Diwali is the yearly ‘Festival of Lights’ that is celebrated in India for 5 days. This year it begins on November 4th. There are different meanings to this holiday depending where you are in India. I personally like the meaning of finding the light within the darkness and moving more towards True Self. Moving from darkness to light.
As the days continue to shorten and the night grows longer, for some, it can feel depressing for some. Often, I hear people bemoaning this time of year, which makes it so much more challenging when it doesn’t have to be.
I encourage everyone to take a different perspective, one that is more in line with ‘finding the light within.’
EXTERNALLY FINDING THE LIGHT
Growing up in Alaska, this time of year was filled with potluck gatherings with our friends. It was a time to reconnect and enjoy each other. Stomping through the crisp, crunchy snow from the car towards a bright and warm house. Shaking off snow and layers in the entryway. Changing boots for slippers as nostrils filled with an array of scents drifting from the dining room and kitchen. The house was filled with chatter, laughter, music.
As someone who used to struggle with seasonal depression, this was one example of a ‘light within the darkness.’ Other external ways to connect with ‘light’ were getting outside to play in the snow and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors in winter, cooking warm soups and drinking soothing cups of tea, and curling up with a good book that I had wanted to read but couldn’t find the time.
INTERNALLY FINDING THE LIGHT
To find the light more within myself, I started to redefine the ‘darkness’ that society says is ‘bad.’ Lower energy I call ‘hibernation mode’ and allow myself to enjoy the down time. Days when my mood and mind tend to go negative, I call ‘the reminders’ as they allow me to practice gratitude, asking for what I need, and surrounding myself with what fills me up (and saying ‘no’ to what doesn’t).
I’ve come to realize that much of my seasonal depression had to do with expectations of myself. Expectations that I always have lots of energy, that I always need to be productive, that I should put ‘to dos’ first, that I should others’ needs in front of my own. What a load of BS! Why, out of all of nature’s creatures, should human beings be exempt from going into a hibernation mode? Society and economies might want this, but the reality is we are part of nature. Accepting this allows moving more slowly and taking more time to relax to be OK.
TAKE THE CHALLENGE
If you are someone who has defined this time of year as “awful, I hate it, I just want it to be summer,” then here’s my challenge:
Practice Pratipaksha Bhavana and Do the Opposite this year.
Keep living the next three months as if it were your favorite time of year. Start by making a list of the top 10 things you enjoy about this time of year and focus on this. Anytime you feel your mind getting down, pull this list out and connect with one of those items on your list.
Create light in your life…literally! Buy yourself some candles and twinkle lights. Then create a warm, cozy atmosphere in your home. One thing a former mayor of Anchorage did when I was growing up was name Anchorage the ‘City of Lights’ and encouraged everyone to decorate their homes with white lights. I still remember driving around in the late afternoon (it was pitch black by then) and gazing at the glowing lights all around town. I enjoyed the beautiful twinkling against the white snow.
And finally, challenge your definitions. Our definitions, how we label things, are how we end up viewing the world. They are how we interact with the world. If my definition of winter is “depressing and lonely,” then that will be the reality of my winter. Challenge that and define it by what you enjoy about it – “winter is cozy and breath-taking.” That reality will feel much different, much more uplifting. We do have a choice.
Find the Light Within.
Namaste.