Hello there.
Today I would like to talk to you about winter.
But before we start,
You might want to grab a cozy blanket to make sure that you are warm and snug while we talk about the coldest season of the year.
Now wrap yourself in your blanket and get comfortable.
Have you noticed how it gets dark earlier in the evenings in winter than in summer?
That is because the sun shines for a shorter time during the day in winter time than in summer time.
During winter,
We have shorter days and longer nights.
This means that for many plants and animals,
Winter is a time to rest.
The longer the nights become,
The sleepier and sleepier many animals become and some animals even sleep all winter.
Resting for longer also means that animals spend more time in their dens or nests where they can keep warm and cozy.
This is what we do as well,
Isn't it?
When it gets very cold outside,
We spend more time indoors.
In winter,
It can sometimes feel as though the whole world is sleeping.
Everything feels a little quieter and colors become softer.
But Mother Nature never really sleeps.
Even though we cannot see it,
She is preparing for spring to come.
Below the ground,
Seeds are slowly getting ready to sprout roots.
Trees with bare branches are busy preparing their new leaves that will provide shade next summer.
Winter time is a time for resting,
Thinking and preparing for the busier seasons ahead.
We all need time to rest,
Think and prepare as much as we need time to play,
To be active and to do things.
I like to think about this quieter time as a time for me to think about my wishes.
Wishes are a lot like seeds growing under the earth.
Once you've sent a wish out into the world,
You cannot see it growing until your wish comes true.
Just as we need to leave a little seed alone to allow it to grow,
We also need to give our wishes time to grow and become true for us.
You wouldn't dig up a little seed every day to see if it has grown,
Would you?
Doing so might harm your little seed.
You need to plant it and then trust that it will grow.
It's the same for wishes.
You have to trust that they will grow and come true for you.
Let's do a little exercise to help you think about your wishes.
I would like you to call your body up like a little seed.
There are two ways of doing this that I will explain to you.
You can choose which ever position is most comfortable for you.
You can either lie on your side with your legs cooled up and your arms wrapped around your legs.
Remember to tuck your blanket around you so you stay warm.
The other option is to sit on your knees with your bottom resting on your feet.
Curl your body forward over your knees until your forehead rests on the floor.
You can rest your arms next to your body with your hands next to your feet.
This is called child's pose.
If you like you can cover yourself with your blanket so that you feel like a little seed in the earth.
Now let's take a few deep breaths together so that it will be easier for us to focus on our wishes.
Take a deep breath in and slowly out again.
Another deep breath in and slowly out again.
And the last deep breath in and slowly out again.
I would like you to pretend that you are a tiny seed waiting for spring to come so that you can grow into a beautiful plant.
What is growing inside you?
Is it love?
Happiness?
Playfulness?
Laughter?
Fun?
Creativity?
Let's spend a few quiet moments now so that you can think about the thoughts and feelings that are growing inside you.
Now that you have picked out one or two feelings or thoughts that are growing inside you,
I would like you to spend a few moments thinking about what you need for these thoughts or feelings to grow.
Do you need hope?
Cuddles?
A hug?
Or perhaps you need to trust or support from someone?
Inspiration?
Imagine that you have a watering can in which you are dropping all of the things that you will need for your little seed to grow.
Let's spend a few quiet moments so that you can fill your watering can with everything you need to grow.
Next we are going to imagine the watering can being filled with raindrops.
All of the things you put in there that will help you grow are slowly dissolving in the rainwater.
The watering can floats up into the air slowly and then it gently pours this special water filled with everything you need to help you grow over you.
Feel how you are absorbing everything you need into your body.
Hugs?
Cuddles?
Hope?
Inspiration?
Trust?
And some pure and lovely rainwater.
Let's stay here for a moment.
Let all the goodness sink into your body.
Now we are going to allow ourselves to grow.
Think about your wish and what you want to grow more of and then let's slowly uncool our bodies.
If you are lying on your side you can slowly straighten your legs and when you are ready you can slowly sit up with your legs crossed.
If you are cooled over your body in a child's pose you can slowly straighten your back until you are sitting on your knees.
You can also change to sit with your legs crossed if that is more comfortable for you.
Let's do three more breaths together to send our wishes into the world where they will grow.
While we breathe together I would like you to imagine your beautiful wish growing and becoming true even if you can't see anything happening yet.
Lift your arms up into the air while you take a deep breath in and slowly breathe out while you allow your arms to sink back to the floor again.
Lift your arms again while you breathe slowly in and slowly lower your arms while you breathe out.
And one more time lift your arms and breathe in and allow your arms to sink down again as you breathe out slowly.
Now when you look outside on a cold winter's day you will know that even if it looks as if everything is resting there is a lot happening that you can't see yet.
If you give it time soon everything will be bursting with new life.
