Welcome to the first edition of Firelight of 2018, curated by Kali Higgins who shares music, poetry, meditation, and reflection as we find our way into the depths and wisdom of Winter. This month s curator Kali Higgins co-creates experiences where people can slow down and tap into their intuition by moving with the rhythms and spirituality of the natural world. In these moments, we (re)find and remember our soul s purpose and restore our sense of well-being and oneness with the world. Kali is fascinated by life s big questions and makes it a point to see the beauty in the ordinary. Learn more about Kali and her work here. Being the Dream - On Winter's Wisdom by Kali Higgins January 17, 2017 It s been one week since I returned home from my annual Winter Yoga & Meditation retreat (that I host), which was lovely but tiring. And no not, tiring in that New Agey maybe you aren t living in the flow of your purpose tiring but tiring because, dang, it takes a lot of energy to hold space! I am so tired that when I write the word annual, I sigh, because, the truth is, my soul is tired. Just the thought of the fact I will do the retreat again next year, or may be locked into another commitment tied up, well, it makes me tired or reminds me that I am tired. And guess what, we all have the right to be tired, and it doesn t always mean something is wrong with us. At about this time of year, the soul is tired of doing the work. It is tired of showing up. It wants to sleep and to sleep some more, and sometimes, it even wants to give up on the idea of waking up. Soul wants to take up on winter s offer to hibernate, and yet in this day and age, even to hibernate feels like too much work! Our sleep is disrupted by a number of life stressors, and so our ability to dream an important part of this time of year, feels like it gets robbed. With the pace of our lives, following nature s cues to slow down proves challenging. We are taught in this society of linear lines that our lives need to be continually making progress, which certainly makes it seem impossible to really let go or to fully relax ever.
How do we allow ourselves some space to not be so tied up in our responsibilities or to be slaves to our dreams or beliefs about where we think we should be? When are we following our ego s dream versus our soul s dream? The soul s dream doesn t care about deadlines. In the winter, more often than I would like to admit, my mind is tormented, it is frantically searching for something. It feels trapped in the not knowing. It wants to plan something so that it can have some semblance of control on the journey. It wants to jump at all the shiny lights to move out of the dark and cold snap of winter. It wants to move anywhere even against its own intuition, to avoid this frozen feeling. (image via @lateefahforbart)
And when I get here, to this place of discomfort and stuckness, I remember what I forget about this time of year--that sometimes the best action that we need is inaction. That stillness is good for the soul. That the act of being here and just being here in the dark to what is going on is enough. It IS the work. It is the dream. Sometimes to inspire is only that to breathe. In spire in latin means to breathe in spirit. Right now, simply acknowledging my breath and how it moves in me and through me, is inspiration enough for the heavy and slow energy of Winter. Lately, I ve wondered if it is possible to restore myself through the act of breathing alone. The breath tells us so much about the state of our body, mind and soul. The breath alone carries me through this time of darkness, offering me hope and connection to the life buried beneath the snow. Speaking of snow--it reminds us of the subtle and powerful element of water. Are you drinking it? Water for me is so grounding during the winter. It is also the element often associated with this time of year. Our blood contains as much as 90% water. As little as 1% dehydration in the blood slows down brain activity significantly. If you are feeling extra tired, make sure you are getting plenty of water. That s all I have for you today. I hope on those dark nights when you can t remember your dreams and may be struggling to find purpose or understanding or energy, that you remember that you ARE the dream, and you are enough. Peace & Rest to your Soul, Kali A POEM FOR PAUSE: Clearing by Martha Postlewaite Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then will you know how to give yourself
to this world so worthy of rescue. WINTER S SONGS: Song to dream with Jai Jagdeesh - In Dreams Song to inspire Deep Breath MC Yogi
MEDITATION TO COMBINE BREATH & WATER Rest your attention on the breath. Notice the points of entry through the nostrils and follow the breath as it moves into the belly. Once you find your own rhythm of breath, move towards balancing its pace matching your inhales with your exhales, perhaps moving toward inhaling 4 counts and exhaling 4 counts. Adjust this count so that it allows you to have a smooth and continuous breath. Imagine your body filling up like a pitcher of water on the inhale, from the bottom up taking in nourishment. On the exhale feel the breath move, pouring out from top to bottom, rinsing out what your body no longer needs. Inhale, fill your cup, exhale, pour out what you no longer need. Engage the counting or visualization or both together for however long you need. When the mind gets caught up in the process, come back to the breath. Inspire. Expire. Repeat. If the breath is too much, simple pour yourself a nice glass of water, best if warm, and drink in the nourishment, feeling the water ground you in your body, in the present moment.