The Time Outside of Time

Dear Reader,

This is my last post of 2022. My letters will return after the New Year.

How has this year been for you? I think most of us were thinking that the world would go ‘back to normal’ this year. Now that the year is closing, what do you think? Are we back to normal?

To me it’s evident that we can’t go back in time, and that the old normal is gone forever.

We have been shaped by a once in a hundred years event in the form of a pandemic. But it seems like so much more has happened.

It feels like we are living through one of those times that will be highlighted in history books, a potent time.

Each of us is in charge of how we deal with this moment. It is a weighty responsibility.

But, there are ways to allow the tension to slide from your shoulders, and to release the sense of heaviness.

One way is to take advantage of today, and the next few days.

On the Winter Solstice, the sun appears to stop in the sky. It’s as if time pauses for a few days.

It’s the darkest day of the year, which contributes to the sense of quiet that is possible if you listen for it. I don’t mean with your ears, but with a deeper part of yourself.

This photo captured the view outside my window this morning. The feeling you get when you look at this view represents what this time of year is all about.

Pause. Soften. Allow time to stop for a moment.

Tell your brain that it’s time to relax, to stop problem solving for now.

Allow yourself some deep breaths, some moments of pure presence. Notice what is around you, right here and now.

Let go of the need to problem solve for the future.

Allow yourself a break from figuring it all out.

Rather than analyze the year past or create resolutions for the coming one, be present at this solstice moment.

Notice the small details, the colors, the sounds.

Granting yourself permission to do this has lasting impacts on your health.

The energy of this time supports the pause, and deep healing is possible now by simply just being.

You may be super busy and unable to just breathe or meditate for hours on end. And that’s OK!

You can just be in any moment: cooking, eating, laughing, looking at a beautiful tree, listening to music that makes you happy – these are all healing activities, if you allow them to be.

It’s a matter of setting a clear intention that the problem solving part of your brain can rest, and that your attention can remain in this present moment.

Wishing you a peaceful conclusion to your year,

Amanda Rose Baker

Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant