We'll begin our solstice practice just by honoring our body's need for deep rest during this time.
Make sure to find a comfortable position that's both supportive and calming for your body and take a big deep breath in through your nose,
A hope of mouth exhale release,
Letting go of anything from the day,
Week or year behind you that you're ready to release.
The season of winter offers us this rare opportunity to pause,
To turn inward and embrace this time to slow down and reflect,
All so that we can begin again the next season.
So as you slow down,
Invite yourself to take this next bit of time to just be quiet and still as we journey inward.
We'll begin with a relaxation breath to help calm the body and quiet the mind.
We'll begin by exhaling all of the air out of our lungs,
Then inhaling for a count of four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause and exhale for seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause and inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause and exhale for seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Again,
Inhaling for a count of four,
Pausing for a moment and exhaling for seven.
Really allow yourself to release and surrender on the breath out.
Doing a few more rounds of this breath,
Inhaling for four and exhaling for seven,
Really releasing on that breath out.
And when you finish this round of breath,
Releasing your count and just let your breath flow smooth and effortlessly.
Now in your mind's eye,
See yourself standing in a winter forest at dusk.
Snow blankets the ground,
Creating a soft stillness and quiet all around.
The air is crisp and fresh,
Just scented faintly with pine and even a little bit of a campfire smell from a bonfire that you can see off in the distance.
Take a moment to breathe in deeply,
Feeling the coolness of the air filling your nose and lungs,
Allowing this cool,
Fresh breath to clear your mind and ground you in this moment.
Then bring your awareness to your feet.
You can feel your feet warm in their boots and planted firmly on the ground.
You pick up one foot and set it back down,
And as you do,
You can hear the light crunch of snow under your foot as you take that step.
You look around and you're amazed at the size of the pine trees that are so tall and stretching up towards the sky,
Their branches dusted with snow,
And you notice that there's small bits of sap frozen on the trunks.
The trees stand in serene stillness,
Rooted and steady,
A reminder of your own steady strength and resilience right now.
You continue to look around and you notice a few pine cones resting in the snow,
And besides them are some small tracks from a snow hare that must have moved through just before you.
This forest is so cozy,
It feels almost magical.
Up above,
The sun's warmth is shining down on you,
Warming your skin through your coat.
And as you look around at the trees,
You notice that there's one tree just off in the distance that looks so inviting.
Its boughs are draped in a way that it creates almost a little tent or cocoon that's welcoming you in to come rest under its protection.
And so you walk up,
You bow your head to step under the branches,
And you come close to the trunk of the tree.
In this space lies a soft bed of evergreen needles.
You can smell their scent,
And you decide to sit on this bed of pine needles.
It's soft,
Creates a little bit of cushion on the ground,
And you just notice the world around you,
How quiet and calm it is.
The branches draping around you,
Protecting you,
And you allow stillness to settle deep within.
Any lingering thoughts or worries fade away in this moment.
And in your coat pocket,
You pull out a small pouch.
It's filled with a few dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks.
You take one of the orange slices,
Hold it to your nose,
And breathe in its sweet,
Bright citrus scent.
And as you breathe it in,
You feel your heart getting lighter,
Just allow your senses to really delight in its scent.
And then you take a cinnamon stick from the pouch.
You feel its hard and rough texture in your hand.
You bring it up to your nose,
And you inhale its warm,
Spicy fragrance.
You let this scent ground you.
Together,
The scent of the orange,
The cinnamon,
And the pine all come together in your safe little cocoon,
Created for you to rest and reflect in,
This beautiful winter forest.
Safe and tucked away from the outside world,
It's just you here.
And as you sit here,
Take a moment to reflect on the past year.
The experiences you had,
The lessons you learned,
The memories that come up for you.
Try not to pass any judgment or get bogged down in the details,
But instead just let the year behind you unfold in your memory.
Simply observe just whatever comes up as you reflect on the year behind you.
Notice the highs and the lows.
What you learned and what stands out to you is significant.
And now ask yourself,
What was my biggest lesson I learned this year?
And now release it all,
Let it go.
Let the year behind you be in the past.
You've learned your lessons,
You've done so much,
You've grown and evolved.
Let it go,
And now is your time for rest.
Continue to breathe deeply,
Feeling the calm settling within you.
In this stillness,
There's a quiet sense of clarity,
A gentle knowing that this pause,
This moment of rest is exactly what you need.
Trust that in this dark and peaceful time,
You are being held,
Renewed and prepared for the light to return,
But right now is your time to rest and be at ease.
If you'd like to stay and rest longer,
You can,
But if you're ready to move on,
Gently bring your awareness back to your body and back to this moment.
Wiggling fingers and toes,
Just ending your practice with a moment of gratitude.
Thank you so much for joining me for this practice.
Have a wonderful solstice.
