Let's start by making ourselves comfortable and that might be in a seated position in a chair with your feet firmly on the ground or perhaps lying on a mat on the floor or even in the comfort of your bed.
Just take some time to make yourself comfortable and at ease.
And if you need to move at all throughout the meditation then please just do so.
And then start by taking some deep breaths in and out.
Letting go of what's already gone on for you today and not thinking about what's to come.
Just being present here in the moment.
And as you gently breathe in and out you find yourself looking out onto a field.
You notice that the field is surrounded by trees.
All different shapes and sizes.
Some of the trees have leaves,
Some may already have lost them.
You notice the grass and a gate leading into the field.
And you choose to open the gate and step in.
And as you step into the field a single snowflake starts to fall.
Slowly,
Whirling,
Twirling until you're able to reach out your hand and catch it.
And before it melts just notice the beauty and uniqueness of the snowflake.
Notice the shapes within it.
Notice its coolness on your hand.
And then its wetness as it melts.
And as you look up to the sky you notice more snowflakes beginning to fall.
Slowly and gently.
Until there's a light dusting on the field.
Some of the snow is beginning to settle on the leaves and branches of the trees.
And then the snow comes down faster and thicker.
Until the whole of the field is covered in a white blanket of snow.
And you choose to take a few steps noticing what that feels like.
Noticing how your feet sink into the snow and how far they go.
Just an inch or so or maybe a bit deeper.
Notice how your fingers and toes might tingle.
Or maybe they're warm and cosy in woolly socks and gloves.
And taking some more footsteps now towards the centre of the field.
Noticing that you're the only person that's been in the field.
Yours are the only footsteps.
And just stopping to listen for a moment or two.
The almost silent field.
Just the odd sound perhaps from the birds.
Or the rustling of the leaves on the trees.
Sounds in the distance.
Your own footsteps as you begin to walk again.
Crunching through the snow.
Enjoying its softness and just taking a moment to turn round and notice your own footsteps.
And then as you get to the centre of the field you notice a beautiful old tree.
Tall and strong.
This is a tree that's been around for many,
Many years.
You notice its wide trunk leading up through the branches.
You notice how it offers shelter.
And you might choose for a moment or two to go underneath its branches.
And stand with your back against the tree.
Feeling its strength.
Feeling how solid it is.
And looking up through the branches.
Noticing the whiteness of the snow.
And listening to the small sounds.
The slight creaks.
The movement of birds.
And then moving slowly out from the tree.
Stepping back out into the field.
Seeing the crunch of the snow underneath your feet.
And reaching down to make a snowball.
Perhaps just as you did when you were a child.
And throwing it and noticing how when it hits one of the branches from a tree a shower of snowflakes come down.
And then taking yourself to the far corner of the field where the beautiful snow remains untouched.
And you may have a childlike urge to lie down in the snow and make a snow angel.
Stretching your arms and legs out as far as they go.
Moving them in and out to make the shape.
And remembering what it was like to be carefree and childlike.
And then standing up brushing the snow off the back of your clothes.
Feeling your fingers and toes tingling.
And enjoying the freshness of the open air.
The coldness.
And then noticing the footsteps that you made on your way over to the field.
And choosing to walk back either making a new set of footprints.
Or walking back in your old footprints.
Noticing again how your feet sink into the snow.
Noticing the beauty and the whiteness all around you.
Perhaps hearing the wings of a bird as it flies overhead swooping.
And slowly and mindfully walking back across the field.
Noticing the trees perhaps some of them have berries on.
Noticing how red those berries are.
Noticing the contrast between them and the white snow.
And also noticing other trees that perhaps don't have leaves just now.
Being aware of how the light shines through them.
Making a silhouette.
And then finding yourself back at the entrance of the field.
Turning around to look back on the walk that you have just done across the field.
The strong tree.
The snow angel in the corner.
And the walk back.
And as you stand and look back on the scene.
Slowly the snow begins to melt.
The air feels warmer.
You can start to see green shoots coming through the grass.
Begin to notice the leaves again on the trees.
And slowly,
Slowly the snow melts until it's almost as though it wasn't there at all.
And just taking some deep breaths.
And noticing how different the field looks now.
No less beautiful.
Just a different perspective.
And just taking some more deep breaths.
Beginning to make slight movements with your fingers and toes.
And gently opening your eyes if they were closed.
Making more movements.
And gently resuming the rest of your day or evening.
Namaste.
