A Path through the Dark Times

Greetings at the New Moon – December 1, 2024

Finding a Path Forward in the Darkest of Times

It is winter in the northern hemisphere, and daylight morphs into darkness earlier and earlier. Sunset here in Denver is around 4:30 PM. Winter always brings less light, but this year the darkness is more than the sun setting early. Throughout our country, the bar has been lowered about what is normal and acceptable behavior. Hateful words and actions have taken center stage. So, what can we do? What is the path forward?

First of all – don’t pretend it is not happening. If my garden has an infestation of beetles and I pretend that it is not happening, my garden will be decimated. I can choose to cover plants, pick off the beetles, treat them with neem oil, or do something else. But some sort of response is required to help my garden survive.

Just a reminder that mindfulness practice is not about pretending situations are not what they are. Instead, a mindfulness practice can help us stay clear-headed and make wise choices in response to infestations of any kind. Here are some ideas for moving forward.

Remember the Ancestors 

Please stop and remember that all of our ancestors have been through dark times throughout history. This included wars, dictators, famines, and other disasters. Root yourself in your connection to the people who have gone before you and lived through dark times. Take a moment to appreciate their strength, resilience, and resourcefulness. Know that you too can stay strong in the midst of chaos and change.

Define Your Circle of Influence

Here is another garden analogy. It is impossible for me to stop everyone else on the planet from using poisons and dangerous chemicals in their yards. However, I can control what happens in my own garden and can educate the people around me. We each have a circle of influence, whether applied to our gardens or current affairs. Choices and actions we take can influence others in positive ways.  Give some thought to defining your circle of influence and what you can do. Small actions of many people add up and be a light in dark times.

Consider this quote by chemist Illya Prigogine, “When a system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to lift the system to a higher order.”  Be part of the islands of coherence.

Fear as Motivator

Just a reminder that fear is our body’s way of protecting us from assaults of various kinds. When in a fearful state, the chemicals released in our bodies make us stronger and more able to respond by fighting or fleeing. That is a good thing if fighting or fleeing is what we need to do.

However, when the thing we are afraid of requires a different response, we have a problem. The fear chemicals make it hard to think clearly about choices and actions. So acknowledging the fear and then turning off that fear response with meditation and/or breath work, is the key. That will enable us to assess the situation and respond calmly. It is important to keep the awareness of bad situations, but stay calm enough to respond in a helpful way. Don’t let anyone tell you that your fear is unwarranted. The trick is channeling your concerns into positive actions. And this leads to the next point – creating a daily practice.

Most Importantly – Create a Daily Practice to Renew Your Strength and Connection

Even though it may feel that we have spiraled into an upside-down universe, we can stay anchored with meditation, mindfulness, and/or breath practice. A daily practice will support resilience and clarity so that you can act from a place of calm.

If you don’t yet have a daily practice, think about starting one. And if you do have a daily practice, you may want to consider deepening it in some way. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Here is my recommendation for an easy entry point: Each morning, take ten minutes to sit quietly, breathe slowly, and repeat “May I be strong and resilient. May I be calm and at peace.”  Each evening, take another ten minutes to repeat this process. Just ten minutes can have a profound effect. You can also use this as a starting point from which to expand.

Additionally, if you are new to this idea, you can find an app or an online video to guide you through the process of meditation and/or breath work. The hardest thing for most people is not the practice itself but making the commitment to practice. Reminding yourself of the importance of de-stressing and being clear-headed can help you begin and sustain a practice.

Please also remember to connect with the green world. Make a point of spending time outdoors. Trees and plants may be hunkered down for the winter, but they are strong and alive and can remind us of our own resilience and strength. And look up at the evening sky. We are in a vast universe of possibilities. Darkness is a part of it, but so is the light.

We may not be able to completely stop the darkness, but we can each be a light for ourselves and those around us.

If you live in Denver, I will be hosting Winter Solstice celebrations at Bluff Lake Nature Center on December 21 and 22 – here is the link with more info

About this Blog Post & and Global Healing Circles

This post is part of my lunar blog series.  For the time being I’ll be posting on each new moon (not the new and full moon as I did the last few years because of some other writing projects).  Usually, blogs will post each new moon and will be related to plants and ideas featured in my book,  Growing Mindful.  or on other topics related to mindfulness, gardens, and intentional living. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here. 

An invitation to healing circles. One of my new projects this year is partnering with other graduates of the IIQTC (Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi) to offer virtual HeART of Body Compassionate Self Care Practice Circles based on qigong and tai chi. Check out the information here: Global Healing Circles or contact me if you need more information.