Winter Solstice Meditation

The Winter Solstice symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and the return of light. This guided meditation invites you to reflect on the cycle of renewal and growth. While also finding hope and resilience in the face of darkness.

Transcript

My name is Leleni and I welcome you to this guided meditation.

Today's practice is in honor of the winter solstice,

Also known as the shortest day or longest night.

It symbolizes rebirth,

Renewal,

And the return of light.

Today is a special reminder that without darkness,

Light can't shine through.

As Martin Luther King Jr.

Once said,

Darkness cannot drive out darkness,

Only light can do that.

This solstice is a time to reflect on the cycle of growth and renewal,

To find hope and resilience in the face of darkness.

Many cultures around the world celebrate the winter solstice with unique traditions.

I now invite you to take a comfortable seat,

Either sitting upright or lying down,

Whatever feels best for you.

If you haven't already,

Gently close your eyes.

Really begin to settle within yourself.

Give yourself permission to relax.

At this time,

Nothing is expected of you.

You are deserving and worthy of this time.

Really quiet the mind now.

Bring your attention to your breath.

Let's do three cleansing breaths in through our nose and out through our mouth.

Begin with breath one in through your nose and out through your mouth,

Sinking deeper into relaxation.

And breath two in through your nose and out through your mouth,

Sinking deeper and deeper into relaxation.

And breath three in through your nose and out through your mouth,

Sinking deeper,

Deeper,

And deeper into relaxation.

Allow all thoughts to disappear now.

Continue to keep your focus on your breath as normal breathing returns.

I invite you to visualize that you are walking in a forest.

The air is cold and crisp.

There is a fresh dusting of snow on the ground.

The sun is beaming through the thick snow-powdered tree branches.

You can feel a slight warmth from the glimmering rays.

You feel a certain kind of peace within the forest as everything seems to be at rest.

You decide to take a moment to reflect on the past.

You decide to take a moment to pause and be still.

As you look around,

You take a deep inhale.

And as you inhale,

You take in that feeling of peace.

As you exhale,

You let go of anything that no longer serves you purpose.

You take one more deep inhale.

And as you exhale,

You release even further.

As the sun continues to glisten,

You notice a glimmering path on the snow-dusted ground.

You take one last look of your surroundings and give thanks for the peace within your heart.

You begin to walk the path.

The path brings you to a stone staircase.

You go up the stairs and find a foot trail with a slight incline.

This new direction has revealed a path less traveled.

The incline does not discourage you,

And you continue your journey.

As you navigate this elevated path,

You will find yourself in a new place.

You see a structure ahead of you.

The sun is starting to set,

And you think to yourself,

This might be a good place to rest.

As you walk closer,

The ground starts to level out.

And you can see it's a little cottage in the midst of the forest.

You start to feel the sensation of peace that you felt in the beginning of your journey.

You also feel drawn to the cottage.

As you walk closer,

You see a door.

You walk to the door.

You turn the knob,

And to your surprise,

It opens.

It begins to get dark,

So you leave the door open for a little extra light.

You walk into the cottage.

It's a little chilly in there,

But you see a fireplace and some wood.

You start a fire and now have enough light to look around while also staying warm.

You see some candles throughout the cottage,

And you light them so you can see a little bit better.

You bring your attention to how the cottage makes you feel,

As if you have been here before,

As if you have returned home.

You start to feel that sensation of peace within your heart again.

You look out the window and notice how dark it is outside.

With gratitude,

You feel safe within the cottage.

You grab a candle and start to further inspect your new surroundings.

You see a silhouette of a chair.

You dust it off and take a seat.

To the left of you,

There is a table.

You notice a book of some sort.

You grab it and realize it is a photo album.

As you are flipping through the pages,

What you see begins to look familiar.

You take a closer look.

You find that these photos are of you from this past year.

You start from the beginning,

And the first photo is something that has negatively impacted you this year.

I will give you a moment to allow yourself,

Without judgment,

To let that rise up to the surface.

Stay connected to your breath.

Sit with what has come up for you.

I now want you to think of the situation as darkness.

Sit with this darkness for just a little longer.

By sitting with darkness,

You start to understand it.

It is not something you need to fear,

But rather embrace with love.

Darkness just wants to be heard.

I invite you to sit with this darkness for just a little longer.

I invite you to ask this darkness what it is trying to tell you.

I will give you a few moments so you can hear the response.

Give thanks to the darkness for its response.

This moment or situation does not control you any longer.

You are not defined by it either.

Know that this has given you wisdom and strength.

I now invite you to release this moment into the darkness outside of the cottage.

Return your attention back to the photo album.

I invite you to turn the page.

The next photo you see is something that has positively impacted you this year.

I give you a moment to allow yourself without judgment to let this memory rise to the surface.

Stay connected to your breath and sit with what has come up for you.

I invite you to think of this memory as light.

Allow this light to wash over you with calmness,

Peace,

And love.

Take note of how this light makes you feel.

Take note of any sensations you are feeling within your body now.

I now want you to ask the light what it has to tell you,

And I will give you a moment to hear a response.

I now invite you to give thanks to this light.

I also now invite you to bring your attention back to the photo album.

Continue to flip through the pages.

You notice for every negative situation you experienced this past year is followed by multiple positive moments.

Take a minute to reflect on this past year.

Be proud of how far you have come.

Give thanks to all you have endured.

You close the photo album and you look out the window.

The sun is starting to rise.

It starts to break up the darkness that surrounds the cottage.

In this moment,

You now have a deeper understanding that before you can appreciate the light,

You have to know the darkness.

You go outside to watch the sunrise,

And as you watch,

You release any lingering darkness so that the light can renew you.

Feeling recharged,

You are ready to leave the forest.

You follow the path back to the stairs.

As you walk down the stone stairs,

You walk back into your surroundings.

Before you open your eyes,

Take a few deep breaths here,

In through your nose and out through your mouth.

When you are ready,

You can wiggle your toes and your fingers and open your eyes.

I encourage you to reflect on your experience this practice has given you by journaling any sensations or thoughts or even divine messages.

I thank you for meditating with me today,

Sending love and light to all.