Ah, the New Year - so full of possibilities! We often start the year with a wonderful burst of energy, but may then feel like we lose steam as we get further into Winter.
Winter - the Vata-Kapha Season - is ruled by the elements of Air + Ether from Vata, and Water + Earth from Kapha. The Fire of Pitta - dynamism - is banked until Summer arrives, but we can encourage the qualities of Fire to build in our lives, helping to balance out the cool and damp winter sluggishness and blues.
Exercise:
Close your eyes and breathe deeply 5-10 times. Then...
Imagine yourself coming in from the cold and the dark and the wet outside, into a warm room with a wonderful fire in the hearth. Consider the qualities of that fire, qualities like warmth, radiance, glimmer.
Choose the quality that speaks the most to you right now.
Consider how you can embody that quality in your life and your day to day activities and interactions.
Go forth, and be Fire for the people around you!
For example, if I feel most connected to the quality of a fire's warmth, I could choose to be warm-hearted as I interact with people in my life. I could reach out warmly, like the heat of a fire reaches out to warm your body, and write a letter or make a phone call or send a nice text to someone. I could choose to use a warm tone of voice throughout my day, and offer warm hugs or touches to people I love and who like physical contact. I could plan my cooking to ensure that I'll have warm foods to enjoy. I could wear warm colors to help brighten up some dismal weather which can also help brighten up a dismal mood.
This is a fun exercise and you can really get creative. For instance, if you like the glimmering aspect of Fire, could you wear glitter somewhere just for fun? Could you offer someone a glimmer in your eye? Or does that glimmer come in when you make a joke or do something fun just because? If you see "glimmer" in a friend, you could comment on it positively and help their glimmer shine even brighter.
Since Winter lasts for some time, you can play with a different quality every week or make a list and try a different one every day. Like many of our practices, this exercise not only helps you, but it's also a gift of balance to the people you encounter. Have fun glowing warmly and sharing your radiance in this New Year!
Love,
Jewel