In many countries in this side of the hemisphere, candles and fires are lit to bring in warmth and light during this season. The days grow short and we naturally draw inward, away from the cold to move more deeply in tune with our soul rhythms.

In India, I watched a devoted woman do a ritual lamp lighting to worship a tree. She carefully sat out 13 clay pots, filled them with oil, added the wicks and lit every one. Though she must have performed this ritual hundreds of times, it was as if it were for the first time. She remained fully present and put love into every motion and every act. The actions infused with love were her worship of Nature embodied in the giant and ancient tree.

Today, if you will, light a lamp or candle. Mindfully strike the match and bring your whole conscious awareness into your movements as you touch it to the wick. Observe how the light transfers from the match to the wick, seems to start out slow and then find its constant level of burning. If you can’t do this with a real flame, then light a symbolic lamp of love in your heart. Jesus’ sacred heart as seen in Catholic icons, is aflame – on fire! The flame purifies and warms. It brings in light where there is darkness. Imagine your own heart aglow with pure white light.

Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http://www.awakeintheworld.com.