Hello,
Welcome to this meditation.
Winter,
A sacred slow.
Settle yourself into a position that feels supportive and warm.
You might like to wrap yourself in a blanket,
Place a hand on your belly or heart,
Or simply allow your body to sink into whatever is holding you.
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and an unhurried breath out through your mouth.
And again,
In.
There's nowhere to go,
Nothing to improve,
Nothing to begin.
Winter does not ask for momentum.
Winter asks for rest.
Let your breath soften,
Becoming deeper,
Slower,
Heavier,
As though your body knows exactly what season it is.
Even if your mind has been told otherwise.
Bring your awareness down into your body.
Feel the weight of you.
The warmth.
The peace.
The steadiness beneath you.
Biologically,
This is a time of conservation.
Your nervous system is not designed to sprint at the start of January.
Your hormones,
Your metabolism,
Your energy systems all respond to darkness,
Cold and stillness by turning inward.
This is not failure.
This is wisdom.
With every breath out,
Allow your body to drop a little bit deeper into rest.
Now imagine yourself as part of the winter landscape.
The earth is cool and dark.
The surface looks quiet,
Even dormant.
And yet,
Beneath the soil,
Life is very much present.
Imagine roots resting deep in the earth.
Not growing upward.
Not pushing.
Simply gathering nourishment.
Storing strength.
Being held by the soil.
Like the root children of winter,
You are not meant to bloom right now.
You are meant to rest in the dark,
Safe and unseen.
Preparing in ways that don't need effort.
Let that image settle.
Bring your attention to your belly.
The centre of warmth,
Digestion,
Creation.
This is a place that responds to safety,
Not pressure.
As you breathe,
Imagine warmth gathering here.
Like a small glowing ember.
A gentle fire that doesn't burn.
It sustains.
Your body knows how to slow.
Your body knows how to restore.
Your body knows when it is time to emerge.
And this is not that time yet.
If the outside world has been loud with messages of new year,
New you,
Let them fade into the background.
They do not speak the language of winter.
They do not speak the language of the body.
Here you are allowed to be slow.
You are allowed to be quiet.
You are allowed to be exactly as you are.
With each breath,
Imagine your nervous system softening.
Like snow falling gently,
Muffling sharp edges.
Thoughts become quieter.
Expectations loosen.
The need to perform dissolves.
Rest here for a few moments.
Nothing is required of you.
Now imagine the earth beginning to shift.
Not visibly,
But subtly.
Roots deep below are gathering nutrients.
Strength is being built invisibly.
This is how real change happens.
Not through force,
But through patience.
Your rest matters.
Your slowness is productive in ways the mind cannot measure.
Silently,
You might say to yourself,
I honour the season I am in.
I allow myself to slow down.
I trust the wisdom of my body.
Let these words land not as affirmations to strive for,
But as permissions.
Take a few more slow,
Deep breaths,
Feeling supported,
Cocooned.
And when you feel ready,
Begin to gently bring awareness back to your body.
Feel the surface beneath you.
The warmth around you.
The steady rhythm of your breath.
Carry this winter knowing with you into your day.
Your choices.
Your pace.
There will be a time to rise.
There will be a time to bloom.
For now,
Rest.
When it feels right,
Softly open your eyes.
Thank you for joining me today.
Till next time.
