Another winter solstice arrived today. It's a time for consciously letting go of what no longer serves us, and welcoming new intentions for what does. I find the solstice a comforting reminder that I too, am part of the cycle of life and its seasons. I am not the same person I was last year, last month or even yesterday - none of us are. We are all impermanent.
When I resist change, embracing impermanence feels uncomfortable. It's usually because I am stuck in thinking and analyzing. However, when I allow myself to feel or sense impermanence, it becomes incredibly freeing. I shift from feeling fear, worry or anxiety to feeling a calm ease. I no longer cling to thoughts or ideas, and my understanding of "this too shall pass," is deepened. I become more present within myself and with others because I see impermanence everywhere. Take for example a moment; a new moment appears just as an old moment dies; on and on this continues, an endless cycle of life and death. There really is nothing to cling to - ever.
A labyrinth helps me experience my own cyclical nature of impermanence. Estimated to be 4,000 years old, a labyrinth is an ancient symbol representative of taking a contemplative journey into our inner selves. It reminds me that getting to my centre sometimes requires turns and switchbacks, but as long as I continue to step forward, no matter how difficult or how painful, I will eventually reach my centre of stillness. With each step, I let go of the past and greet the future, and I feel the rhythm of grief and hope pass through me. When I reach my (the) centre, I see beyond my stories and I become an observer of my life, free from judgment and attachment. A new awareness arrived and is providing me with a sense of harmony. I feel more solid in myself - another cycle has come to pass. I step back out into the world knowing I am impermanent.