How to melt into Nature's cycles & Tap into our Body's intelligence.
The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Although the days grow brighter and longer once it passes, the darkness of winter and pressure of the end of the year's accomplishments can weigh heavy on the hearts of many.
With herbs & soulness tips that uplift the heart and soothe the mind, you can diffuse a bit more sunshine into even the darkest of days!
In today’s blog post, I'll be sharing:
How to use this time to cultivate intention
Herbs to support you through winter energetically, mentally, and emotionally
How to make your own uplifting winter formula
Modern lives are full and fast—how can we make the most of days like the winter solstice to pause, regenerate, reset and connect to what matters?
1. Set intentional moments. The solstice is a transformational moment or experience. It allows us to look at who we are now and who we can be after an intentional practice. It’s a moment to let go of the things that no longer serve us and to put a stake in the ground or put a footprint on the sand and say, “This is who I am going to be moving forward.” It’s about setting an intention to seek a conscious life.
Questions for reflection: What renews you? What are the fears that arise at this time of the year? From where do you draw your hopes?
2. It's all Soul care. Mind, body, soul—they are one and the same. They are integrated. It’s all soul care. I love the phrase soul care because so many of us take care of our bodies and we take care of our minds. I think of our soul as integrated. For instance, for me, breathing and moving my body in a loving, nourishing way fills up my soul. I am able to be who I need to be in the world when I’m active in my body because the two don’t live in a silo. What you feed yourself, the way you move yourself—your body is your vehicle for your soul. If your body and your mind are being taking care of, the soul will thrive. I really truly believe that. So consider the atmosphere that you’re creating to be in touch with your soul’s voice and what your soul is longing for and what you’re desiring.
3. What does your soul care look like? For me, soul care is usually moving my body. That’s part of my nature. But at this time of the year, if I keep it the usual windy way, I burn myself out and that is what happened this december! I pushed myself too hard in tasks and responsabilities and my body went down, down to not being able to move anymore. STOP sign. So no matter how much you are resisting it, REST. This is the time to put your feet up and give yourself a break without a guilt! Also eating really yummy, nourishing food makes me feel satisfied and grounded. And also giving myself the time to reflect... A really, really big part of my health-care practice is my food and my soul-time. I think that should be the way to find out who you really are, the way to remember what really is essential, what is temporary and what pervails. It’s about connecting pieces and giving a sense to your Life, honouring the life-purpose of your soul.
4. Create your own unique ritual. It is important to note that you don’t need to go somewhere. You don’t need to go to a drum circle in Peru to have a transformational experience. Transformation is all about bringing awareness into whatever you’re doing. When you take ice out of the freezer and you put it on the counter, you don’t need to do anything else to make that ice melt. Just by taking the ice out of the freezer, it will start melting—and that is the same as awareness. Placing awareness, raising mindfulness, placing attention on something will automatically start to shift and melt it.
To me, the solstice is the end of the old and the beginning of something new. There’s so many different associations with the solstice, and a favorite of mine is this concept of death and rebirth. Look up the various meanings of what the solstice has represented to different cultures and to different societies across different time periods and find something that resonates with you. What that means for me is taking a pause and thinking through what am I ready to let die in my life and what am I ready to offer.
Create rituals in your life or take a moment in the shower and just feel it as an important moment. Yesterday i had lunch with a dear friend, and I felt like shaking off everything that came before that moment. It’s bringing awareness to this moment with the thought that I am placing intention on what I’m about to do. And so it doesn’t need to be a big ceremony setup, just dim the lights, put some sweet music and spread some of your favourite body cream on....
5. Celebrate the wins. Just like the solstice is the end of the old and the beginning of something new, the same is true for the year. You can’t create a new energy of something you would like to do when you are focused on the old story of what you didn’t like. I’m all about celebrating the wins of the year. Bring your friends, partner, or business partner to gather and look at all the positive things you have outgrown together. We frame what happened and also what we are excited to see leave our lives.
Think of what you are most proud of yourself for. And then consider what you’re most excited to let go of in this year. I’m hosting a big dinner tonight, and I love bringing people together and host. I plan to ask everyone as they sit down what has been the rose for the year, what has been the thorn and what is the bud for the new year. The rose is the most beautiful thing that has happened in this last year—your favorite thing about 2021. The thorn is what really hurt and that you are so glad is over. And the bud is what is budding in 2022. Put that energy on what you can celebrate. That’s the energy you want as you start to rebuild the new, not the energy of what didn’t work out and what you are so sad about.. and then let it all go!
The Wise Women way is not necessarily about things that you want to achieve but rather feelings you want to have in the new year. I want to lose 5 kilos, or I want to find a husband. It’s more like I want to feel amazing & beautiful. I want an exciting life to wake up to every day, and I want to feel cherished, inspired and loved! So really focusing in on how to feel complete, wholehearted, content and joyful that you want to create in 2022 as opposed to the things you want to do or not do. This is a great time of the year for a Vision Board...
6. Herbs: the Lightbringers!
I think an important consideration here is that it’s perfectly normal to feel a bit melancholic during this time, and to remember that the rhythms of Nature can have a mirror effect on our inner emotional worlds as well. Maybe Seasonal Affective Disorder isn’t a disorder at all, but just a part of the natural order of Nature.
If these long winter days have kindled a slight darkness in your world, I’d like to share some of my favorite herbs that might lift your spirits and shine a little light of energy into your soul, so you can perhaps feel a little lighter in spirit.
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) To me, this plant invokes a sense of mental sharpness coupled with a sense of stillness. This is a balancing tonic that brings stimulation to the brain through cerebral circulation, which helps to lift those foggy mental states and help you think more clearly. It’s used to increase memory and is especially great for folks that feel agitated since it also acts as a nervine in other areas of the body. To me, Gotu Kola is the perfect herb for meditation and self-reflection, for it induces a state of calm and peaceful wakefulness.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) As being one of my 3 top favourite herbs, I quote Sajah & Whitney’s description of Melissa as they depict this plant beautifully:
“Like a sunny day, Lemon Balm uplifts the spirit, bringing hope and happiness into the heart. It is a perfect remedy to have around in the depths of the winter blues, in those times when the sun hasn’t reached your soul for ages, when darkness and despair have clouded your days. Lemon Balm invokes the light within, revealing the innocence and sweetness of the inner child. Many of us don’t allow ourselves to shine in our full capacity, we hold ourselves back and simply don’t accept or love who we are in this moment…
Lemon Balm assists us in looking beyond our flaws and conditionings to seeing the pure soul inside, the one that wants to be free and exuberant, the part of us that wants to have fun! This acceptance of the self opens the floodgates of love to pour into those forgotten or malnourished places within the soul. The incredible purity and simplicity of this plant instill a sense of peace and contentment within, inviting one to enjoy the nectar of their own heart.”
Linden (Tilia spp.)
With its heart-shaped leaves, the doctrine of signatures with this tree is abundantly clear. With its deliciously sweet taste, this tree releases tension in the musculature and circulatory realms of the body, specifically the heart, where it softens tension and uplifts worry. Linden flowers alleviate restlessness, improve sleep, and lower anxious and depressed states. It is specifically indicated for anxiety culminating in the heart as it physically supports the vasculature and circulatory system, gently widening blood vessels while lowering blood pressure. With its sweet and aromatic blossoms, Linden reinstates a sense of calm and gladdens the heart.
Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) A very uplifting remedy known as the “collective happiness tree” in China. You can’t help but feel happy in the presence of Mimosa flowers. If you ever get a chance to see an Albizia tree flowering, you’ll notice that the blossoms shine pink and dangle like bright fireworks exploding mid-air – they are simply fantastic and without a doubt, very happy forming creatures.
This flower offers relief for those moments when you feel burdened by continuous tears that wear down your heart. It allows you to take a breath and feel peace roll into your heart. In Chinese Medicine, this herb is considered a “Shen tonic” and is used to uplift the spirit and awaken a sense of happiness. Its actions are often felt quickly; so if you’re needing a strong pick-me-up, Mimosa might do the trick.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
This culinary favourite has been used all over the world to introduce warmth into food as well as the home, especially during the dark winter months. With its aromatic and pungent taste, Rosemary improves mood and circulatory functioning. This herb encourages circulation to the brain, clearing out brain fog and improving mental clarity. Having Rosemary around during this time of year can help uplift the heart and soothe the spirit- so be sure to cook with it at the very least!
Rhodiola (Rhodiola Rosea) This herb acts in two different ways, depending on the dose you take. When taken in small quantities, Rhodiola elevates mood and provokes wakefulness and energy. This is because it stimulates the production of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, all of which are neurotransmitters involved in the functioning of your circadian rhythm. When taken in large amounts, Rhodiola acts as a depressant (I learned this the hard way!), so more is not better in this case.
Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) For someone who’s been stressed or depressed and fatigued for a long time, this adaptogenic herb helps to increase mental alertness, physical endurance, and reduce the effects of long term exhaustion. Similar to Rhodiola, it can be pretty dose-specific. While lower doses over the long term can assist in building and rejuvenating the neuroendocrine system, higher doses can be overtly stimulating and cause one to overextend themselves and burn out even more. I find that taking small to moderate doses provides great results, especially when taken twice a day (morning and afternoon) since this is in conjunction with the body’s natural cortisol cycles.
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Classically known as “sunshine in a bottle,” St. John’s Wort is a nerve trophorestorative, which means that it works to tone and restore a nervous system that is weakened from long periods of stress, nervousness, tension, anxiety, or insomnia.
This herb is commonly known to provide relief for those experiencing SAD (seasonal affective disorder) or mild to moderate depression. Unlike Mimosa, this herb does not provide instant results. When working with St. John’s Wort, be patient and allow this gem a few weeks to take action. If you know that you are susceptible to the winter blues, consider using this remedy preventatively by taking it at the beginning of the cooler months to ease feelings of anxiety, tension, and depression.
Below is a blend that may be formulated as a tea or compounded as a tincture. This formula is designed to bring energy up into the mind and stimulate circulation into the crown of the head, giving the body a boost. This formula should lift and calm the heart from feelings of grief or depression, pushing the heaviness out and elevating mood. If you decide to make a tea – I would add the Eleuthero root first and let it simmer on low for 20- 30 mins, then turn off the stove and add the Linden flowers, Lemon balm, Holy basil, and Rose before leaving it to steep with the lid for another 15-20 minutes. Once complete, strain your blend, add honey, and enjoy.
Uplifting Spirits Formula
25% Linden flowers (Tilia spp.)
25% Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
25% Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
15% Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
10% Rose petals (Rosa spp.)
The herbs that I’ve suggested are mere guidelines for you to start out with if you’re feeling a little down. I haven’t given a full disclosure of what each herb does (they all do a lot more!), so I suggest taking some extra time to do more research yourself. If you can’t get your hands on some of these remedies, feel free to substitute out and play around. With the winter solstice upon us now, an increased amount of light will brighten each day until spring arrives. But until we reach those longer evenings, we hope this blog post will carry you through this winter season. Please enjoy this reading with your favorite mug of tea and do find some time to rest, recoup and enjoy this heart-warming winter solstice!
Warm winter blessings, Take care & Rest. Jaya
