As I'm recording this,
It's autumn and the leaves are changing colors.
Some of the trees have already lost their leaves and others are just starting to shift from green to yellow and orange.
It's so beautiful when the seasons change.
Even when the air gets colder and we move into a phase of slowing down.
Today's meditation is about reflecting on how far we've come before we move into our next chapter.
Take a few slow deep breaths,
Breathing into the low belly,
Noticing the feeling of your body expanding on the inhales and contracting on the exhales.
Let each inhale take you deeper into presence,
And let every exhale allow you to relax and let go.
Shifting into a place of stillness,
Just as the world around us begins to cool and quiet down as we head into winter.
Now you can imagine that you're standing at the edge of a forest.
The trees are mostly bare,
Maybe a few yellow leaves are clinging to the branches still.
The air is crisp and carries the scent of earth and campfire smoke,
And it feels quiet and very peaceful.
You start to walk slowly down a path covered in leaves,
Feeling them crunching beneath your feet.
Noticing how,
Even though the leaves have fallen,
They're still beautifully vibrant,
Adding color as they guide the way down your path,
Reminding you of the beautiful parts of your own journey,
Even as they've ended and passed.
As you walk,
Notice how the forest seems suspended.
It's no longer the lushness of summer,
But not yet the frozen stillness of winter.
It's somewhere in between,
The pause between what has been and what's becoming.
Take a moment to reflect here.
What part of you is ready to rest?
What stories or expectations can you allow to fall away,
Just as the trees release their leaves to the ground?
Breathe deeply.
Imagine a cool autumn breeze moving through you,
Lifting away heaviness,
Creating space in your heart for stillness and trust,
And then when the air settles,
Feeling the quiet that follows.
But the silence doesn't feel empty.
It's the space where new dreams begin to form quietly beneath the surface.
Letting your breath slow,
Feeling the rhythm of nature,
The turning of the wheel,
And know that this pause is part of your growth.
You don't need to rush to the next season.
You can just simply be here,
Resting in the balance between motion and stillness,
Between release and renewal,
Staying with a few slow breaths in the calm of this in-between space,
Honoring the wisdom of cycles,
The grace of change,
And the beauty of simply existing.
When you're ready,
Take one more deep breath in,
And exhale fully,
Grounding back into the body.
Carry this peace with you into the days ahead as the seasons turn,
Gently moving into your own renewal.
