Welcome to this guided meditation for the winter solstice.
Settle into a really comfy position,
Letting your body loosen and arrive in this space.
Allow your hands to rest where they naturally fall,
Your shoulders to soften and take a slow gentle breath in and a long unhurried breath out.
Feel the support beneath you and let yourself lean into it.
Notice how still your body feels.
Winter has a way of creating stillness,
Even in a world that keeps moving.
So really try to ground yourself in this moment and in your stillness.
Take another deep breath in and exhale very slowly.
This time of year can feel very busy,
Rushing,
Planning,
Giving,
Doing.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed,
Even when everything is meant to feel joyful around you.
So let yourself pause,
Let the world move on without you for now.
The greatest gift you can offer yourself in this season is presence.
Simple,
Spacious,
Attentive presence.
On yourself,
On who you are and who you are becoming.
You don't have to be anywhere else right now,
Just be here.
Rest gently inside the darkness of winter.
The solstice marks the longest night,
A deep stretch of darkness that invites rest rather than resistance.
Picture the world dim,
Hushed,
Wrapped in a soft blanket of night.
And within you,
You start to feel a small ember glowing.
This is the lantern in the stillness.
Allow yourself to lean toward its warmth.
There is nothing asked of you here,
Nothing to prove,
Nothing to hold together.
Just space and your connection to this warm glow inside you.
We have just had a new moon,
And this always offers moments of reset,
Of clearing,
Of soft beginnings.
The moon's darkness matches the solstice,
They are both a reminder that darkness is not emptiness,
But fertile ground,
A place where intentions can take root.
Just let yourself breathe into that thought.
As the moon begins to grow again,
So can you.
As the light returns,
Little by little,
You too can choose what you wish to grow as the days lengthen.
Feel the ember in your chest.
Feel its glow a touch brighter with each inhale.
With each exhale,
Its warmth spreads gently through you.
This is the returning sun.
The steady promise that light always finds its way back.
The darkness has done its work,
Now it slowly begins to loosen,
Making room for the light to rise again.
Just as the moon will wax,
Just as you will unfold into the coming months.
From this place of warmth and darkness blended together,
Let the glow within you grow a little bit stronger.
The winter solstice is the deepest point in the year's darkness,
A moment when the world holds its breath before the long,
Slow return of the light.
Let yourself settle into that same stillness,
No pressure to move forward or decide anything.
Just a moment to meet yourself.
Feel that gentle glow in your chest spreading gradually,
As if the warmth is remembering where to flow.
Let it move into your shoulders,
Your back,
Your belly,
Wherever it feels welcome.
This light isn't pushing you or asking anything of you.
It is just here to highlight who you are.
Steady,
Soft and entirely enough.
Notice how the darkness around it doesn't dim the glow,
If anything it makes it clearer.
Just as the solstice night holds the promise of longer days,
The quiet within you highlights the light you already carry.
Just stay with this feeling for a moment.
Let this inner glow soften anything that feels tense,
Brighten anything that feels dull and reconnect you to yourself in a simple,
Honest way.
Begin to return to your breath now,
Natural and unhurried.
Feel the support beneath you,
The calm around you and the warmth you've cultivated within.
This light is something you can come back to whenever you need it,
Especially when life becomes too loud or too busy.
Take a slow breath in and a long releasing breath out.
Bring some movement back into your body,
You can roll your shoulders or wiggle your fingers and toes.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes,
Carrying this solstice glow and sense of connection with you.
Thank you very much for meditating with me today,
It has been an absolute pleasure to guide you.
