Discover what generates the feels and do more of it!

What I love most about the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of light of the year? Regardless of your beliefs, your human nature wants you to go full cave mode, and submit to the slumber of the night.

Winter Solstice is a time to go deep within your heart and create a meaningful connection with yourself. It’s a time of reflection, to connect with the sensory experiences of life and discern what is meaningful.

I liken the Winter Solstice to entering the initial darkness of your heart. But if you allow your imagination to activate, you can envisage a light, your heart spark, to ignite and illuminate this sacred space. 

If visualisation is challenging for you, I recommend connection to the sensations felt within your body. Whether it be tension or relaxation, allow yourself to observe what you are experiencing. And in this moment, of quiet stillness, allow yourself to reflect on the previous six months using the tips below.

Reflection of our journey path affords us the gift of responsibility, to discern what works and what needs attention. Remember there is no right or wrong.

Moving forward, supercharge your observation skills. Observe when your sensory response lights up to something in life. For example, what makes you feel good? Do more of that. 

For me personally, I adore those fleeting moments when the dawn peeks over the horizon and the beams of orange light chase each other over the earth. The night sky changes from black to blue and then the hues of pink and orange arrive. 

That moment when those orange beams reach me, I feel electrically supercharged. I become hyper-aware of everything around me. My senses are stimulated. I purposefully breathe deeply and slowly, savouring these fleeting moments. I meditate, often walking in nature, and allow myself to be intentional as I connect with my dream life whilst moving my body. 

We aren’t genies who can click our fingers and our dream life magically appears before us. We can decide to run a marathon, put on a pair of sneakers, and then run 42 kilometres. Life doesn’t work that way. But with meditation, you can imagine the life you want and create the feel-good energy of that dream.

Here are five ways to actively use meditation to discover what lights you up!

1. Intention

Through my walking meditations, I connect with my intention of the dream life I want to live. I want to feel balanced, calm and peaceful so I must envisage myself flowing from one task to another within the juggle of life. 

2. Habits

Whilst walking, I can activate my imagination. Whilst being meditative I can allow myself to see the bigger picture of my dream life. I can envisage my future where I have fully integrated the positive habits required to support me in achieving my dream life.

By regularly visiting the vision of the ultimate habit(s), I can discern small positive actions that step me towards the final desired outcome. I can then choose, to implement those actions and practice being joyful, happy, peaceful and calm.

3. Strengths

Your imagination is a powerful tool. When you activate your meditative, or dreaming state, and connect with your intentional habits, you can identify what feels natural. These are your strengths. In other words, that feeling is evidence that you already have the tools and strategies developed for achieving what you want.

When looking at the bigger dream life goal, your opportunities for further improvement (some call this your weaknesses) may reveal themself. Never judge this as a failure. Consider this your homework for improvement to achieve your desired goals.

4. See the steps

As you’re walking, allow yourself to see yourself taking those positive steps forward. Envision the actions required to create the new habit to support our dream life. You can experience joy in its most simplistic form during nature walks because you’re in a meditative (or relaxed) state. Each step transposes your physical reality of moving forward, with the imagined desired outcome.

Remember your brain doesn’t know what is real or imagined. You’re in control of that. So double up on the action with imagination to supercharge feeling good.

5. Reflection

The winter solstice day of darkness naturally affords you the time and space to reflect on your perception of success. You get to ask yourself-

• Have you made positive progress steps towards your goals? 
• What has hindered your progress? 
• What might be next to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone?

There’s no right or wrong question as long as you don’t experience shame, blame or guilt for not having arrived fully at the dream. 

Remember always, happiness is fleeting, just like those orange beams of dawn light. Your role in life is to experience as much happiness as you can.

So perhaps your reflection questions may include — where or when do I make time to be, find or experience happiness? Maybe your dream life isn’t to win a million dollars, but to laugh more with your kids.

Conclusion

You can intentionally harness moments of time whilst in nature, that amplify your energetic access to your dream life. You can be intentional in your connection to that dream, and proactive insert small moments of joy seeking to generate that feel-good sensation. And you can actively seek more and more moments of joy-filled wonder in your life until you realise, you are already living your dream. Happy winter solstice!

First published with Illumination, a Medium Publication. 

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