This edition of Hood Health 101 talks about being in tune with the cycles of nature.
The Winter Solstice officially began on Sunday, so….. Happy Winter Solstice! Many individuals will dismiss this time as nothing more than good ole winter and that’s it. I beg to differ beloveds because everything in life has cycles. There are many different ways to look at the winter solstice and your cultural or religious views play a great part in that. For all intents and purposes I am going to give you my humble view of what the Winter Solstice means to me.
As much as possible, I try to align my general perspective of what I should be focusing on based on the seasons.Winter to a great deal of individuals may seem like a time of death and slow or no movement. This is not my view of course. Sometimes the surface of things and situations can appear to be one way and be something completely different when you dig deeper. The key here beloveds is to always dig deeper.
Winter is a time for rejuvenation, rest, as well as work. During this cycle of time I deal with myself introspectively. I assess the progression of the current year, where I am, what I have, where I want to be, and how I want to be when I get there. This type of thinking gives you a more involved, accountable, and hands on approach to your life and your life circumstances. So, while it may look like nothing is happening beneath the snow or surface, a great deal is taking place and we should be the same way. Without a time such as this for this type of inner work then the time of birth, growth, and liveliness would not happen right after winter during the Spring Equinox. Remember, in the beginning I spoke on cycles. Life is a continuous succession of moments that for some of us happen in sequential order. Not like Groundhogs Day though, it’s more reminiscent of recognizing your own patterns or cycles that repeat themselves throughout your life. They may happen around the same time in a year or every so many months, but some of the same themes or situations tend to repeat themselves. Taking this time during the Winter Solstice as things begin to slow down to go inward is a great tool in breaking cycles and in the creation of new ones.
Whether or not you celebrate solstices or equinoxes, I think that it is safe to say that there is something that we can take away from them. Nature has afforded us the opportunity to witness its greatness and learn from it if we are open to its lessons. Everything around us if we are aware, provides us with a lesson that we only need to have an open mind to see. Either way, willfully my perspective could give you something to think about. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @NakeashaJ and on Instagram @Melanated_Beauty.
-Nakeasha Johnson (@NakeashaJ)
