Trees both bare and bright
Winter ways to be present
The season of limited light is also a season of ritual brightening. We string lights and hang shining ornaments on a Christmas evergreen standing tall in the living room; we reverently light the Hanukkah menorah, singing the blessing of the festival of miracles; we light the seven representational candles for Kwanzaa; or we sit by a backyard fire as it crackles and glows. As we approach the shortest day of the year by seeking and creating luminosity, we are reminded of a central premise of yoga: using the power of practice to reconcile opposites and yoke to a greater sense of benevolence, compassion, and conscious presence.
Over the next few weeks, we invite you to step outside and stand below a tall, deciduous tree, its structure newly revealed without its leaves. Take a long, steady breath and let your gaze rest in the spaces between the branches. Allow those openings to remind you of the spacious and light-filled nature of all beings, even when it is not immediately visible. The sun (or the moon) does not need to be shining for us to feel the light within.