Midwinter. The darkest of dark. The day passes so quickly it is barely there. Our days have turned into night.

And yet in the heart of that velvet black, we reach a turning point. Right there in the shadows, a new light is sparked.

This night, three such turning points come very close together. Less than an hour before midnight, the Sun will enter the sign of Capricorn and mark the Winter Solstice. Midnight will bring the promise of a new day ahead. And at 1:36 am, the Moon will reach the darkest point in her cycle.

Three moments of deepest dark. Three promises of new life to come. It seems like a good time to ponder what gives us deep rest. And what sparks new life in us.

For me, the spark of my life, the thing that keeps me sane and is the centre point of my life is meditation. Without my two moments of meditation each day, strange things begin to happen to me. I forget where the home of my soul is. The world wobbles. I need my times of stillness and open listening.

So this Solstice I recommit to my meditation practice. Simpler even than the meditation of The Magic of Connection, I intend to return to my breath. To the very bones of meditation. To the stillness of this time of year.

This simple practice takes me home. Sitting with my body and my breath, I learn how to be attentive to my own experience of being alive. I make a magical connection with myself.

When we are at home with ourselves, our awareness gently opens to the world around. In that stillness, we are at the heart of the great community of all beings. We are where we belong.

What is the essence of your spiritual practice? How does it take you home?