A warm welcome to this guided meditation designed for the new year or for any time that you feel you need a reset.
This is a chance for us to reflect on all that has passed with a kind and non-judgmental heart and to set new intentions with refinement and clarity for the road ahead.
During this meditation there might be experiences or memories that are quite painful to think about,
So please,
If that feels like too much right now,
Know that that is completely fine.
There might come a day where you are ready for that,
But this journey is about you and going at your own pace.
There is no right or wrong here,
So please only engage with that which you are ready to and know that this meditation will always be here should you wish to go deeper in the future.
Now,
When you are ready,
Find yourself a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
Whatever works for you.
Bring your focus to your breath and let us settle into our practice today and take a moment to relax.
Breathe in slowly through your nose,
Hold it for a moment at the top and release on a long,
Slow out-breath.
You can breathe at your own pace in your own time,
But be sure to really maintain that long out-breath as this is what will really help us to achieve that relaxation that we crave.
As you breathe in,
Imagine you are inhaling a pure,
Fresh and healing air.
When you hold it,
You allow these properties to pulse through you.
And as you exhale,
Imagine you are blowing away any tension in your body and any thoughts from your mind.
And you can allow yourself to let go of the things that no longer serve you today.
Enjoy this breathing for a little moment longer and picture yourself becoming more grounded and more present with each passing breath.
And now,
Gradually allow your breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.
Feel the ebb and flow as your belly slowly expands and softens.
You do not need to change anything here.
You can allow it to simply be.
And as you go deeper now,
Just imagine that you are in your own private cinema watching a short movie showcasing your past year.
Think of it like a highlight reel with little snippets of anything that comes to mind.
There is no need to dwell,
But just try to observe and allow each image to come and go freely,
Without judgement.
Throughout this movie,
There are moments that make you smile,
Memories that bring you joy and also things that taught you valuable lessons.
You might even see some scenes from your movie that were challenging,
Times that tested you or left you feeling uncertain,
Confused and perhaps even a bit anxious.
Remember to keep breathing as you watch and allow these experiences to settle for a moment,
The good and the bad,
And observe them again without judgement.
And repeat after me,
I have experienced joy and challenges last year and I honour both of these.
Everything that has happened has shaped me into who I am today.
Good,
And take a moment to be proud of your resilience,
To actually give yourself some credit.
You are still here,
Strong,
Brave and capable.
You are wiser and more compassionate and you have learnt so much.
You are doing fantastic.
Suddenly,
The movie projector turns to black for a moment and then a new reel is put in.
The reel is empty,
Like a blank canvas waiting for you to start painting.
So now,
Gently shift your focus to the coming year.
Try and see it as an open road stretching out in front of you,
Filled with opportunities,
Growth and hope.
As the empty reel plays,
You can begin to create the movie of your dreams,
What a perfect year might look like to you.
Take your time with this,
There is no rush.
It might be useful to start with the big things and gradually add little details as and when they arise.
You acknowledge that this year is a blank canvas and these future days are what we make of them.
As the coming year starts to play out on film,
Ask yourself the following questions to help shape your dreams.
What are the things that truly matter to me?
With days limited to 24 hours,
How would I like to spend that time?
What are the things that bring me joy or a sense of purpose?
What are the things that bring me relaxation,
Downtime and comfort?
And what are the things that will not serve me this year?
Remember,
You do not need all of the answers right away.
Life is a series of building blocks,
So try to trust that more clarity will come to you at the right time.
Here are the questions again to help you flesh out some of your thoughts and give you a bit more time.
What are the things that truly matter to me?
With days limited to 24 hours,
How would I like to spend that time?
What are the things that bring me joy or a sense of purpose?
What are the things that bring me relaxation,
Downtime and comfort?
And what are the things that will not serve me this year?
Take your time and just sit with these questions,
Allowing the movie to continue playing as you visualize your dream year.
And now,
Place your hand over your heart and enjoy a slow,
Deep breath.
As you breathe,
You can repeat the following words out loud or in your head.
I am choosing what really matters.
I am letting go of the need for perfection.
My journey is unique and will unfold at its own pace.
I am building a wonderful life,
Brick by brick.
I am releasing the things that no longer serve me and the things that do not bring me joy.
I choose progress over pressure and self-compassion over self-criticism.
And now,
As you stand on the verge of a brand new year,
Think of some words that you would like to carry with you as you go forward.
Try connecting with your values,
Your dreams and who you are.
With each word that you think of,
Try saying it a few times out loud or in your mind and allow whatever images to arise when you say this word.
These words should be the pillars,
The foundations of which you build this year.
Words that will serve you well and set you up for the future.
Take this time now to really visualize these words.
And as you move forward now,
You can be confident that you have the strength and the resilience to overcome any obstacle that might arise this year.
You are building beautiful foundations,
Letting go of unrealistic expectations and realizing that you have everything that you need within you to navigate this journey.
And gradually now,
Just allow your awareness to come back to your body and take a moment to reflect on your meditation today.
I would like to ask you,
What is one small meaningful action that you can take this week to help move towards this year and this life that you have envisioned today?
Take a few deep breaths and really hold this intention close.
If it helps,
You could jot down a few key moments from this meditation when we finish and use it as an opportunity to reflect and solidify some of your ideas.
And now you can slowly open your eyes and take in the room around you again.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes and come back into the present moment.
This year is a new chapter,
A chapter filled with opportunity.
You can move forward with an open heart,
Carrying with you a new confidence,
Clarity and self-compassion.
Take one final deep breath in and release,
Giving yourself permission to smile today.
Thank you so much for your time.
It's been a wonderful session and I hope to see you again soon.
Namaste.
