We are at the end of the year.  The collective energy of all that has changed, grown, and faded away tends to catch up to us when we slow down.  The temperatures are also falling.  Our joints become stiff, the cold naturally slows the blood flow through the body.  The dark energy of the closing of the year surrounds us.

Connection and disconnection exist in this time of year.  One of the best ways to move through the darker aspects of the year is to connect with community.  When seasonal depression sets in, we draw inward.  Connecting to friends, family and making new connections is important.  Tangible human connection is important, it is one of the great losses we’ve faced because of the rise of technology.  Start a club, a group, connect to others through Meetup.com or visit sites around town.

Engaging your spirituality is also important during this time of year.  Introspection is important but we cannot allow ourselves to get stuck there.  Deepening of the connection to our practice is important in keeping us grounded.  Expanding our spiritual circles also allows us to explore and open up to new avenues of growth.  In pulling away from things during a depressive state, many also pull away from spiritual practice.  We have to remember that even if there is struggle we have to show up to our spiritual practice.

Movement also helps us to keep things moving.  The body becomes rigid in the cold.  Things like yoga, working out, jogging, going for walks, dancing, and engaging the body allows a tactile connection to the flow of live.

The idea is to keep simple, but get started.  When depression binds us, we become stagnant and disconnected.  We also have to remember that there is joy just beyond the darkness, but the darkness is also important.  Depression takes us to the dark edges of our reality.  We have to be careful how long we stay there.  Journaling is also an important thing to add to your journey.

Daily gratitude lists are also important during this time.  We often forget the smallest things in our experience… start with small gratitude and they will lead you to bigger ones.

What are you grateful for?

What brings you out of depressive states?

Also, remember… if you are finding life to be difficult, reach out.  Sitting in our spaces alone only keeps us disconnected.