Welcome,
Listener.
Please allow yourself to get comfortable where you are.
Today,
We are taking a journey through the seasons.
If it feels safe for you,
I invite you to close your eyes and open your internal vision.
And in this internal vision,
You find yourself standing at the edge of a vast,
Snow-covered forest.
The world is still,
Wrapped in a blanket of white.
The air is crisp,
Tingling against your skin.
And when you inhale,
You can taste the sharpness of the cold,
The purity of freshly fallen snow.
Your breath clouds in front of you as you take a step forward,
Your boots crunching against the ice-kissed ground.
The trees are bare,
Their branches etched against a silver sky.
The scent of pine lingers in the air,
Fresh and clean,
Mixed with the distant smoke of a chimney somewhere far away.
A hush blankets the world.
Only the occasional creak of ice or the whisper of a cold breeze through the trees disturbs the silence.
You wrap yourself tighter in your coat,
Feeling the winter's embrace.
Not unkind,
Just quiet,
Just waiting.
Take a moment here and feel winter.
As you carry on in this internal vision,
You begin to walk,
And the frost beneath your feet begins to soften,
Giving way to a damp,
Rich earth.
The air grows warmer,
And it's filled with the scent of rain-soaked soil and the sweetness of new blossoms.
Tiny green buds unfurl on branches above you,
Delicate and bright,
Promising life's return.
The world hums with sound.
Water trickles somewhere nearby.
Birds call to one another in joyful reunion,
And the wind rustles through tender new leaves.
You can taste rain in the air,
Cool and fresh,
A promise of growth.
A soft breeze carries the scent of wildflowers just beginning to bloom,
Their petals opening toward the pale sunlight filtering through the trees.
Everything feels alive,
Awake,
Hopeful.
This is spring.
The warmth deepens.
The trees are full now,
Their thick canopies casting dappled light onto the forest floor.
The scent of warmed pine and wild berries drifts toward you,
Rich and earthy.
The air is heavier now,
Thick with the hum of insects and the rustling of small creatures in the underbrush.
Your skin is warm,
Kissed by golden sunlight filtering through the leaves.
You pause,
Stretching your arms up toward the sky,
Feeling the way the heat lingers on your skin.
The taste of summer is so sweet.
Maybe it's the hint of berries on your tongue,
Or the way the air itself carries the scent of ripe fruit and wild honey.
The forest is alive with sound,
With birdsong,
The gentle chittering of squirrels,
The rhythmic drumming of a distant woodpecker.
Everything is vibrant,
Bursting with life.
Oh summer,
You never stay quite long enough.
As you continue forward,
The heat softens,
The air cooling just enough to send a shiver down your spine.
The scent of fallen leaves and damp earth surrounds you,
Spiced,
Earthy,
And deep.
The trees shift in color,
Their greens melting into shades of gold,
Rust,
And deep crimson.
Leaves crunch beneath your feet,
Swirling as the wind dances through them.
The sky is a soft gray,
And the wind carries the distant scent of wood smoke,
Of apples ripening in an unseen orchard.
You take a breath,
Tasting the change,
The quiet invitation to slow down,
To prepare for rest.
The sound of the forest shifts.
The birds are quieter now.
The rustling leaves sing their own farewell song as they drift toward the ground.
This is autumn.
And then,
Like a gentle exhale,
The air grows colder once more.
A hush settles over the trees,
The last of the autumn leaves falling like whispers onto frosted earth.
The scent of pine returns crisp and clean.
You feel the familiar bite of winter on your cheeks,
The soft tickle of snowflakes landing on your skin.
The cycle has completed,
And yet it begins again.
The seasons turn,
Just as you do,
Growing,
Shifting,
Resting,
Renewing.
You stand in the heart of it all,
Feeling the steady rhythm of nature moving within you.
Take a breath here.
Just notice your body,
Any sensations,
Any thoughts that are arising.
Just try to stay grounded in your senses,
Grounded in your breath.
You might start to wiggle your fingers and your toes.
And then when it feels okay,
Invite yourself back to the room by blinking your eyes open.
