What Is the Winter Solstice?
At Yoga Lee, we talk often about how the natural world moves in cycles—how the Earth expands and contracts, how light and dark dance with one another, how our bodies and nervous systems mirror these rhythms whether we notice or not. The Winter Solstice is one of those sacred turning points on the Wheel of the Year that invites us to pause, soften, and reconnect to something deeper.
The Winter Solstice is one of the four major solar festivals, celebrated on December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere (and June 21st in the Southern). It is mirrored by the Summer Solstice six months later, the moment of greatest light. Together, they act as the great inhale and exhale of the sun.
On this day, the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, making it:
The longest night of the year
The shortest day
And the official beginning of winter
It’s a moment of darkness, but also a moment of promise. A quiet knowing that the light will return, slowly but surely, day after day.
A Time Our Ancestors Honored Deeply
The Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, was once a time of deep reverence. Stores of food were still full, fermentation processes had come to completion, and communities would gather together to share what they had and celebrate what felt sacred. And yet, there was also uncertainty:
Would the sun return? Would the darkness continue to grow?
Imagine the awe and gratitude when daylight finally began increasing again. The Solstice marked the triumph of light over darkness, a reminder that even in our most shadowed seasons, renewal is already underway.
At Yoga Lee, we feel that rhythm in our bones. Our classes, our rituals, our sequencing, and even the way we light the studio at this time of year reflect this dance between dark and light. This is the season of slow flow, mandala movement, restorative rest, and deep nourishment of the nervous system.
A Season of Death, Rebirth, and Inner Renewal
Spiritually, the Winter Solstice represents death and rebirth—a symbolic shedding of what is no longer needed so that something new can emerge. It is a time when stillness becomes the teacher.
The Longest Night invites us to:
• slow down
• turn inward
• tend to our inner world
• honor the “harvest” of the year
• acknowledge the forgotten and the tender places
• release what we’ve been carrying
This is why Yoga Lee leans into slower practices at this time of year. Yin, Restorative, Yoga Nidra, mandala-based flow—the practices meant to settle the nervous system and let the body return to its own natural wisdom. The Solstice gives us permission to do less… and in many ways, to let ourselves be held.
And just like the light slowly begins to return after this day, so too does our inner light. It waxes and wanes, brightens and dims, but it is always there—waiting, ready, alive.
How I'm Personally Honoring the Solstice This Year
Every year, my rituals shift a little depending on what I need most. That’s the beauty of seasonal living—your body tells you what it’s ready for.
This year, I plan on:
Sleeping in and having a slow morning in bed
Getting outside for a hike or a walk with my dog and partner
Performing an intuitive candle ritual (I’ll share on Instagram once it comes to me)
Journaling through the things I'm ready to release
Most likely going to the event being held at Yoga Lee!
Sitting quietly with twinkle lights and incense
Having a bonfire and performing a ritual of release and letting go
You’re welcome to borrow any of these ideas or craft your own traditions. What matters most is that your ritual feels like you.
Winter Solstice Journaling Prompts
A few reflections for your practice:
Why should I rest and turn inward right now?
What can I learn from resting?
What shadows am I hiding? What shadows can I embrace?
What is no longer serving me? What can I let go of?
What can stillness and rest teach me?
Let your pen move slowly. Let the darkness hold you.
Winter Solstice Offerings at Yoga Lee
Winter Solstice Movement Meditation: Flow & Deep Rest
Sunday, December 21, 2025 — 4:00 PM | 75 minutes | At Yoga Lee Studio
Book Now
This practice is intentionally crafted to honor the depth, mystery, and stillness of the longest night of the year.
Through mindful movement, mandala sequencing, directional flow, and mudras, we will gently journey through the four cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west—mirroring the sacred circle of the Solstice.
This is a moment to “travel the sacred circle,” as our ancestors once did, and emerge renewed, grounded, and ready for the returning light.
A Solstice Blessing for You + Our Yoga Lee Community
The Winter Solstice is a beautiful reminder that darkness is not something to fear—it is something to honor. It is fertile, transformative, and deeply wise. And at Yoga Lee, we hold this season with so much love. We create space for slowness, for reflection, for nourishment, for ritual, and for community.
So I invite you to ask yourself:
What do you need right now?
Not what the world expects of you.
Not what your to-do list demands.
Not what everyone else needs from you.
What do you need for your own body, your own heart, your own winter?
The Winter Solstice offers the perfect moment to listen.
May this season bring you rest.
May it bring you clarity.
May it bring you renewal.
And may the return of the light remind you that your own inner glow is always waiting for you.
