Winter Solstice – Finding Balance

One of my favorite days of the year is here. It’s not Christmas day;  that arbitrary date to acknowledge the miracle of Jesus’ birth has long since been hijacked by the overwhelming pressures of consumerism for me to truly enjoy. The day I really appreciate is the Winter Solstice, which comes and goes almost without notice during the days before Christmas. I can feel my sense of balance returning on this quiet day before the big holiday.

On the solstice, we reach the tipping point between dark and light when day and night are equally in balance. Technically, December 21st is the longest night of the year. It’s also the first day of Winter, which could be depressing, but I find comfort in knowing that from my spot on the planet (in the Northern hemisphere) the days will get incrementally longer. I find great promise in that.

Maybe I feel the stirrings of my Pagan DNA rebelling against the way in which we now celebrate Yuletide.  The feasting and the gift giving and the general merry-making traditions were absorbed into Christian traditions, but their origins came from generations before Christ’s birth. They were a means of holding fast during the dark nights and welcoming the sun.

A Time To Be Awestruck

For me, it’s a quiet time to recognize my many blessings and to be awestruck at the magnificence of the heavens. Reflecting on the balance and symmetry in nature, I wonder why humans struggle so much with the concept. We labor against the push and pull of polar opposites, gravitating to one extreme or the other as if balance is not something that comes naturally.

Ask a child to select what they like at an all you can eat buffet and they’ll likely skip the healthy stuff and return with a plate full of goodies. Ask a young person to allot time for study or play and most will choose more fun than work.

I wonder though if parents didn’t interfere with kids, would they choose sweets some days? Then on others choose healthier alternatives as they learn to listen to their natural cravings? And if kids could learn exclusively through their play, as is often the case, would they have to choose between the two? I’m not prescribing a plan of letting our children do what they please without parental guidance. But I’m guessing, had we learned as kids to make choices about balance on our own, the skill would more naturally be instilled in us as adults.

How often do we choose work over fun out of some sense duty or obligation? We eliminate “bad” foods from our diet until we get a cheat day or find ourselves with overwhelming cravings. Is that balance? Discipline rules our heart now like our parents did in enforcing naptime. Would the world swing wildly out of balance if we allowed the heart to make more of our choices? Maybe a better question is, can we find a balance between our wants and our needs?

So Much More Than One Side Or Another

Balance is not easy in this world of dichotomy. We swing wildly from one extreme to the other. We point fingers at the other side without learning the value of balance and compromise.

On a deeper level, kids seem to know the importance of balance in the form of justice and fairness. Several early childhood studies conducted with unfair distributions of candy show kids will choose no candy for anyone over an unequal distribution. So maybe we do have an innate sense of balance.

I believe that most of us, given some time to find our center, would find a balanced approach to living. Ideally, we want to find that sweet spot between the two complementary forces of effort and ease; not so much ease that we become bored and not so much effort that life is a continual battle. We want the perfect state of grace where everything just flows.

I like Rumi’s take on it,

“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds’ wings.”

So as Christmas approaches and the nights get longer, I will welcome the tipping point that is the Solstice and reflect on Rumi’s wisdom as I seek my own coordination and allow my wings to unfurl.

17 Comments

  1. “Balance is not easy in this world of dichotomy.” very true and the least who “Get it” has the huge responsibility to carry the message over… as the torchlight is meant to cast out the dark where it lays its rays…

  2. Kerry Parry
    Jan 9, 2018

    Thank you, Demba, fellow torchbearer.

  3. I’m a little late reading this blog, especially some of the posts, but got to say… everything here is so great and so true. As someone who’s originally from the area, I get a chuckle out of many things here.

  4. Sailendra Aggrawal
    Apr 9, 2018

    This is a great blog. I am pretty much impressed with your good work. You put really very helpful information. Keep it up.

  5. Neeraj Nayar
    Apr 9, 2018

    I am impressed. This is a fantastic blog. You obviously know what your subject matter! I studied it with great interest and look forward to the next updates. I have grabbed the rises feed to stay up to date of any further updates.

  6. Sachin Sawant
    Apr 9, 2018

    Thanks very nice share … I follow your site constantly … important issues … Congratulations … I entered this site by chance, but I found very interesting.

  7. Archana Kumari
    Apr 9, 2018

    Hello I am so delighted I found your blog, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Yahoo for something else, anyways I am here now and would just like to say thanks for a tremendous post. Please do keep up the great work.

  8. Prem Singh Negi
    Apr 9, 2018

    The blog is absolutely fantastic. Lots of great information and inspiration, both of which we all need. Thanks for such a continuous great postings.

  9. Archana Shrivastav
    Apr 9, 2018

    I am impressed. You obviously know what your subject matter! I studied it with great interest and look forward to the next updates. I have grabbed the rises feed to stay up to date of any further updates.

  10. Sachin Sawant
    Apr 9, 2018

    I have been looking for information on this particular topic for a lot of time now. I can’t believe it is this difficult to find something on the Internet like this. I must be looking for the wrong thing or I don’t know how to use Google. Anyway, thanks a lot for making this post available to us.

  11. Sachin Sawant
    Apr 9, 2018

    Finally I found something useful to me. I can’t believe it is this difficult to find something on the Internet like this. I must be looking for the wrong thing or I don’t know how to use Google. Anyway, thanks a lot for making this post available to us.

  12. Indraprastha Resort
    Apr 9, 2018

    Finally I found something useful blog for me. I have been looking for information on this particular topic for a lot of time now. Keep it up.

  13. Baldev Puri
    Apr 9, 2018

    Many thanks for making the sincere effort to explain this. I feel fairly strong about it and would like to read more. If it’s OK, as you find out more in depth knowledge, would you mind writing more posts similar to this one with more information?

  14. Sanket Aggarwal
    Apr 9, 2018

    This is a great blog. I am pretty much impressed with your good work. You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. I follow your site constantly … important issues … Congratulations … I entered this site by chance, but I found very interesting.

  15. PS NEGI
    Apr 9, 2018

    Nice blog sir.Happy to see your blog as it is just what I’ve looking for. I am looking forward to another great blog from you.

  16. PREM SINGH
    Apr 9, 2018

    Nice blog sir.Happy to ascertain your journal because it is simply what I’ve trying to find. i’m wanting forward to a different nice journal from you.

  17. D POLO
    Apr 9, 2018

    Thanks for the good web log. it absolutely was terribly helpful on behalf of me. Keep sharing such concepts within the future in addition. This was truly what U.S.ed to be} trying to find and that i am glad to return here! Thanks for sharing such valuable info with us.