In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice happens on 21 December. This the darkest day (least amount of sunlight), but now the days will get longer and the light will return. The word "solstice" comes from the Latin word "solstitum," which means "the standing still of the sun." In other words, the sun will pause.

In our meditations, we breathe in, pause, breathe out, pause. If we count our breaths (one, two, three...), we often find our minds wandering and we have to start again with "one."

The Solstice is a time to start again.  In your meditations, and in your life, try to notice (and honor) when you have to start again.

This quote is from a 2017 article in Tricycle magazine: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/winter-solstice-buddhism/

"The winter solstice serves as a reminder for us to let everything go, and begin again—not just on December 21st or January 1st, but on any given day, in any given moment."

Check out our Zen Contemplation Corner for additional reflections.