The Winter Solstice, Festival of Lights, and Yoga

December 21, 2025 will mark the start of the astronomical Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year, after which daylight hours gradually lengthen. This returning of light is a symbol of birth and renewal for many cultures over the centuries ( see my previous blog entries for details.)  It is a time of deep stillness, introspection, and the triumph of light over darkness.  

It is a “natural reset button” for our own personal growth and transformation. If only there could be a “reset button” for the global transformations of light over darkness! The following poem is my “if only” or “what if” wish for us all this holiday season.   

WHAT IF

(by Ganga White)

What if our religion was each other?

If our practice was our life?

If prayer was our words?

What if the temple was the Earth?

If forests were our church?

If holy water-the rivers, lakes, and oceans? 

What if meditation was our relationships?

If the Teacher was life?

If wisdom was self knowledge?

If love was the center of our being? 

 

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 

Hanukkah is one tradition that celebrates the spiritual practice of responding to darkness with an increase in light. I would like to share with you the wonderful lessons I have learned from my spiritual teacher, Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, jewishmindfulness.org 

She takes us on a mindful Hanukkah journal of Increasing light over darkness. We learn ways to integrate the practices in our daily lives and find hope in these troubling times.

I will briefly paraphrase the eight questions we can ponder as we light the eight candles to celebrate this holiday. Rabbi Zimmerman tells us that:

“light is more than what our eyes can see : it is kindness, attention, courage and love.” 

Jewish mystics believe that human beings are created to be lights. “Spiritually, light symbolizes divine presence, truth, knowledge, purity, hope and life.” ~ AI overview             

I hope these practices become routine blessing that you can incorporate into your own spiritual practices and daily lives. 

Hanukkah Night 1-The light of Inspirational People 

Can you receive light from the people who inspire you? Can you take a moment and sit quietly. and then bring to mind a person that, can open your heart and expand your imagination. Can you feel how their light meets your own?

Hanukah Night 2 -Radiant Moments

Can you bring to mind a radiant moment or moments that have shaped you?.  This can be a moment of joy or change that has shaped who you are today. 

Hanukah Night 3 -“Creativity as Illumination

I know it is hard to just select one or two, but can you bring to mind your favorite, writer, poet, artist, or song that has brought you much joy and light?. Perhaps Rumi, Mary Oliver, Leonard Cohen, Mozart?  

Hanukah Night 4 – The light of Gratitude

 Put your hand on your heart, take a few deep breaths and name three or more things that you are grateful for. Let this become a daily practice. 

( I once heard from an acquaintance at the Won Dharma Center- if you record 5 things you are grateful for each day for 3 weeks, you will feel really good  but if you continue this daily practice for 7 months, your life will totally change for the better.)  

Hanukah Night 5 -The Radiance of Awe and Wonder 

There are miracles all around us if we take the time to notice. 

For me, it can be the glistening of brand new snow, light streaming through a crystal, my new granddaughter. Let yourself be amazed by Nature, the changing seasons or just watching your candles as the light sparkles, glows and shifts. 

Hanukkah Night 6-   Memories of Light

Can you sit quietly and just bring to mind a special memory that lights you up and again hold the memory in the light of your gratitude? 

Hanukkah Night 7 -The Glow of your Joy

Joy is a daily choice . It is a deeper feeling that comes from within, and not only limited  to what is happening around you.  “It is vital to your spiritual quest.”`~Reb Nachman of Bratzlav .

Can you remember a moment of joyful luminosity? 

Hanukkah Night 8 -Hope

(This year the eighth night of Hanukkah on Dec. 21 falls on the Winter Solstice of 2025 — something to celebrate. )

On this night can you sit and think about what gives you hope for the future. Can you sit and take in the glow of the candles, taking in the brightness, and allowing the possibility of hope arising in you and the world. Remember in the Jewish tradition it symbolizes the restoration of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem and the unexpected miracle that a tiny bit of oil lasted for eight nights.

I would love to express my deepest gratitude to Rabbi Jill Zimmerman (Path with Heart)  for sharing this amazing, inspiring Jewish Mindfulness Journey. My husband and I take each practice to heart as we celebrate the eight day festival of lights. (Hanukkah)

YOGA AND THE WINTER SOLSTICE

This year in my yoga classes, as we celebrate the solstice, I will share the above mindfulness practices  as a journaling practice. What a better way than this to welcome the return of light!

A mindfulness practice includes journaling, contemplation, breathing practices, meditation, and movement. These all hold the promise of renewal through deep rest, reflection, and connection with the inner strength of our minds bodies and hearts. With introspection, old patterns can be replaced and new intentions can be set .

Yoga teachers offer a variety of practices to honor the darkness while welcoming the return of light and rebirth. I will outline some practices that I will offer to my classes:  

Setting is a warm quiet, dimly lit room, perhaps quiet music (Steven Halpern, Ashana, Todd Norian,  for example).  Maybe a candle . 

We usually begin with pranayama: 

We will practice Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing. This balances the right solar energy and the left lunar energy. 

Meditation – Many yoga teachers end their classes with meditation but I prefer to transition from pranayama ( breath energy ) to a short quiet sit. I offer various forms of meditation, mainly focussing on the breath at our third energy center or dantian equivalent to the manipura chakra. For the solstice I may suggest repeating a mantra such as Om Shanti, meaning peace during the meditation practice.

 Setting an Intention or sankalpa – I may explain the meaning of sankalpa and ask, “what is your heart felt desire?” Say it to yourself 3 times with your palms in anjoli mudra. 

 Sankalpas are personal but suggestions may be helpful such as: 

“ I welcome the light and new beginnings”

“ I am protected by the light of the universe” 

“ I honor the light within” 

Warm Ups 

 I like to begin each of my classes with a gentle warmup to stretch,  lengthen, and activate the spine. I start with the 7 movements of the spine and gentle joint warm ups. This we do either seated or standing.

Warm ups also include qi gong type of body shaking or a free style dance to music. So we may do this to jingle bells or another holiday song. I try to introduce some humor into my classes as well.

My yoga class for the solstice will combine gentle movements (asanas) , followed by some yin and restorative practices and needless to say a long savasana. I incorporate props, blankets and eye pillows as requested.

The asanas that follow are suggestions because with each class I intuitively select poses based on the individual needs of my students and always offer variations. We all try to balance effort with ease and honor our own level of tolerance. 

Surya Namaskar – Sun Salutation – No, I do not lead with 108 sun salutations! After the warm ups and qi gong, a modified, gentle sun salutation is a way to celebrate the sun’s return.  Energetic  movement will ignite our inner light, strength and vitality.  

Vrksasana – Tree Pose – Before returning to the floor, I suggest doing versions of tree pose. This will help foster inner balance and it will embody the season’s themes of grounding and stillness. 

Paschimottanasana – Seated Forward bend or seated Yin butterfly pose.  I suggest doing this pose with props. I once heard from a Kripalu yoga teacher, “Props do not make the pose easier but they  make the pose more intelligent.” This pose symbolizes turning inward for rest and reflection as it calms the nervous system.

Marjaryasana – Cat – Cow – I lead a gentle version of this pose where we each can modify the practice. Even gentle stretches can warm up the body, release stiffness and increase circulation. As we connect our breath to movement we become grounded as we prepare for deeper introspection with the following poses. 

Balasana – Childs Pose – with the use of props this is the perfect grounding pose for the solstice. It releases spinal tension and continues to calm the nervous system. It is a pose of total surrender, releasing the dark and welcoming the light . 

Prone poses

From child’s pose, we can make our way to prone for perhaps a gentle supported sphinx with props and then Mandukasana , which is a variation of frog  pose or fire hydrant pose so to speak. Stay and breathe deeply in this restorative pose , noticing the quiet within. 

Supine Restorative Poses  

We begin with gentle supine stretching, followed by a brief therapeutic rest with knees together and feet pigeoned toed in.

Supine knees to chest and rocking side to side, circles and, rotating the femur around the hip joint.

Reclined Pigeon and Eye of the Needle Pose – This pose encourages inner reflection and is perfect for winter self care. 

Setubandhasana – Supported Bridge – this gentle inversion supports the lymphatic system, increases circulation, decreases leg swelling  and relieves lower back tension. 

Supta Matsyendrasana – Reclined Spinal Twist – my favorite pose. This pose is the best way to release muscle tension and squeeze the anxiety out of your day. It is perfect way to breathe in compassion for yourself and breathe out what you no longer need, what you can leave behind as you re-enter the light of the longer days 

Savasana – I encourage the class to create the coziest nest possible  using bolsters, blocks, blankets and eye pillows. I may “tuck them in” or provide a sniff of essential oil only after receiving permission. 

I remind them to repeat their sankalpa again if they wish and offer an inspirational quote such as “ every human being a stream of love.”~Swami Kripalu. There is a beautiful song called, “I am light” by India Arie. I play this song on the solstice and then my guidance is limited, allowing participants to truly integrate, rest, and restore in their own sense of stillness and light.  

Poetry: I often use poetry in my practice and recite a poem at the end of final relaxation. One of my favorite poems for the winter solstice is Your Light by Donna Ashworth.  Here are a few lines:

Your light is never dependent on how you look or 

how you perform 

It’s just there.

and it’s quite simple brilliant 

And it lights up every room you walk into

whether you activate it or not

What a wonderful thing .

And so celebrating your unique cosmic light and radiance and sharing it with others is simple the essence of the winter solstice.

We come to a comfortable seat after relaxation and recite a short blessing that I have learned from various yoga teachers along the way.

– Place your palms in prayer on your forehead for kind thoughts;

– Place them on your lips, for kind words;

– Place them on your heart for loving kindness;

And may we all we well, safe and protected, happy, free and connected.

OM SHANTI – PEACE PEACE PEACE