WINTER SOLSTICE - Rewilding Journal Prompts
Learning to Stand Still
Welcome to the Rewilding Journal Prompts series - semi-monthly journal prompts to encourage reflection and exploration of our inner landscapes, and subtle nudges towards a more open heart.
Here we are at the Winter Solstice. Solstice - a word that translates to “Sun stop” and “standstill” - referring to the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun appears to rise and set in the same place and hang still during it’s short presence in the sky.
Winter is all about slowing down, hibernating a little (or a lot), and digging deeper into reflective thinking, processing the year, and taking a damn breath already! But what I see (for myself as well), is that slowing down is really hard to do when everyone around us is doing more, asking more, demanding more.
Standstill is a very interesting word to focus on for the winter solstice. If you struggle with slowing down, taking time to reflect, or setting boundaries around your energy, you may like to try this.
For one single day, amongst all the shopping and cooking and frantic energy of the holiday season, simply observe the word “standstill”. Go ahead, try it.
Notice what happens? You kind of have to actually stand still to think about it don’t you? Fascinating!
This is a key lesson in rewilding, in meditation, in therapy and counselling - noticing small things, becoming aware of them, contemplating them, simply observing them - this is where the magic happens.
So, on this lovely sunny day, the shortest of the year, when we thank the darkness for its lessons and beauty and greet the returning of the light with open arms, what else can you notice? What draws your attention when you stand still for a moment?
Journaling can be a helpful tool in navigating life and life changes.
Whether your goals are healing, personal growth, or simply curiosity, if you are interested in doing a bit of rewilding inner work and self-exploration, I invite you to try these prompts the next time you need a little nudge in a new direction.
Winter Solstice Rewilding Prompts:
~ Do I struggle to slow down? Do I feel pressure to constantly produce things?
~ Have I checked in with my boundaries lately? Where do they need some attention?
~ Am I leaning more into slow, dark, quick or light? What feels best for me right now?
~ If I could stand still for one day, how would that feel in my body?
~ If I could stand still for a moment, what might I notice?
~ When I stand still, what do I notice? How do I feel?
Write your answers in whatever format you feel most comfortable with - bullet point, long-form, doodles, stickers, paint, etc. Speak from the heart. The only right answers are the ones you feel are true to you!
You can keep your answers or burn the evidence; the exercise is simply to nudge you towards some pondering, reframing, reevaluating, and rewilding of your current beliefs for a more sustainable thought ecosystem.
If you found these prompts useful, let me know in the comments and join me next time for some new prompts to ponder. I would love to build a community here, to hold space for others on their rewilding journeys, so please feel free to share your own stories!
I find my thoughts flow better with the right soundtrack - if you’re the same, here’s a little playlist I put together last year for my newsletter subscribers. Try it out for your winter solstice journalling, reflections and intention-setting, or just standing still!
Wishing you all a blessed Yule, a sweet Midwinter, a reflective Solstice, and a moment of standing still if that feel right for you. ✨