Summer Solstice – A Time for Transformation
Pause, reflect and redirect to create a life to love
Change is inevitable. Just as I've found my rhythm for the holiday season, the Winter Solstice is around the corner.
Winter Solstice is an opportunity to find stillness and reflection before moving into the changes that lie ahead in the new year. I believe pressing pause at this time of year allows me to approach my new year with an open heart and open mind. Winter Solstice is the perfect opportunity to go within – a time of journaling and self reflection - to recognize patterns and redirect my energy for the new year. We must consciously choose to pursue what nourishes us, while letting go of what depletes us.
The only journey is the one within. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
A few weeks before Winter Solstice, I begin by intentionally reviewing my journals from years past and congratulating myself on how far I’ve come. I find gratitude for the moments of joy AND the challenges I’ve overcome. Looking back over the past year allows me to recognize where I've spent my time and energy. Have I given time and energy to someone or something that is no longer giving me what I need? I may recognize a one sided relationship or a project I'm no longer passionate about. I make a list of lessons learned, what I've let go of in the past year and the new opportunities and experiences coming my way. I've discovered journaling allows me to process my thoughts and emotions.
If you need to get away to spend time in self reflection, join us for one of our upcoming retreats. I frequently come back to the concept of stillness and the value of taking a pause. If you're not able to get away from your daily life for a day or more, do just that, find a moment of peace and stillness, just for you.
There's something about the silence and beauty of nature on the retreat grounds at this time of year. Things are quiet, as our staff stays home for the holidays, and for me personally, it’s a time to reflect on all the lives that have been touched over the last 12 months at Retreat in the Pines. I’m grateful to be able to offer women a place to find stillness and sanctuary where they can get away for a weekend of rejuvenation and self-care.
This year, December 21 marks the Winter Solstice, the first day of Winter and the shortest day of the year. The word solstice comes from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) – roughly translated as the day that the sun stands still.
Take your cue from the sun, as we move into winter and the solstice approaches and commit to find stillness and time for yourself as the perfect antidote during a time of year that may feel hectic and overwhelming. You deserve it.