Embracing Darkness for Restoration
When I was young, my mom would send my sister and I to visit my grandmom in her farm for a few weeks during the summer vacation.
From being in the city surrounded by traffic and noise, we moved into the slow summer life of the farm.
From buildings and asphalt, we would be surrounded by trees, creeks and grass and dirty roads.🌳
But the one thing that has stuck in my mind over the years is the way we spend the nights.
You see, there was no electricity at my grandmom’s farm.
There were no switches to make light happen when night came not a TV to watch either!
Dinner marked pretty much the end of the day.
🕯️Candles and kerosene lamps were lit as it grew darker. We would gather in the living room. My grandmom would knit. Her husband would read and they would chat. My sister and I would play a board game sitting on the floor or we would read. Now and then we would stop to listen to the sound of a frog or a bird or something outside that we could not see.
Darkness was everything in those summer nights and yet, it was not scary.
Darkness marked the time of less activity. It was the time to settle down. Nothing was started but it was time for completion and rest.
And most importantly, darkness was a time to transition into sleep.😴
Our modern lives have changed drastically the way we feel and react to darkness. In fact, we flood our nights with bright lights.
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But here is the thing:
Without darkness, light would be impossible. One needs and complements the other.
We just had gone through the longest night of the year and moving into dark days of winter.
🌟What if we could welcome darkness as an opportunity to settle down and reduce the amount of activity, to complete rather than to start, to “listen” more and by doing this, transition into restful sleep and lifestyles?
🌟What if instead of trying to fill our heads with stuff, darkness and night were an opportunity to emptied and clear our minds and hearts?
🌟What if we embraced the darkness and winter, and in doing so recalibrate the natural cycles in our bodies, minds and hearts?
With much love,
Catalina ✨
PS January 1 at 1PM come to my Simplify Your Life in 2025 Party. May the first step you take this new year be towards simplicity in your work, relationships and life endeavors🪷
Get your complimentary seat HERE!
Catalina is an inspirational speaker and coach who supports professionals in their self-growth, by focusing on rest, sleep and spiritual revelry and applying holistic and mindful approaches to the way we live, work and love.