Today is the Winter Solstice in the Northern hemisphere…

The following article is from a blog I came across. I am sharing it with permission, as is stated in the final paragraph. You may or may not agree with everything Andrea shares. At least be open and do your own resesarch, then, make your health a priority. Sleep, quantity and quality, is imperative to properly functioning hormones. It is also critical to your awareness and prevention skills. Train Smart. Sleep. Live Safe. winter treeSweet Dreams!

Today is the Winter Solstice in the Northern hemisphere…

It’s the longest night of the year.

And it’s a very good time to look at balance at the root, along with the soil and the darkness that feeds it.

You see, back when humans used to be more connected to the Earth’s natural rhythms of light and dark, day and night, sun and moon…

Before there was electrical light or a shrink-wrapped hot dog on every corner…

The Earth and sky gave our bodies balance.

Turns out, nighttime is the most important time for healing and repair. 

* During rest, your liver repairs your body by removing toxins from your blood stream.

* While you are sleeping, your muscles create new muscle cells that speed up your body’s metabolism and immune system.

* In the dream state, your brain defragments emotions and thoughts that would overwhelm your psyche without processing and releasing them.

One of the biggest ways that the Earth’s cycles affect us is through our hormones.

At night, your brain releases the hormone melatonin which allows you to sleep more peacefully and wake up feeling refreshed.

This hormone is so important for a healthy weight-loss journey. 

Without healthy “feel good” hormones like melatonin, you will crave more and more sugar to give you that artificial rush of temporary euphoria.

Plus, melotonin is the pre-cursor to serotonin which is released by the same gland during the day.

It’s a simple cycle…

The more melatonin you make at night, the more serotonin you make during the day.

And the more serotonin you have, the less sugar cravings and sluggishness you have.

It may sound simple, but most of us are not honoring our bodies’ natural need for sleep.

It’s so easy to stay up late cruising around on the internet, or drink coffee to jolt ourselves awake after only a few hours of shallow, hormone-deprived sleep.

This is a destructive cycle.

Today is the perfect time to honor your body’s connection to the rhythm of the Earth.

The longest night of the year will give you a chance to come into balance with the darkness that is a healing place of refuge.

You see, a lot of people ask me how I’m so “bright and happy” all the time…

The answer is not what you’d expect.

It’s because I honor the darkness.

I have a very sacred relationship with sleep.

And going through this difficult year of divorce and crushed fantasies, I’ve spent a lot of time in quiet reflection, meditating and journaling.

In other words, just like the roots of the harvest that grow deep into the ground during the winter months…

I too am allowing my roots of self-awareness to penetrate deeper and deeper into my soul.

I find that when you don’t fight this process, when you honor it…

You emerge in the springtime more grounded, more stable, and more aligned with your truth.

>>> So how can you honor the winter solstice for yourself?

Here are some ideas to bring out the ritual of darkness for your healing:

  • take a bubble bath in the dark with only one or two candles lit
  • go to bed early (tell your kids, partner or family to not disturb you)
  • write in your journal all the things you’ve been wanting to get off your chest
  • burn some sage or incense and spread it around your home
  • wear black
  • carry a dark stone in your purse
  • put your hands and feet in dirt – dig deep
  • wear an eye mask to sleep

… and anything else that comes up for you.

Remember, there is no “right or wrong” way to honor the cycles of the Earth.

The only thing is to listen to your inner voice.

She will guide you through the darkness.

To The Darkest Night Within You,
Love and Light (and Dark),

Andréa

P.S. Any part of yourself that you are denying or resisting will only come out in self-destructive ways when your willpower is weak.

The process of healing your body/mind/heart/soul from within is about honoring every part of yourself – the light and the darkness.

How are you going to celebrate the Winter Solstice?

Copyright @2015 and Beyond; Andréa Albright Inc.
This article is of Andréa Albright Inc. and free under the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License and you may freely copy, distribute, blog, or post it anywhere, so long as the work is attributed to Andréa Albright Inc. and the text is unaltered. These newsletters are for entertainment purposes only, and nothing herein is offered to treat, diagnose, or cure any disease; physical, psychological, or emotional. From time to time I endorse third-party products or programs, and often there is some compensation or commission for that endorsement.
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