Updated 2023.07.06

Winter Solstice Traditions

The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, is approaching and it means the North Pole is farthest from the sun. With shorter days, we give ourselves earlier bedtimes and permission to pause.

With the darkness it brings, winter solstice provides more time for rest and stillness. 

Traditional winter solstice rituals have marked human history for centuries, and celebrations have abounded. You can celebrate it however you choose. 

With the spirit of pausing and rest in mind, I wanted to share three easy meditations you can do to add a bit of stillness to your day, permission to pause and celebrate the new season upon us - winter.

Meditation is a mental wellness exercise. Once you learn a technique you like, you do not need anything to meditate besides your body and mind, making it an extremely easy exercise to do in the cozy comfort of your winter grotto.

Here are a few benefits of meditation

• You may feel more relaxed

• It’s an act of self love, as you give yourself a moment to pause

• Your mind may feel more spacious and expanded

• It’s short a break from the rush of it all

• You may feel recharged or carry a greater sense of composure when complete

• You may observe you have more patience after you open your eyes

It is a practice where you are adding stillness to the mind and which trickles down to the rest of the body, so to begin meditating, get into a place where you feel still. 

You cannot operate machinery when you meditate, as you need both your body and mind present with you to focus as you meditate.

How to meditate for beginners

The goal of meditation is to calm and center the mind. To calm and center the mind, first calm and center the body, by finding a quiet, comfortable sitting, standing or lying down position where you can be still for at least 5 minutes.

Make sure your legs and hips are comfortably placed where you can be without having to reposition them again. I like to sit in an office chair with my feet flat on the ground and my hands resting on my lap face up. 

Meditations can be performed for days, but the average time I recommend when starting to spend time on meditating is 5-20 minutes a day, working your way up to an hour, then eventually hour(s) and if you want to do days, I can’t, and I won’t stop you. 

You need about 5 minute to complete the meditations below, so factor this in, when choosing the area in which you will be still.

Once you find your spot, inhale and exhale and lets’ begin.

3 Easy Meditations to Celebrate the First Day of Winter

Meditation 1. 

Uncross your legs, place your feet flat on the floor if sitting, or out in front of you if lying down. 

Place your hands palm up on your lap or next to you, roll your shoulders back and down, close your eyes and take three big, deep breaths.

Think of two things that happened today you are grateful for. Now think of two things you are grateful for from the past year.

Open your eyes and exhale, resume your day.

Meditation 2.

Lean back in your seat with your back propped up on something cozy if you have it, place your hands palm up on your lap or alongside you. 

Take three breaths and on the third breath close your eyes, and visualize all the energy around you coming into a single, blue ball, between your brows. Imagine it travelling down to your hips and expanding to fit your body. 

Bring your hands into prayer position, palms together at your chest, and say Namaste, to you. 

Open your eyes and exhale, resume your day.

Meditation 3.

Roll your shoulders back and down, with your hips and knees in a comfortable position, close your eyes, bow your head down and bring your hands to "prayer position" in front of your heart, resting them at your chest bone. 

Say internally one blessing to someone or something that helped you today. Wish them well in some way, hope the best for them and imagine that blessing travelling to them as pink light. 

They can be someone you know, at a distance or even deceased.

Open your eyes and exhale, resume your day.

These short meditations are mental exercises to give the mind space to pause. After you are done meditating, notice how you feel. If you feel better, continue these practices as long as you like.

When is the first day of winter?

This year, the first day of winter is on Thursday, December 21st at 10:27 PM EST for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

Try these mini-meditations to honor the winter solstice. Calm and center your energy, so you can show up as your best, most authentic self this winter season.

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