Reflecting on the Light During Winter Nights

Memories of Winter’s Past

If you live in the Northern hemisphere, you are about to experience the longest night of the year and the shortest day.  How do you feel about that?  Do you have good or bad memories of this season?   A couple of things stand out for me.

My first memories of this holiday season are from childhood.  I grew up as a Jewish girl in a Sicilian Catholic family (long story).  Our family celebrated Christmas and I was often sick at this time of the year, which also happened to be during my birthday.  I had the unfortunate honor of being born the day after Jesus Christ, so no one was interested in celebrating my birth except my Mom who established a special way of celebrating.  She took me shopping on the biggest sale day of the year.  My husband continued that tradition for a long time.  This year, I do not want to buy anything.  I feel like I have everything and so many people do not have even enough food to eat.

My Favorite Christmas Movies

During those dark days of winter, I remember every year watching two movies– It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34^th Street.  Both movies made me feel extremely hopeful.  50 years later I understand the deeper messages of these movies as they relate to thoughts, beliefs, and Miracles. 

It seems that these story writers really understood how our thoughts which are often based on outdated beliefs passed down may need to be challenged in order to see the light.   I remember the line “I Believe, I Believe” as our sweet protagonist Susan Walker finally gets everything she wishes for in the face of great doubt: a new daddy, a new home, and a new belief that Santa is real.  Santa, in my opinion, is the Angel in that movie.

Angels also play an important role in It’s a Wonderful Life. Clarence does not look like your typical Angel, but he helps Jimmy Stewart to finally wake up and see the light in his imperfect life. He has had a “wonderful life” and everything he did in his life illuminated the world and people around him.

How Will You Take Time to Shine Your Inner Light this Winter?

As I look back to these sentimental holiday movies, I see so many strong hopeful messages in them. 

Whether you celebrate the winter solstice, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza and or another holiday at this time of year, they all, are in part, about hope and light.  This makes this time immensely powerful for reflecting on all the moments of light in your life that have helped you through the darkest days.  It can be a time of hope for all of us if we can focus on our internal source of light and the higher vibrational energy of our Soul, which I believe is in our Hearts.

Ceremonies help us create rituals around these events. Below is a simple ceremony that you could do on December 21^st to celebrate the Winter Solstice to activate the light inside of yourself.  This technique is adapted from Yoga International How to Set a Sankulpa.  

A Winter Solstice Intention Setting Practice Ritual

Sit either on a yoga mat or a chair.

Stare into a fire or light a candle and asked yourself the following questions.  These questions will help you design and set three intentions.

• If I knew I could not fail, what would I do that I’m not doing now?  Even more important, Why is doing this important to me?
• What is standing in my way? What has stopped me from achieving this intention in the past?
• What do I need to incorporate this intention into my life? Do I need a system? Do I need more time? Do I need more money?
• What kind of support do I need? Are there people in my life currently who are working toward a similar intention? Are there people in my life who will work against me, consciously or otherwise, in achieving my intentions?

I am holding two intention setting yoga classes this week live on Zoom.  Tuesday and Thursday at 9 am.  You can sign up for Tuesday’s Yoga for the Winter Solstice here.  Sign up for Thursday Yin Yoga for Holiday Light here.

Wishing you a Holiday season filled with light that will illuminate your heart’s desires.

Love and Light,

Andrea Trank