Hello this is Sarah from Quiet Mind Meditation.
Welcome to the seasonal meditation series aligning our meditation practice with the wisdom of the seasons.
Winter is our season of stillness,
The waiting season.
Just as nature takes advantage of this much needed period of rest,
Drawing inward to conserve and preserve energy,
Anchoring deeper into the earth for stability.
In winter we are also being called to turn inward for a period of rest and reflection.
And in our winter meditation practice we have an opportunity to strengthen our awareness of this deeper inner stillness and stability that we hold within.
So we might weather discomfort and uncertainty and develop patience and trust that the sun and the light in time will return and so the seasonal cycle continues.
Our intention for this meditation is to pause and find stillness within.
So let us begin.
Finding a comfortable position for your body.
Perhaps finding a seat on the floor on a cushion or in a chair.
Finding a way to sit a posture that is comfortable and stable.
Noticing what parts of your body are physically touching the floor or the chair and let that be an invitation to soften.
Sitting in such a way that your back feels relatively straight,
Allowing your shoulders to release and hang a little.
Allowing your belly to be soft.
Tucking your chin in just a little so that the muscles on the back of your neck are released.
Noticing where you place your hands.
Allowing the weight of your hands to rest comfortably in your lap or on your knees.
And I invite you to close your eyes or soften your gaze to the floor.
Allowing your whole body to relax.
To soften and still.
As your body begins to settle and quieten,
Guide your attention to your breath.
Let us begin with a few cleansing breaths.
Taking three slightly longer,
Slower and deeper breaths.
Breathing in through the nostrils and breathing out through the mouth.
In your own time,
Three long,
Slow and cleansing breaths.
And then allow your breath to settle back into its own rhythm.
No need to control or change your breath.
Allow your breath to simply breathe through you effortlessly.
When you bring your gentle awareness to your breath,
Your breath will naturally start to calm and still.
Sometimes that is all that you need to find stillness within.
Just resting with your breath.
Perhaps we might start by bringing awareness to feet and toes.
And bringing some movement to your feet and toes.
A wriggling or clenching.
A rolling of your feet.
Just noticing a moment of mindful movement.
Movement has a certain energy.
A life energy.
Mindfully moving your feet and your toes for a moment until you stop moving and rest.
Feet still.
Toes still.
And for a few breaths,
Observing stillness in your feet.
And then drawing your awareness to your upper torso.
And again,
Inviting a gentle mindful movement by rocking your upper body.
A gentle swaying from side to side.
Aware of that sense of floating through space.
Rocking your body.
Noticing what this movement feels like.
Until you stop.
And find a point of balance.
And rest.
And for a few breaths,
Observing a stillness throughout your body in this moment.
Shifting your awareness now to your hands.
Resting in your lap or on your knees.
Your hands still.
Heavy.
And you might bring some mindful movement now to your hands.
Stretching and moving your fingers and thumbs for just a moment.
Before inviting your hands to rest again in your lap.
A fresh awareness of the stillness in your hands.
And for a few breaths,
Observing stillness and heaviness in your hands.
Inviting your awareness now.
Your gentle attention to your breath.
Wherever you notice your breath most deeply.
And on your next exhalation,
Noticing at the very end of your breath,
This natural pause and stillness.
A moment when everything stops.
Simply noticing your exhalation.
That moment when your body releases the breath and following that exhalation right to the very end of your breath.
Where there is this momentary pause of incredible stillness.
And now let us drift into a few moments of silent practice.
Just noticing the stillness that unfolds at the end of your exhalation.
And I shall watch the time and come back so that we can finish our practice together.
As we finish our practice resting in that stillness,
Cultivated in our meditation.
I would like to share these words from David Steindl Rust,
Benedictine monk.
May you grow still enough to hear the small noises earth makes in preparing for the long sleep of winter.
So that you yourself may grow calm and grounded deep within.
May you grow still enough to hear the trickling of water seeping into the ground.
So that your soul may be softened and healed and guided in its flow.
Bringing a gentle half smile to your lips.
A silent thank you for this moment.
For taking the time to find stillness within.
A stillness that is always there.
Taking a few slightly deeper inhalations now to bring fresh energy and life back into body and mind.
Bringing some movement to fingers and toes again.
Perhaps straightening your posture.
And when you feel ready with that half smile on your lips.
You might open your eyes and come back to your day.
Knowing that within you there is always stillness.
With deep gratitude for sharing this winter meditation with me today.
