Hey and welcome.
This is a transitional reflection on this important time of year between one year and another and it can be useful to reflect on the year that's just gone by as an acknowledgement and an appreciation of all that has been allowing us to harvest all of these parts of the year that have been helpful and useful.
Maybe observing the times when we maybe felt that we could let go and found it difficult maybe and appreciate all of those times when you know we were full of fun and joy and new beginnings.
It's so important to remember the world moves so fast that we can begin to get caught up in this busyness and it's time now to have an opportunity to reflect with grace and softness.
So to do this I will follow the seasons not as a linear passage of time more as a map of self-reflection.
So as we settle ourselves down now get really comfortable we begin to notice all those points of contact where your body meets the ground.
So in doing this we notice our stability and how we are held and we may want to rise up from this position so we become more available to any insights or sensations that might become available to us resting the hands and arms wherever feel comfortable and resting the eyes now you may have them closed or slightly shut but fixed on a still point as we begin to appreciate our breath connecting to the breath we begin to notice that gentle rhythm as the air moves in and out and as we begin to settle there's an invitation to bring your awareness to spring.
What does spring look like for you?
Maybe it's the emergence of new bulbs,
Daffodils,
Days getting lighter and slightly warmer,
Birds singing,
Maybe a newness of curiosity,
Something bubbling inside you,
An exploration,
Maybe you've put on your explorer goggles and you're seeking something,
You may have met new people,
New relationships,
Hobbies,
Maybe you've had a new role or discovered thinking patterns,
Have you been inspired or intrigued,
A spark of interest of new possibility opportunities and maybe there's been lots of this in this past year and maybe only small pockets but whatever you notice remembering and noticing with every fresh breath you take there is a new beginning,
New life being drawn into your body to every bone,
Every muscle and every cell.
As we notice the season changing,
The world turning,
Perpetual motion,
Spring becomes summer and the qualities of heat and vibrancy,
Intensity,
Longer days,
Maybe more energy comes with this fire and heat,
Maybe excitement,
Maybe more connection as you join together with others,
Joy and playfulness and heat and intensity doesn't always mean joy,
Happiness,
Excitement,
It can mean anger and frustration,
Some kind of inflammation in your inner world or your outer world.
So being aware of any times your being has been inflamed and notice any times of intensity in the extremes as you breathe in and out as an observer,
Acknowledging this has been there and appreciating these times of intensity,
Of colour,
Of vibrancy in whatever form they come and knowing that each time the breath moves in and out there's a dance within this,
In a landscape,
A new life,
As the fresh oxygen and air dances through your body and again night turns into day and day turns into night with the gentle transitions of dusk and dawn,
The shadows lengthen,
The breeze now brings a stiffness and the leaves begin to fall as the trees let go.
This is a time of shedding.
This is a time of discernment,
Of gathering,
Of harvesting,
Shedding what no longer serves us and harvesting that what does,
Knowing that nothing is ever wasted but as we shed we can recycle into earth so it can be transformed into new wisdom and you may notice times that you've released and let go during this past year,
Anything you're no longer needing to carry,
Any heavy coats or heavy weights that you've been carrying that you're able to place down now and feeling the lightness of letting go throughout your whole body and feeling into any new space that has become available by letting go.
Remember every exhale represents a release,
A release of breath,
Letting go of breath that has done its work,
Making,
Making space for a new breath and again the world is in perpetual motion,
Movement of the world makes space for the winter.
The trees are bare now,
A distinct nip in the air,
A pinch of cold.
The days can feel so short and in this a time to rest,
Rejuvenate,
A time for renewal,
A time for stillness and introspection,
Maybe even an element of hibernation,
Knowing,
Noticing that in our busy hectic worlds full of light and screens that can be difficult to tap into this stillness and hibernation and maybe you notice a time when your body has needed to rest and it's not been able to and also with the winter as a season you may be noticing those experiences of loss,
Of darkness,
Maybe sadness or grief and as you notice these periods of this past year mirroring the bareness of the season,
Observe with no judgment as with seasons,
Perpetual motion,
The seasons will shift and as we move through the winter you may want to put one hand in your heart and one on your belly,
Offering your soul some loving-kindness,
Appreciating all that you've been through,
No pushing or trying to change anything,
Acknowledging with understanding and self-compassion and as night becomes day and day becomes night there's an appreciation of all change,
Every breath a new beginning and every breath a new release,
Breath by breath as you scan through the year you may notice that every day can have each season,
Maybe moments of lasted months and maybe sometimes experience of being fleeting but you notice the richness of your experience and is there anything you would like to carry with you into this coming year,
Are you aware of anything you want to release now,
Giving to earth or giving to the fire or giving to the universe and are you noticing anything that may need attention,
Breathing with loving-kindness as we sit and you may now be aware of what you want for the year ahead of you,
Your dreams,
Your desires,
Your intentions and maybe with this or separate to this there are qualities that you want to bring with you,
Carrying them through the year ahead health,
Abundance,
Joy,
Generosity,
Understanding,
Playfulness,
Gratitude these will be different for each one of us,
So wherever you are or whatever your intention breathe with those now and before we close this meditation maybe take one more breath of loving-kindness to yourself and then allow your breath to gather energy as we send this out to the others in this room and then further out,
Widening 360 degrees all around your body as this intention moves out,
Ripples out to the entire world and releasing and letting go now as you bring your intention back to the room and back to this day.
Namaste.
Bye for now.
