Hello,
My name is Scott Langston and I'd like to welcome you to this short mindfulness meditation on the transitions of the seasons.
This one is from winter to spring.
I'd like to invite you to find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Allow your spine to be relaxed and supported.
Let your hands rest easily wherever they fall and allow your eyes to gently close.
We'll begin by taking a slow,
Deliberate,
Deep breath in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
Again,
Breathing in deeply.
One more time,
Inhaling calm,
Exhaling tension.
Now just allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
No need to change it.
No need to influence it at all.
Simply notice it.
Notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest,
The movement of air in and out.
Let this breath anchor you in this present moment.
If your mind begins to wander,
That's okay.
Gently guide it back to your breathing.
Again and again,
With kindness,
With self-compassion,
Following your breath in and out.
And now I'd like you to bring your awareness to your body.
Notice the points where your body makes contact with the chair,
The floor,
The ground.
Feel the support beneath you.
Allow your shoulders to soften.
Let your jaw unclench.
Imagine tension melting away like snow under the warm sunlight.
And with every exhalation,
Release just a little more,
Noticing as your body softens.
I'm going to invite you to reflect on the winter.
Picture a winter landscape in your mind's eye.
Maybe you see the quiet,
Bare trees resting beneath layers of ice or snow.
Feel the stillness.
That winter is a time of rest,
Of slowing down,
Of gathering strength.
Bring this idea inwards.
Notice where you have been resting,
Where you have paused,
Where you have been conserving energy.
Know that there is wisdom in this stillness.
Nothing is wasted.
Everything has been preparing.
Take a few breaths here,
Honouring your own season of rest.
And now I would invite you to notice a subtle change.
The light grows a little brighter.
The air softens.
The cold slowly loosens its grip.
Water trickles into the soil and life begins to stir.
With each breath,
Feel this gentle transition.
There's no rushing.
Nothing is forcing its way forwards.
This change happens naturally,
In its own time.
Allow yourself to move with it.
We're going to welcome the spring now.
Imagine a scene of early springtime,
Small green shoots,
Birdsong.
Feel the freshness in the air and a sense of possibility.
As you inhale,
Breathe in this renewal.
Breathing in energy.
Breathing in clarity.
Breathing in hope.
And as you exhale,
Release heaviness.
Release old worries.
Release what no longer serves you.
Allow yourself to feel lighter,
Rested,
More alert,
More open,
More alive.
Now bring your attention inwards again.
Just as nature renews itself,
So do you.
Ask yourself gently,
What's ready to grow in me?
What's ready to begin?
You don't need to have a ready answer.
Just notice whatever arises for you.
It might be a feeling,
Or just a sense of openness.
Welcome whatever comes to you.
What is ready to grow in me?
What is ready to begin?
Imagine this small growth to be like a small seed.
With every breath,
You nourish it.
With patience,
You protect it.
And with kindness,
You allow it to unfold.
Silently repeat these phrases,
Letting them settle deeply within you.
I welcome change.
I trust my natural rhythm.
I honor my past and embrace my future.
I am becoming who I am meant to be.
Honor my past and embrace my future.
I grow with patience and grace.
I am becoming who I am meant to be.
And now release all effort.
Rest in this awareness.
No visualizing,
No affirming,
No doing.
Simply rest.
Rest in your breath.
Rest in your awareness.
Rest in your being.
Notice sensations,
Sounds,
Feelings.
Let everything come and go like clouds in the sky.
You are the open space in which it all appears.
Spend a few moments here in quiet presence.
Now begin to bring your awareness back to the present.
Feel your breath.
Feel your body.
Notice your fingers and toes.
And sigh it out,
Sensing the room around you,
The light,
The sounds.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Carry this sense of renewal with you.
Like spring,
You are always beginning again.
Let this gentle growth guide you through the rest of the day.
