Kori Leigh is a talented writer and a self-proclaimed "rebellious holistic nutritionist and life coach." Kori believes in the divinity of darkness and creating space for humans to be human. She seeks to find beauty in the flawed, in the mundane, and through the darkness. She likens one's self-growth to that of the beet. Read her article below to find out why...
The holiday season - so many emotions, so much food, such short days – so much hustle and bustle, and often too easy to lose our footing and fall into numbness and self-doubt.
As the world heads into hibernation, we watch Mother Earth slow down. She loses her leaves, a layer of snow and frost covers the ground. The moon hovers over our heads, creating longer hours, the daylight is sparse, the animals sleep, and the overall energy is that of rest. The longer nights and colder days call us forward to the place of deep, slow self-care.
We are naturally less social at this time of the year; we yearn for more sleep, and heavier foods. We are not as outgoing, extroverted, or energetic. The winter months are a time for heading inward, into our own being, where we can quietly process the desires of our hearts and the wounds of our souls. Now is the time for recuperating our energy and creative fertility for the spring months that come ahead.
December 21st marks Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, which means that the sun is once again born and days will inevitably become lighter. This cycle teaches us that with every death comes rebirth.
And then we add the holiday to this already transformative, inward, darker time – and for many it is an uprooting of emotional stability and a loss of navigation in self-care and body care.
I see too many of us humans working against the seasons. We yearn to be social, fertile with ideas and creativity, extroverted, light, and energetic… that is simply not what winter calls of us. Working with the season, honoring the example of Mother Earth; this is the time to fall into surrender, cease the battle of paddling ferociously upstream, and fall into the ease of the natural flow of life. This means honoring what your body craves with acceptance and self-compassion. It may mean that you continue to hit the gym at 6:30 each morning, but it may also mean that your energy levels call for slow walks under the stars, long baths, or more journaling – whatever you crave, it's ok.
Honor it – guilt free.
Learn to honor your human self with compassion and acceptance.
What would your holiday season look like if you surrendered to the longing of your soul? What would your day look like with deeply honoring your hearts desire? What does finding divinity in darkness mean to you?
Tips for the Darker Winter Days (& the holiday season):
Take comfort in the deep, slow ritual of self-care – spend time on you each and every day. This may look like journaling and setting a morning intention. I recommend including positive affirmations all through your day…
Things like:
I am worthy.
I am enough.
I love myself, exactly as I am right now.
I personally have my own routine of self-care rituals each and every day; mine include prayer and gratitude in the morning and engaging in daily creativity (for me, this is writing and food crafting). I take deep care in the ritual of hygiene – I bathe with organic oils and soaps, using face masks and essential oils… this is all done in the name of “I am worthy of the time it takes to pamper my skin.” I love showing myself that I love me. I journal daily. I surround my world with inspiration and humans I admire – I only read blogs I love. I avoid the news and unfollow humans that do not portray my values. I try to live with intention.
And when I fall off, I forgive myself.
Feed your body the nutrients that it needs to stay grounded – bone broth soups, elixirs with reishi mushrooms, B vitamins, lots and lots of healthy fats: avocado, hemp, flax, brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, etc. Sweeten your food with raw honey and organic maple syrup. Eating refined, low frequency foods will upset our guts, compromise our immunity, disturb our sleep, and induce unnecessary anxiety. Plus the cravings we get from refined sugar, oils, and salts is an artificial craving – it is a craving of addiction rather than a craving of divine communication.
It is normal in the winter to want heavier foods; honor that. Your divine body is smarter than you can imagine; she knows what she needs; she communicates that to you through desires and cravings.
Be where you are. The world is literally dark right now; honor that. It’s not uncommon to have the darkness of the soul surface; honor that. Cry if you need to. Find your support network. Spend time alone. Be where you are; honor the emotions that show up – they are all divine and often there is wisdom in your tears, and there are secrets in your heavy moods.
There is divinity in darkness. It’s ok to be where you are.
Check in with Self: “What do I need right now?” – ask yourself this a hundred times a day and honor what comes up. Maybe it is a nap, maybe a run, maybe you need alone time – or perhaps you need tribe. Maybe you need nourishing food or a glass of wine. Maybe you need sensuality and physical touch. Whatever your heart whispers to you; honor that.
Practice Gratitude. You’re breathing. Your heart is beating. The moon comes out each night. You feel joy or sorrow – that means you are alive; you feel (!!) Find gratitude. When we practice gratitude, especially in the toughest times, we shine light in our darkness. Gratitude offers us hope - gratitude puts our lives in perspective. Find gratitude, and practice it: every. single. day.
Be Compassionate. Forgive yourself. For heaven's sake, you are human – you’re going to fuck up, and that’s ok.
It is ok.
You are still lovable. You are still enough. You are worthy, no matter what. Period. No arguing that fact. Get back up, dust those bruised knees off and try again. Above all else, just try again. Show YOU that you are lovable, that you are worthy of showing up, of messing up, and of trying again.
& finally, remember the lessons of the beet:
The beet represents {divinity in darkness}.
I believe in darkness in all of its forms, because without the darkness we cannot see the light.
Think about a little tiny beet seed – we dig a hole in the earth and drop a seed into darkness, bury it and wait for a miracle.
The beet has courage to enter the void;
the beet has faith to know her safety when buried alive; she has faith in her fate.
The beet has an intimate relationship with the darkness - in fact, without the void, without the darkness, the beet loses her potential—the beet actually requires the darkness to hit her full potential—without it, she is nothing but a dormant seed.
The beet understands that the nourishment for her existence lays in the darkness; her nutrients exist in the void.
The beet does not fight the darkness, she does not distract herself from the darkness, she does not try to avoid the darkness – she simply falls into the void, surrenders, and {slowly} and {courageously} begins her divine purpose—growth.
The beet’s growth appears invisible.
Her seed sprouts and her roots grow underground – in the void – invisible to the human eye.
She is slow.
She is steady.
She does not need to rush or show off.
She requires nourishment and water. Her life, as an underground dweller, is one of slow, dark growth.
I respect the message of the beet. I respect her relationship to the darkness. I respect her slow, steady nature of growth. I respect that she is not a show-off. She appears invisible until she is fucking ready to show up and be seen, eaten, worshipped, and enjoyed. She is a silent warrior, a teacher, a nourisher.
The holidays, for many, are a time of deep introspection, darkness, and emotions. And that is ok. Find the nourishment in the darkness by authentically honoring where you are. This means surrender; it means the priority of the ritual of divine self-care.
I wish you a happy holiday; I wish you the discovery of divinity, no matter where you are at, and I wish you abundant rituals of self-care. You are worth it.
With Love,
Kori
Kori Leigh is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CHN - Canadian School of Natural Nutrition), a Certified Professional Co Active Coach (CPCC 0 - Coaches Institute), and a Personal Trainer Visit her site at http://www.korileigh.com and follow her on Instagram.