Welcome to this meditation.
This is your moment to pause,
To look back at the year that has been,
Not with judgment but with honesty and tenderness.
You've walked through so much,
Moments that stretched you,
Softened you and taught you in ways you may have not realized at the time.
Some days may have felt heavy,
Others light and yet here you are,
Still breathing,
Growing and learning.
This practice is an invitation to let the year rest,
To release the weight of what didn't go as planned and to gently hold the gifts it left behind.
Every joy,
Challenge and lesson,
All of it has shaped the person sitting here right now.
As we move through this meditation,
Allow yourself to soften.
Let your heart open to gratitude,
Not just for the good moments but for the strength and wisdom that even the difficult ones gave you.
You don't have to do anything more,
Only to breathe and to let go,
Gracefully,
Fully and with love.
So as you rest here,
Let your body settle into stillness.
Feel the surface beneath you supporting your weight.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in and a long,
Soft exhale out.
Let each breath draw you a little closer to presence,
Closer to this space within where reflection,
Release and gratitude can begin.
Take a moment to settle in,
Allowing your body to find a position that feels supported and relaxed.
You can sit comfortably or lie down,
Letting your arms rest by your sides.
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
This practice is about reflection,
Not to hold on to the past but to gently look back with openness,
Gratitude and understanding.
Simply allow the year that has passed to unfold into your awareness,
One breath at a time.
Bring your attention to your body.
Feel the surface beneath you,
The support that is holding you.
Notice your breath,
Steady,
Rhythmic and natural.
With each inhale,
Invite a sense of presence and with every exhale,
Release any effort.
Notice the coolness of each inhale and the gentle warmth of each exhale.
Let your awareness now spread through your body,
To your shoulders,
Your chest,
Your chin,
Your legs.
Allow yourself to fully arrive here and now.
Now gently begin to bring into awareness the difficult moments from the past year.
There is no need to search.
Simply allow what wants to come to mind to arise.
It may be a situation,
A conversation,
A feeling or a time when things felt uncertain or heavy.
Whatever appears,
Just notice it,
As if you are watching a scene unfold on a distant screen.
You are not in those moments now.
You are observing them with presence,
Not emotions.
If sensations arise in the chest,
The throat,
The stomach,
Acknowledge them with kindness.
Let each breath remind you that you are safe here in this moment.
If any image or feeling feels too heavy,
Simply return to your breath,
Your steady and kind anchor.
Allow each difficult memory or feeling to drift like clouds moving across a wide open sky.
There is no need to label them as right or wrong,
Good or bad.
They are simply experiences passing through your awareness.
With each exhale,
Let them go and as you do,
Silently repeat,
I see what was.
I allow it to pass.
Now let your attention gently shift,
Inviting moments of joy,
Ease or connection from the ear to surface.
They might be big moments or small quiet ones,
A smile,
A kind word or a peaceful morning.
Whatever arises,
Let it come naturally.
Observe these moments in the same way,
Without grasping or clinging,
Simply noticing.
See the light in them,
The warmth,
And allow them to move through your awareness just as freely as the challenges did.
Each joy,
Like each difficulty,
Is part of the same flow,
The story of your year,
The rhythm of your growth.
Breathe in softly,
Acknowledging the beauty of these moments,
And as you exhale,
Let them drift gently onward,
Leaving behind a trace of appreciation.
Now bring your awareness to three things,
Or people,
Or experiences that you are grateful for from this past year.
There is no need to search for something extraordinary.
Let what feels true and immediate come to your mind.
It might be a lesson learned,
A person who stood by you,
A small habit that brought peace,
Or simply the strength that carried you through it all.
Now hold the first one in your awareness.
Breathe in gently as if you are drawing it into your heart,
And on the exhale,
Silently whisper,
Thank you.
Now bring to mind the second one.
Feel the appreciation that it brings.
Breathe in gratitude,
And exhale softly and silently whisper,
Thank you.
And now the third one.
Letting your heart open a little wider.
Breathe in,
Letting gratitude fill every corner of your being.
Exhale and silently whisper,
Thank you.
Let these three moments,
Or people,
Or lessons rest in your heart,
Steady,
Warm,
Glowing softly within you.
Now imagine a gentle light surrounding you,
A soft golden glow that holds both the challenges and the joys of your year.
All of it seen,
Accepted,
And honored.
Breathe into that light now,
Allowing gratitude to settle deeply in your heart.
Feel a sense of completeness,
Of having lived and learned.
Take a gentle breath of gratitude in,
And as you exhale,
Release it softly into the space around you.
Take another slow,
Steady breath in,
And exhale fully.
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
And when you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes.
As you rejoin the present moment,
Let the calm and gratitude within you move gently into your day.
A reminder that every ending is also the beginning of something new.
Thank you for giving yourselves this time for pausing,
Reflecting,
And softening.
You've just honored an entire year of your life,
The laughter,
The lessons,
The losses,
The quiet moments that no one else saw.
That takes courage,
That takes love.
And as you step into the year ahead,
Carry this gratitude like a gentle flame,
Not to chase what's next,
But to illuminate what's already here.
