NOTES FROM THE CAVE

Dear Women,

Happy Solstice!

These are deep days, the longest night and the turning towards the light, all held in a balance. I love the etymology of solstice. It comes from two latin words: sol, which means sun, and sistere, which means to stand still. Ancient astronomers believed the sun appeared to stand still during this time, hence the name. So beautiful!

The outer world can mirror what’s being asked for in our inner world. In honor of this, a group of us gathered together last week to practice the art of standing still in the dark. It was a rich meditation; we entered “the cave” and rested. While each woman had her own experience of being “in the cave”, we felt the collective relief of slowly allowing ourselves to drop into the warm dark.

There can be some resistance—Can I really let go? Who or what is here to hold me? In time though, we felt our own systems beginning to down regulate and come into rest. There’s something ultimately very healing about this inward time.

And because the Buddhist in me believes that we do this inner work ultimately so that we may be in greater loving relationship to ourselves and each other, we closed our circle by offering metta, loving-kindness. May you and I be happy. May you and I be at peace. May we be free from suffering. May we all feel the easy joy of our being. May we never feel separate from our loving, luminous nature. May this light guide our work in the world.

In honor of this sacred time, I want to send you the preliminary info for my 2024 New Year’s offering so you can save the dates. It’s 31 Day Practice Intensive. We begin on January 5. We’ll be meeting for five Friday practice sessions and three Sunday deepening workshops. We will commit to a daily sitting practice. I would love for you to join me.

I am sending blessings to you and yours on this dark night—and through this season.

With love,

Jenny