Solstice and the Need for Light

Around this time of year, when nights are long and days are cold, I remember a story about an elderly Taoist sage who slept 20 hours a day in winter and four hours a day in summer. Following the rhythm of the seasons, he lived to be over 100 years old! The story was related by Jeffrey Yuen, a scholar on Chinese medicine and Taoist philosophy, during one of his classes in New York City.

Electricity and central heating may make it possible to stay awake longer in winter, but cold temperatures and lack of sunlight still have the same affect on us as they did on people in ancient times. Environmental warmth and light are energies that interact with our own body and mind, providing support for our activities. Who doesn’t feel more relaxed when going out on a summer night instead of a wintry one? Even when winter is only approaching, people reveal their apprehension when they start to speculate about snowfall, sleet and icy roads.

Economic wisdom says when funds are low, conserve and the same logic applies to energy. In the winter, when environmental warmth is less abundant, conserve your energy. I remember a client of mine who felt upset because she didn’t feel like having lunch with a friend who was an hour’s drive away. Since it was the end of winter I suggested that she wait a few weeks until spring showed up, then she would probably feel more like making the drive. It would just feel easier.

As a bodyworker, I’ve always recognized how sensitive we are to environment, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. The more we appreciate this simple fact, the easier we will be on ourselves when we need to rest. Or when we want to do less. Modern researchers are recognizing the wisdom of traditional approaches. Samueli Institute has created a framework called Optimal Healing Environments, a nice example of how personal, interpersonal, behavioral and external factors weave together to support health and healing.

I enjoy the festivals of light in December at Solstice, the longest night of the year. The lights are beautiful, a tradition rooted in our experience of being part of nature. They energize us, make us smile, and add a glimmer of something eternal that is common to us all.