Winter solstice

This sunrise was a few days after the solstice. On days I work a ski instructor, I am up before sunrise. This one was particularly beautiful.

And it's getting lighter! It happens so subtly that we don't notice it at first. But I always feel it in my body. I feel myself begin to come out of hibernation and start to plan for the coming spring. While I still feel the need to curl up in front of the fire with a hot chocolate, I notice my thoughts turning from the year that's past and towards the year that's coming.

The busy pace of our society turns our attention away from the seasons around us. Part of relationship with nature is noticing how the seasons impact our bodies, our energy, and our needs. I have learned that the darkest time of year is a time of both stillness and movement. The sun seems to reverse direction in the sky. How attentive our ancestors were to notice the day this happened! What can we do to give our attention to seasons? How can we honor the shifts?