Astara Mindfulness Meditation.
Find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Allow your body to soften.
Let your shoulders drop and your hands rest naturally.
If you feel able to do so,
I invite you to close your eyes or lower your gaze.
And just begin to notice your breath.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Following your own natural rhythm,
The rhythm of your own breathing.
Beginning to notice how you feel now,
Right here in this moment.
Any emotions,
Tensions or pain.
How do you feel right now?
And throughout this meditation,
We're going to honour Astara,
A pagan festival,
In which we celebrate the spring equinox.
The point where light and dark stand equal.
And the earth begins to awaken once again.
And with Astara comes balance.
The balance between day and night.
In which both day and night are equal.
As you breathe in,
You may choose to notice that light.
The returning energy of the sun.
The promise of growth and possibilities.
And as you breathe out,
You may choose to notice the grounding darkness.
The quiet soil where seeds rest and gather their strength.
And your breath itself holds balance.
The inhale and the exhale.
Just as day and night.
Or light and dark.
And just know that throughout this meditation,
You can always return to your breath.
To this place of balance within you.
So next,
I'd love to invite you to just bring some attention back into your body.
So you may choose to notice your feet against the ground,
If you're in a seating position.
And you may feel steady and rooted,
Like the first shoots pushing up through the soil.
You may choose to notice your spine lengthening.
Like a young plant reaching towards the spring sunlight.
Or you may feel your breath in your chest.
As it rises and falls.
Like the gentle rhythm of nature waking up once more.
And if you do notice any tension.
Just let it soften within each breath.
And with every exhale,
Let your body relax.
Just that bit more deeply.
And if your mind has begun to wander,
That's okay.
That's what they do.
But when you become aware,
Just bring it back to your breath.
Bring it back to the balance within you.
So moving on to Honor Astara,
The spring equinox.
I'd love to invite you,
If you are outdoors,
Just to begin to notice what elements of spring are around you.
Alternatively,
If you are indoors,
You may choose to walk towards a window.
Or perhaps you might like to bring a memory of spring into your mind.
Perhaps a time where you tended to your garden.
Or visited a beautiful meadow.
Or enjoyed a spring woodland walk.
Wherever you are,
However you choose to remember.
I'd just like to start taking you towards your senses.
Starting with sight.
So you may choose to notice perhaps clouds in the sky or new green leaves arriving on a tree.
Or a little flower pushing its way up through the soil.
What can you see right here in this moment?
Moving towards the sense of sound.
What can you hear?
Perhaps birdsong.
The buzzing of a bee.
Or maybe the quiet rustle of those lovely new spring leaves arriving on the tree.
And moving to smell.
Perhaps you can smell the fragrant aroma of blossom just catching the breeze.
Or perhaps the smell of earth after a rainy day.
What can you smell?
And moving to taste.
Perhaps you have a bottle of water with you.
Maybe a cup of tea.
Perhaps a memory of a time where you've tasted something lovely whilst out on a walk.
What can you taste?
And lastly,
The head to touch.
So what can you feel?
Perhaps the warmth of the spring sun.
Or a cool breeze on your skin.
Perhaps the soft touch of a petal.
What can you feel?
And just stay here for a few more breaths.
Allowing any memories of time in nature to help you connect to the season.
The season of spring.
And Astara is a time of awakening.
Just as the seeds are stirring beneath the soil.
Perhaps you can take a little time to notice any sensations,
Thoughts or feelings that are arising within you.
And just simply observe them.
Noticing them without judgement.
And just taking your awareness back into your breath.
Begin to follow it's natural rhythm once more.
Breathing in and out.
And perhaps when you breathe in you might like to breathe in the energy of spring.
Fresh,
Bright with the promise of new beginnings.
And as you breathe out you might like to go of any tension or heaviness.
So we can breathe in the light and breathe out the dark.
Bringing that balance.
Bringing your awareness back into our breathing once more.
Celebrating Astara the spring equinox.
Slowly I invite you to to bring awareness back into your body.
Perhaps you choose to notice your feet on the ground or your back as it rests against the ground.
Perhaps starting to wiggle those toes or fingers.
Have a little stretch.
When you feel able to do so I'd invite you to open your eyes.
As meditation begins to end I'd love to invite you to carry with you the balance of Astara.
The meeting of light and dark.
And with it the promise of new beginnings.
