December 2021
Greetings and well wishes to all!
Can you feel winter coming??!? Burr! Here in the North East it’s been hitting us like a brick wall! I used to hate winter but now I see it as a part of my spirit’s journey. The quiet part. The renewing part. The self-care and self-love part. The time to dream and sow those dreams in fertile soil. That is why the winter solstice is such an integral part of how I approach the winter season now. It transformed my previous dread into marvel and adoration. It gives meaning to the long nights and quite hours and wonder to the cold days and gray skies.
During the Winter Solstice -also known as Yule or midwinter or longest night-the sun is at the lowest point in the sky. This day we experience the shortest hours of sun and the longest night. This marks the start of winter and the sun moves into Capricorn. Hereafter, the cycle of light returns with days getting ever so slightly brighter and brighter until the Summer Solstice, which, conversely is the longest day and shortest night.
“The longest night gifts us with time to enter the darkness, fully. We hold our breaths with nature, where life is suspended waiting in extremis. The stillness behind action gathers as we empty and trust in our renewal. What will you give/lose to the night?” Oak Chezar@Mother Tongue Ink 2019.
On this longest night, we are invited to go inward, to get still, to pause and reflect. What lessons did we learn from last year’s journey? What did we grow and create? What are we holding on to that no longer serves us? Allowing this deep exhale to release, give gratitude and create space for our new breath of light and wisdom.
Ceremony ~What celebration and ceremony means at this time~
For thousands of years people have been coming together to celebrate the winter solstice: from Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland, to the Yuzu baths in Japan, people from around the world have create ceremony recognizing this day part of their cultural tradition.
These ceremonies and rituals allow us to pause and to be present. They allow us to ground into the moment and to take a bigger look at what is going on around us. This moment can offer us more sympathy, empathy, compassion, understanding, contemplation, love, and assurance. It can also help us create healing for wounds or loss we’ve experienced. It can realign us with our purpose, our dharma, our goals and our dreams, helping to keep us in track. Ceremony connects us to our inner nature and our community on this planet. It allows us to be more human.
This ritual will be combined with a meditation to sow the ‘inner seeds’ of this symbology into our hearts and souls.
The Invitation:
I will be holding two circles & meditations this December: one live online on Sunday 12/19 at 4pm, and one in my home office at 6pm on 12/21 in Northport NY. Decide which will work best for you.
What you will need :
- a candle
- a stone or crystal
- small bowl of water
- a feather, wand or leaf
- a journal and a pen
- anything you may want to grab to make you more comfortable while you sit for the meditation.
These Workshops are FREE. This is my seva to this community and I offer it as a part of my dharma, to serve and create sacred spaces. If you feel like you would like to contribute to a cause I am fundraising for the rest month of December to the Retreat. This nonprofit organization helps women in domestically abusive environments get the support and protection they need. As a survivor of domestic abuse, I know the holidays are the hardest times of year in these situations. Substance abuse often accompanies these types of relationships and the holidays spike substance dependencies and create more violence. Please help if you can to assure more women and children are saved and out of harm’s way this holiday season. This gift of peace and safety can help to uplift and change their lives forever.
Also, if you aren’t able to join for the Solstice Circle & Meditation in person or the online group and are interested “The Creating Your Own Winter Solstice Ritual Guide (PDF)” I’ve created, please reach out to me and I will send you one right to your mailbox!
I will leave you with the lyrics of my favorite songs to listen to this time of year; “Long Time Sun” by Snatam Kaur.
‘May the long time sun
Shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light
Within you
Guide your way on
Guide your way on
Guide your way on
Sat Nam’ (God is true and everlasting)
Be Blessed,
Shana
Related posts…
Why Most Vision Boards Don’t Work (And What I Do Instead)
It starts with a slight itch. Like nothing quite feels right. Like when you have an itchy sweater on that you just NEED to take off. But once it’s off, that itch is still there.
That’s kind of what it feels like when you’re feeling ready for a new chapter… but unsure how to cross the threshold. Got the itch? Then keep reading ~ this is for you.
I write this from a place of lived experience… and then some. Many, many, MANY times I’ve changed directions (for my astrology peeps- that’s my intercepted MC hard at work!). And that “in-between” space? It’s a REAL place. Not only real, but a tender place where the old version of you is loosening(old routines, old roles, old identities) but the new version hasn’t fully been discovered yet. And if you’re an empath (or having a deeply ‘feely’ human moment), it can seem like: “Why can’t I just decide already?” “Why am I emotional for no reason?” “Why do I want change and also want to hide under a blanket forever?”
We burn out. We disconnect. And we convince ourselves that magic was never real to begin with.
But here’s what I know: you’re allowed to stop waiting for those dreams. You’re allowed to stop participating in the hustle culture. You’re allowed to pause and breathe. And most importantly? You’re allowed to start creating.
Got the Itch? How to Start a New Chapter When You Feel Stuck
It starts with a slight itch. Like nothing quite feels right. Like when you have an itchy sweater on that you just NEED to take off. But once it’s off, that itch is still there.
That’s kind of what it feels like when you’re feeling ready for a new chapter… but unsure how to cross the threshold. Got the itch? Then keep reading ~ this is for you.
I write this from a place of lived experience… and then some. Many, many, MANY times I’ve changed directions (for my astrology peeps- that’s my intercepted MC hard at work!). And that “in-between” space? It’s a REAL place. Not only real, but a tender place where the old version of you is loosening(old routines, old roles, old identities) but the new version hasn’t fully been discovered yet. And if you’re an empath (or having a deeply ‘feely’ human moment), it can seem like: “Why can’t I just decide already?” “Why am I emotional for no reason?” “Why do I want change and also want to hide under a blanket forever?”
We burn out. We disconnect. And we convince ourselves that magic was never real to begin with.
But here’s what I know: you’re allowed to stop waiting for those dreams. You’re allowed to stop participating in the hustle culture. You’re allowed to pause and breathe. And most importantly? You’re allowed to start creating.
You’re Not Imagining It—The Magic Really Did Disappear For A While.
You’re not imagining it—the magic really did disappear for a while. The world just takes from us, doesn’t it?
The bills. The to-do lists that never end. The constant pressure to keep up, show up, be more, do more. We’re so busy surviving the demands of modern life that we forget we ever had dreams. Forget what it feels like to be aligned with anything beyond just making it through the day.
And somewhere in all that noise and depletion, the sacred slips away. We lose touch with the part of us that used to believe in something bigger. That used to feel things deeply.
We burn out. We disconnect. And we convince ourselves that magic was never real to begin with.
But here’s what I know: you’re allowed to stop waiting for those dreams. You’re allowed to stop participating in the hustle culture. You’re allowed to pause and breathe. And most importantly? You’re allowed to start creating.
Learning to Trust What You Already Know
Have you ever found yourself pondering over your deepest desires, visualizing how you want to express your life, and asking, “What is it that I want to attract and manifest?” It’s a concept that might seem bizarre to some, and one that is often met with a lot of doubt. This is especially true when it comes to the belief or concept of manifesting or attraction. You might have heard of “The Secret,” Abraham-Hicks, or Gabby Bernstein, and thought it all sounded a bit too “woo-woo.” However, it’s a concept that is definitely worth exploring.
Regardless of your personal beliefs, manifestation can be an incredibly useful tool for achieving your dreams. Whether you see it as a blueprint for action or a method of bringing your desires to life, the practice holds true value. And the best part? Its applications extend far beyond just achieving your goals – its principles can be applied to many areas of your life.
Manifestation is a powerful tool that can help you bring your desires and dreams into reality. While there are many techniques for manifesting, some of the most effective ones are often overlooked. Here are five tips for manifesting that will be sure to can bring you closer to joy:
About the Author…
Shana is a New Yorker and a native to Long Island’s east end. A lifelong passion in food, health and wellness led her to become an advanced 500 hour registered Yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance, a Licensed Body Worker, a trained Herbalist, a Reiki and PEMF (Pulse Electro-Magnetic Field) Practitioner.
She has studied abroad in India, as well as studying functional and integrative nutrition at IIN (Institute of Integrated Nutrition), is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), and Certified Hypno-counselor.
She is well versed in ancient theologies and eastern healing systems such as acupuncture and Ayurveda. Working with these philosophies, and integrating holistic nutrition, yoga and meditation is how she serves and supports her clients to heal and transform their lives. Shana currently lives in Northport, NY where she works as a Holistic Coach.
Did you know Meditation can reduce insomnia by 75%?
It can reduce anxiety by 60%?
It increases heart, hormonal and gut health!!
The problem is… whenever you’ve tried it, a voice goes off in your head and the laundry list of to-dos rattles off, or there’s the train you need to catch or the dog that has to go out or the kid that’s late for school. Sound familiar
That’s why I made this FREE Yoga Nidra recording.
To make meditation EASY, ENJOYABLE and DOABLE so that you can gain ALL those benefits by literally just lying there! An easy first step to ultimate health.
Start with an “ahh….”