This Sunday is the Winter Solstice, and a great opportunity to go inside, evaluate what has passed this year, and set intentions for our lives in the year to come. Take some time this Sunday, December 21, to "find your seat" in meditation and reflect on your life.
meaning all that we need, all that is sacred and sustaining, already lies within us.
Natalie Maisel, yoga teacher and ritual guide, of goddessdownload.com offers this information about this solstice and the time of Yule:
Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, after which the daylight hours begin to grow longer. This time is known as the birth of light. The Anglo-Saxon word for this time is “Yule”. Yule in ancient Celtic terms means “wheel”. This was celebrated as the day that the chief Druid cut the sacred mistletoe from the Oak. Huge bonfires were lit with Yule logs to welcome the return of the Sun. Yule is a time to leave old regrets behind as the light makes its way back to the Earth and back to you, as well. The old year has completed its cycle, just as some of our habits have completed their cycles. This is a time to shed what no longer is useful in our lives.
This ritual will include a guided meditation to a cozy winter cottage to reflect on the end of the year and what you would like to release and transform, as well as a candle-lighting ceremony to welcome the return of the sun and the igniting of your own inner fire and strength.
Natalie Maisel's guided ritual for Yule is available at goddessdownload.com, click here.
Just the thought of heading into the busy holiday season brings feelings of stress and anxiety to most of us. So much to do, so many people to see, so much to give. I encourage you to really slow down and make sure that you are also giving to yourself, making time for yoga, relaxation... and SLEEP!
To that end, I am recommending to you a amazing yoga and meditation teacher Natalie Maisel. If you haven't discovered her before, you are really in for a treat!
Her Website goddessdownload.com is a fantastic resource for yoga, meditation and rituals related to Wicca and the Seasonal Wheel.
She has many audio downloads available on her site, and on yogadownload.com, but my favorite has to be Meditative Journey. I have escaped into the beautiful imagery of these guided meditations, and used them as part of my yoga classes, for years. They are not only relaxing and inspirational, but personally transformative, as well. Natalie's words of wisdom and guidance help us tap into that deep source within us; she helps us get back to the core of our authentic selves.
The nice thing about her site is you can download an entire item, or one track at a time "itunes style". She as recently added some new meditations including that I love including, Sun-Moon Astrological Meditations, Goddess in the Chakras, and another of my favorites, Healing Water Ritual at Chalice Well, which is a wonderful meditation for healing. Natalie has been a certified yoga teacher since 1996. She currently travels to various destination spas facilitating Yoga Weeks with a variety of levels and classes that suit every level of yoga practitioner. Natalie is featured extensively in Gary Kraftsow’s book Yoga for Wellness, and teaches yoga in the San Diego, California area.
Check her out and pick up a gift of relaxation and renewal for yourself, or someone you love.
You can contact Natalie Maisel directly for more information about her yoga and meditation workshops around the world at fox@goddessdownload.com.