Happy Solstice!

Update: The original post excerpted here has been removed from the website. You can check out Dr. Pedram Shojai’s current material at https://www.theurbanmonk.com/.

It’s that time of year again – Happy Solstice, everyone, whether it’s Winter or Summer where you are!

If you’re not familiar with Pedram Shojai, you should be! He is The Urban Monk, and his films, books, and website are chock full of terrific info. Here’s his take on the Winter Solstice. (If this is the Summer Solstice for you, come back in 6 months… ;)  )

Dec 21 marks the Winter Solstice. This is a really important day in Taoist and Shamanic traditions because it marks a critical transition. This is the day where the YIN energy on our planet (Northern hemisphere) is at its highest (longest night) and YANG energy at its lowest (shortest day). [It is the exact opposite for the Southern hemisphere] Essentially, it is the endpoint in the “funnel” or “hour glass” of time as it moves through a 4 dimensional tauroidal field. Let’s take a look to illustrate:

You’ll notice how the Yin and Yang lines come together along the central axis and how they are the furthest apart at the height of their arcs. That’s exactly where we are right now. Here’s another way to look at it:

This is the famous Hour Glass Nebula. You’ll notice that all phenomena in nature are consistent from macro to microcosm and that we are an integral part of that whole system of emanation. Imagine the YIN energy swirling down to the center of the funnel and then the YANG energy emerging from it. That’s the dance of Duality. They intermingle and switch in dominant expression in nature. Yin does not GO AWAY in this model, it simply begins to decrease as the force of Yang increases in direct proportion.

So how does this apply to me you ask? Well…we are currently enjoying the Winter Solstice. That means that for the next several hours, the Yin energy on our planet is at its strongest and fullest expression culminating on the 21st when it slowly begins to wane with the emergence of the active and charged Yang energy. This is a slow process and transition but an important one. Why? Because this is a great time to catch the Yang wave and ride it into the next cycle. It is a wonderful time to lock in our dreams and aspirations and charge them with the primordial power of Yang energy which is emerging into our sphere. It is a great time to set a GONG and set your intentions for the way you’d like life to go for this next cycle by the way…

So why rest? Here’s the rub. Winter is for hibernation. It is a time to be introspective and to gather all of our Qi so we can recover from the previous season…so we can have the energy and wherewithal to consciously participate in life through the next season and fulfill our heart’s desires. So where’s the rub? Look around you. People spend the tail end of the year getting drunk with coworkers in ridiculous red sweaters and frantically racing through shopping malls looking for plastic things made in China that promise to make our loved ones happy. Nobody actually rests. Any wonder why most Americans are sleep walking through their lives?

This is the time- RIGHT NOW…to stop the world and allow your body and your mind to recover fully from a busy hectic year. Allow your energy to consolidate and wind down and inward with the Yin Qi through the 22nd and really think through what you want the next year to look like. You’ll need energy and clarity to get there- neither of which you’ll gather at the stupid mall. NOW is the time to take a physical/mental/spiritual health TIME OUT and tell yourself and your loved ones that it is OK to be lazy. In fact, STRIVE to be lazy through the 21st. Sleep early and sleep in this weekend. Give your body the time and rest it needs to restore itself. Try some meditation or Qi Gong.

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Read the rest of Pedram’s article on his website at https://theurbanmonk.com/winter-solstice-is-upon-us-why-it-is-importance-to-rest-right-now/.