sunset. This marks a time when we shift gears and begin the move toward more light and increasingly extended days, which will culminate on the longest, lightest day of the year: June 21.

And yet, there are many hours, days, weeks between now and then. We will still feel the darkness of the Winter months for some time, with only one or two minutes of extra light every day. This is nature’s way of reminding us to relish the lessons that come with curling inward and basking in the silence that comes with the deep dark. We might compare the experience to the hibernation that so many animals in the wild step into during this time – allowing their bodies to rest and repair before Springtime coaxes them out. And so it goes for us humans, if we so choose to follow the wise teachings of this spinning planet we are on. By taking time to pause, rest, recharge, and listen for the voice inside that can only be heard when all is still and silent, we honor the natural cycles of the body and trust that our time in the dark will serve us well, come Spring.

I encourage you to seek the teachings of this Dark Time. To revel in days that ask you to do nothing and to spend time alone. To ask that the wisdom of this time come forward in your dreams, your journal writings, your dance, and your day-life experiences. All the while, welcoming the drop of light that is added to each passing day, moving us toward another season of revelation and rebirth.