After the longest collective inhale of darkness, the Northern Hemisphere slowly turns back toward the warm embrace of light - In what is the most enduring love story we know. I call it love because the relationship between darkness and light mirrors the truth at the heart of every human story: nothing stays, everything moves, yet we still have the capacity to hold faith that brighter days are ahead. The simple reminder of impermanence is the silent blessing that the winter solstice carries. There is an old saying that too much of 'anything' can poison the soul, including the complacency of life. In nature's wisdom, there is a dimming of light at this time of year, drawing our attention inward and allowing us to reacquaint ourselves with the 'truths' we stand upon for the year ahead. Some of those truths take the form of our values and beliefs, while others can appear more subtle in the way we relate to the stories we tell ourselves.
Either way, this time of year was for our ancestors a time to dig deep and draw on every resource possible to make it through the winter months; there was a necessity for honesty about what was working and what wasn't, because choosing the wrong shelter was a matter of life and death. In the modern, busy world, the stakes aren't high; we have central heating, Deliveroo on demand and the glitzy lights of Christmas to distract our busy minds, and for many, this moment passes without a blink. The trade-off for the distraction is that the filter of introspection cannot connect to the feelings and memories that have filled us all year. Without any discernment, we carry the same truths, live out the same stories and befriend the same comforts - only the wisdom of the darkness can illuminate those truths that innately burn bright.
And this solstice shows me that there is so much in my life that burns bright - the birth of my two beautiful girls (Willow & Alex), running a men's mental health charity (Mentell), starting the final year of my acupuncture degree, and having the privilege of being part of the Return to Roots community. I want to extend a special thank you to my wife (Clare), who, without fail, always makes sure I have cover on a Friday night to run the breathwork sessions.
A big thank you to the in-person workshop team, Danielle, Rob, Christian, Tanja and Damien, who have joined me on an adventure this year of bringing the magic of sound, bodywork, and breathwork to communities across the Northwest. The team's generous support has helped Return to Roots raise nearly £465 for our Yawanawá friends in the Amazon rainforest, supporting Hushahu & Adair return to roots through several food sustainability projects. My final thank you is for those who turn up week in, week out and for your commitment to breathing new life into those old stories. We are all part of something bigger, and it's a blessing to be part of this community, which values kindness at its heart. I know some of you might be reading this, having never set foot in a Return to Roots space - for those, I invite you to give it a go.
I hope you find a moment in the coming days to take stock and breathe 'out with the old and in with the true' - Jeff brown.
See you in the New Year
Andy
