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The winter solstice is upon us when, in the Northern Hemisphere, the shorter days and chilly temperatures naturally draw us indoors. But the celestial energies also draw us inward, inside ourselves, inviting contemplation and introspection at year’s end. It is an opportunity to take inventory on our lives: How has the year been for us? Is there place in my life that feels wonky and out of balance? What do I need to change in the new year to bring it more into balance?

Grace descends in a special way this time of year, also. Her blessings of transcendent effulgent light uplift us, touching and opening our hearts. We are instinctively drawn to reaching out to others and sharing our love. Love is a unifying force; it is the glue that unites the two – the split off, the separate. It is the light that contains the shadow, illuminating its deception. So in the face of the extreme negativity and polarization we are experiencing in the world at this time, this solstice window becomes a potent opportunity to foster unity by embracing love.

The love that we find in the open heart also very naturally invites the acts of giving and receiving which, unfortunately, this time of year have become burdened by expectation and consumerism; however, our giving can be transformed when we practice the spirit of Karma Yoga. Selfless action and giving without thought of reward, is our noble intention here. It is the highest aspect of the heart and of action in the world. 

When we give of our resources without self interest, whether it is through money, a material gift, our talents and expertise, or if we simply reach out in compassion to someone in need, our hearts rejoice and expand and we connect to a field of universal love and abundance. We bypass the dual nature of the limited ego-mind with its belief in lack and scarcity, its neediness and attachments, and we enter the domain of divine love, flow and the source of unlimited supply. We become emissaries of the divine, spreading wealth and blessings on her behalf. Then giving becomes our joy, and the more we give the more we want to give!

Let the spirit of Karma Yoga guide your giving and your actions now and always. The love and joy you discover there will grow your heart and bless your life, casting light wherever there is darkness into the new year and beyond.