Hi neighbor,
I'm Meg Wolf and today I'd like to share a mindfulness practice with you where we visualize snowfall.
For this meditation you might want to find a nice warm spot to sit,
Lie down,
Or stand in.
Once you find a position that you can hold for the next 10 minutes or so,
Begin to make any last little adjustments you might need to get comfortable.
Maybe rolling out your shoulders or wiggling your fingers and toes.
If it feels good,
I invite you to switch your gaze so that you're looking at the point of your nose or you can close your eyes here.
Tune in to the natural ebb and flow of your body.
Starting by becoming aware of your breathing.
Take a few more intentional breaths here.
Breathing in through the nose,
Letting the air flow down your throat past your heart and dropping into the base of your belly.
As you exhale,
Imagine your belly button pulling back in towards your body,
Helping you press all of that air back out,
Flowing up through your chest,
Your neck,
And back out your nose again.
Begin to conjure up the image of snowfall.
It might help you to imagine a memory of a time you were young or just a day or two ago of playing or looking out at snow.
As you begin to bring this image to the forefront of your mind,
Keep using the breath to fit your body up with the smell and the memory of snow.
As you exhale,
You can even pretend that you are looking at your breath in a cold winter day.
What does your memory or image of snowfall feel like to you?
Do you notice any physical sensations coming up?
Maybe voluntary or involuntary muscle twitches?
Or maybe you feel the sensation of being cold or chilly?
What comes up for you when you begin to think about snowfall?
Let's explore these sensations a little bit deeper.
Begin to zoom in on your visualization of snow.
If you can,
Try to imagine what one of those snowflakes look like.
See if you can follow the snowflake from the clouds it came from all the way down to the ground.
Can you see what makes this snowflake unique?
If your snowflake has made it to the ground,
Practice again with another,
Picking out another snowflake in your image to follow from the cloud to the ground.
Notice if this snowflake might look different from the first,
And be aware that it will likely look different than the next.
Let's zoom out a little bit and reframe our image of snowfall.
Now that you've looked at maybe two or three different snowflakes,
See what they look like in the bigger picture.
Is the snowfall you're imagining part of a larger storm?
Or is it the magical type of snowfall that happens around the holidays,
A bit slower paced?
As you focus on the falling snow in front of your mind's eye,
What do you notice?
Can you see other elements impacting your image,
Such as wind?
Or maybe that feeling,
That sensation of cold,
Chilliness is prevalent here as well.
Continue to zoom out of your snowfall image.
What else is in this picture?
Maybe you notice trees lining the background,
A house,
Lights,
A snowman,
Or maybe other people.
Where are you in relation to this image?
Are you in your mind's eye,
Looking out a window at the snow?
Or are you outside and a part of it?
As you look around you and the snow continues to fall,
Take in any last sights.
Is this still your memory?
Is it something new?
Or maybe a mix of the two?
What thoughts and emotions are coming up with for you here in this snowfall?
Take one last look around.
Take in the sight,
The smells,
And the sensations of your vision.
Let the new beginnings that come with snowfall cover your body and fill you with a sense of warmth,
Connection,
And freshness.
Slowly allow the image to come back.
Keep zooming out until you find yourself peering at the tip of your nose or behind closed eyelids.
Stay here and feel the sensations.
Breathing your breath.
Begin to bring awareness back to your physical body.
Gently wiggle your fingers,
Your toes,
And maybe even shimmy your shoulders to help wake it up.
We'll seal this practice with one intentional breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Inhale,
Take it all in.
Zoom in.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Beautiful friends.
Thank you so much for being here with me and joining me in this mindful practice.
I hope you stay warm and have a beautiful day.
