Hello and welcome.
Welcome to this special birthday meditation.
Whether today is your actual birthday or you are simply taking this time to reflect on your journey,
This is a moment just for you to pause,
To breathe and to celebrate the gift of your life.
So find a comfortable place to sit down or lie down,
Whichever works for you.
Settle in,
Grab a blanket or some cushions,
Make yourself really comfy.
Switch your phone off,
There's nowhere else to be,
Nothing else to do.
And when you're ready,
Only when you're ready,
Close your eyes gently or lower your gaze and take a deep breath in and a slow breath out.
Let's begin.
As you settle in,
Bring your attention to your breath,
Bring your awareness to yourself being breathed,
Feeling the air entering your lungs and then leaving your body.
With each inhale,
Invite in presence,
Invite in peace.
With each exhale,
Release any tension or expectations.
Observe your body,
How it moves with each in-breath,
How it responds to the out-breath.
Now imagine a warm golden light above you,
Like the gentle glow of a candle or the rising sun.
And as you breathe,
This light begins to flow down,
Wrapping around you in a soft and comforting embrace.
This light is here to remind you that today is a day of celebration,
A moment to honour your journey and your presence in this world.
Allow yourself to bask in the warmth of that golden light.
And as you rest in this warm light,
Let your mind gently reflect on the past year of your life without judgment,
No searching,
Simply observe what comes to mind.
What moments brought you joy?
Allow those moments or that moment to flood through you,
Bringing the joy with it and just settle in.
Settle into that joy.
I'm right here.
And now,
What challenges helped you grow?
What challenges have you faced this year and emerged from with a sense of triumph?
You only need one.
But if you've got many,
That's great too.
And feel that triumph flooding through your body,
Where you may have faced something or things that you never thought you would be able to process or get through,
But you did.
You did process them and you did get through them.
And finally,
What are you most grateful for from this past year?
What is it that you hold in your heart that fills you with gratitude?
Or who is it that stands out from the year you have just lived?
Take your time.
Don't search.
Let it come to you.
And if it doesn't,
That's okay.
Allow those sensations of gratitude to flow around your heart and around your body.
How does it feel to have gratitude flooding through you?
Spend some time to bask in that gratitude,
To lean into the sensations in your body and let these memories rise and fall like waves on the shore.
If any emotions come up,
Allow them to be here without resistance.
Welcome them,
All of them.
Every experience,
Both light and dark,
Has shaped you into the person you are today.
Now,
Bringing your attention to gratitude,
I invite you to think of three things,
Big or small,
That you are deeply grateful for.
And let that gratitude fill your heart like a warm golden light,
A warm golden light that you can feel as you breathe it in and out.
Feeling it expand with each breath,
Allowing it to take on a life of its own,
As you welcome it,
Acknowledge it.
Now,
Let's turn our gaze forward.
Imagine you are standing at the threshold of a brand new chapter.
The next year of your life is like an open book,
Waiting,
Just waiting for you to write its pages.
What do you want to invite into your life this year?
It can be anything.
Don't hold back.
What do you want to invite into your life this year?
And how do you want to feel?
How do you want to feel?
What emotion is going to be home this year for you?
Maybe joy,
Maybe love,
Maybe peace.
And what is one intention,
Just one,
One intention you can carry forward from this moment into this brand new year of your life ahead?
Again,
Take your time,
Let it come to you.
And if it doesn't right now,
That's okay.
Just enjoy being here in this present moment,
Giving yourself this gift of stillness,
Your own attention,
Your own love.
And what is one intention you can carry forward from this moment?
Let it rise naturally,
Something that feels aligned,
Something that feels true,
Something that feels accessible.
It could be a word,
A phrase,
Or simply a feeling.
Breathe into it,
And let it settle into your heart,
Let it become a part of you.
Now,
Visualize yourself a year from now,
Radiating joy,
Strength,
And wisdom.
See yourself fully stepping into your growth,
Your dreams,
Your most authentic self.
What do you look like?
What's the expression on your face?
What's your posture?
Are you walking?
Are you standing?
What energy are you holding?
Spend a little time with that version of yourself a year from now,
Who's invited and who they wanted and what they wanted into their life,
Who's felt how they want to feel,
And who's lent into the intention that they carried from a year ago.
And what do they have to say to you?
What do they want you to know?
And if you've heard,
Imagine a little door in your heart that's just swung open,
And bring those words into your heart,
And gently close the door,
Keeping them nice and safe.
And if you didn't hear anything,
That's okay.
That's okay.
Take a nice deep breath in,
And slowly exhale.
One more time,
Inhaling fully,
Deeply,
Feeling the gift of this moment,
And exhale,
Releasing any doubt or resistance or worry.
And when you're ready,
Gently,
Gently bring your awareness back to the present.
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes.
Start to see the light coming from behind your eyelids.
When it feels right,
Only when it feels right,
Gently open your eyes.
You are here.
You are enough.
You are worthy of love,
Joy,
And all the beauty life has to offer.
Happy birthday to you,
Today and always.
Take this light with you as you move forward.
The best is yet to come.
