The Art of

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Simple Experiments for the Dark Time

December 12, 2023

It’s dark and getting colder in North America and much of the world.

Inviting you to slow down, light your candles, warm your hands by the fire, and enjoy your time indoors. It’s hard to miss the obvious invitation to slow down, go inside, nourish what is meaningful, and rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.

Yet, modern life has clearly disrupted your tendency to sync up with the seasonal wisdom.

It’s a social thing, this modern life. Artificial lights, smart phones, instant messaging, the world wide web, and scrolling on social media keep you connected all day, every day. Schedules, tasks, automobiles, and your people scattered about the world. It’s different than living in ancient times in a village where the seasonal wisdom reigned supreme.

Just because the wonders of modern life encourage you to “run, run, Rudolph” doesn’t mean you have to keep up the pace.

Imagine having the audacity to launch a social experiment in the midst of the hustle and bustle of all this holiday hoopla.

Settle in your home. Light a candle or fire. Soft music. Quiet conversation. Silence. No TV or books.  

“Everyday?!?! How long?” screams the mind.

“What about shopping after work? I have gifts to wrap, meals to prepare, guests to host, travel plans to make!” The mind is going a bit crazy with this simple experiment. That’s to be expected.

You define the parameters of your experiment. 5 minutes or 5 hours. Alone or with others.

You may enjoy the lusciousness of non doing as you relax in the dim light listening to your favorite music or people. The body remembers the ancient times and will slowly settle in. Make sure you throw in some silence as you sit in the dark with the lights of the tree, menorah, or fire. The more you practice this during the winter season, the more memory awakens.

Ancient wisdom embodied in the modern world.

Moving back into the world of hustle, you’ll bring a slower rhythm out into the world. Returning to nourish in the quiet of your home. Allowing yourself to discover your own way of realigning with the wise movement of the natural world.

Every moment is sacred and filled with potential joy, wonder, and the warmth of love.

However you celebrate the Light of the Season, enjoy it. I wish you great peace and less stress. I hope you breathe deeply and carve out a single minute for yourself to enjoy your surroundings. Again and again. Every day.

1 minute of nourished wonder. Repeat. Repeat.

That’s another simple experiment. Don’t tell your mind. It will only freak out.

I hope you show up wherever you are to these invitations. So you may savor the light within and around you.

I hope you gather your friends and family around you so they may experience the peace within you and bask in your light.

I’m off now to bask within the Salon at Soul Sanctuary. Just for an entire minute. I’ll be thinking of you.

Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.

HeartWarming

News

Northern Norwegians have figured out how to live joyfully in the dark days of winter. Imagine living in a place where the sun doesn’t rise (or only briefly peaks out on the horizon) from the middle of November through the end of January. It becomes part of the culture to nestle into the warmth of the hearth, love of family and friends, comfort food and activities. All the while, going about the daily actions of living, playing, and working. Rather than hibernating, you’ll find these Norwegians slipping into warm clothes while turning on their headlamps to light the way. Joyful dark days.

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