Hello,
My name is Megan Hannon.
Welcome to an Autumn Equinox Meditation.
So first I'm going to ask you to find a comfortable position,
Either seated or reclined.
That feels balanced in your body.
As you arrive there,
You can take any little shifts or wiggles that you need.
Anything to help your body start to find its release and its comfort.
And then soften here,
Whatever you can soften.
Notice tension in the jaw or the forehead and gently release.
And then draw your awareness into your breath.
Not changing anything here,
But instead finding the natural length of your inhale and noticing the natural length of your exhale.
Now let's start to balance our breath.
See if you can lengthen the shorter part to find balance between the inhale and the exhale.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
We're just looking for a little bit more evenness here.
Staying with that breath as long as it works for you,
Or releasing to your natural breath when called to.
And keeping just enough focus on the breath to know what is needed.
Allow the rest of your mind to feel.
And visualize whatever images my words create.
As the seasons change throughout the year,
So do the needs of our minds and our bodies.
Autumn invites us to slow down.
To soften.
To release.
It embodies balance between endings.
And the clearing of space for new beginnings.
It is the harvesting of all the products of our work during the warmer months.
It's an easing into the balance of day and night.
Releasing the high heat of summer,
But not yet in winter's cold embrace.
Take a moment and consider how the colors of the earth are changing around you during the fall equinox.
Visualize the rich oranges.
Reds.
Yellow.
Golds and browns that autumn brings.
How does that transition feel?
Reading the cues of your body,
Notice if it inspires excitement or trepidation.
Happiness.
Or even grace.
Or maybe the feelings are more neutral.
Sit in those for just a moment here.
Setting those sensations aside for a moment,
Start to picture your perfect autumn day.
Start with visualizing where you are.
Is it a field or a forest?
Your house,
Or another country.
Start to build the environment around you in your mind.
Start to add in the sky above you.
The weather surrounding you.
What are you wearing?
And what does that feel like on your skin?
What do you smell?
As you build this perfect autumn day around you in your mind,
As you settle into the different sensations of it.
Allow peace.
Calm and contentment to fill you.
Holding on to that calm,
Draw awareness to the areas of your life where you are experiencing change or where you might desire change.
As you find that awareness.
Maybe take a deep breath.
And start to actually visualize the change.
Taking a nice full inhale here.
Open your mouth wide for an exhale.
And as you exhale all of that release tension.
Try to embody acceptance for transition in your life.
And the world around you.
You're all in the beauty and calm and contentment.
Of the autumn space that you created.
And allow that beauty to also infuse your own change.
The idea of that transition feel a little softer now.
Every time it comes up for you,
Can you draw in that image of your perfect autumn day?
The calmness that inspires.
Sensations of contentedness.
Returning to your breath.
With your inhales,
Allow peace to fill you.
Feel your torso expand.
Feel yourself stretch.
With your exhales,
Maybe open the mouth wide and release a little summer heat.
Begin to let go of whatever you feel ready to let go of.
Returning down into your body.
Feel the earth,
Accept what you release.
Ready to break it down to feed new things.
Allow yourself to be cradled.
And held.
And allow that feeling to come with you through all change that is yet to come.
If you're still maintaining control over your breath in any way.
Allow it to start to release back to easy and neutral.
Allow each inhale to fill you with peace.
Each exhale.
To release tension.
And he As you feel ready to rejoin your day,
Know that you can take all of this contentment with you.
Know that you get to continue to shift and change and release as the seasons shift.
And change and release.
Start to blink your eyes back open,
Taking in the space around you.
And with a large exhale through an open mouth.
Rejoin your day.
Thank you so much.
