Shedding & Releasing The Old

Just like the trees are not afraid to shed their leaves, so too can we tap into the energy of the fall season and allow what is no longer serving our highest growth to leave our mind & body. Today’s guided visualization is here to support the process of shedding, through the power of affirmation and visualization, we clear our mind and body of whatever we’ve held on for too long and prepare ourselves to receive the gift of new possibilities.

Transcript

Hello,

My love,

And welcome to this guided visualization to help you create some space to shed and release the old this fall season.

Many people enter autumn mourning the summer.

As they watch the leaves fall,

Amp up their workloads,

Zip up their coats,

And await the holidays,

A common prescription for the fall funk is often a pumpkin spice latte with a big slice of apple pie.

However,

There are many plus sides for the fall season,

Though it can be difficult to see them when we're scattering our energy all over the place,

Getting lost in a pile of things to do,

Places to be,

And deadlines to meet.

In essence,

Fall offers us an opportunity to let go of the old and make way for a deep,

Restful,

Peaceful winter.

When we can acknowledge its purpose to invite us to shed excess baggage,

This time of year takes on a new meaning.

When we learn to harmonize with the rhythms of nature,

We learn that the gift of autumn is to create space in our life for some magic to unfold.

Just like the trees are not afraid to shed their leaves,

So too can we tap into our courage to allow what is no longer serving our highest growth to leave our mind and body.

We are being called to pause,

Reflect,

And integrate past experiences,

Especially those we have brushed under the rug,

With compassionate self-honesty.

What are you clinging to that isn't serving you or isn't necessary in your life?

Nature is nudging us to shed off our old skin and to make way for a new,

More vibrant and resilient skin to take form,

Allowing us to move forward with more grace and ease.

Today's guided visualization is here to support the process of shedding through the power of affirmation and visualization.

We are helping our mind and body rid itself of whatever we've held on for too long and prepare ourselves to welcome and receive more abundance,

Peace,

And love into our life.

So if you're ready,

Let's begin.

First,

Start by bringing yourself into a comfortable seated position.

Sitting up nice and tall,

You can prop yourself in a chair,

Up against a wall,

Or on your favorite meditation cushion for extra support.

Your shoulders are relaxed and your chin is slightly tucked in.

Your eyes are soft,

Either half open or completely closed.

Take a moment to check in and feel into your physical body.

Feel your sit bones resting on the floor.

Feel the weight of your shoulders release away from your ears.

Feel the gravitational pull of Mother Earth hold you here.

Now bring your awareness to your breath.

Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly,

In and out through your nose.

With each inhale,

You breathe in peace,

Presence,

And patience.

And with each exhale,

You breathe out worry,

Doubt,

And stress.

Now let us set an intention for our practice.

By stating the following affirmation,

Either out loud or in your mind.

I give myself permission to let go of the people,

Places,

And pursuits that no longer serve my highest growth.

I give myself permission to let go of the people,

Places,

And pursuits that no longer serve my highest growth.

Inhaling through your nose.

Exhale through your mouth.

Bringing to your mind's eye an image of yourself sitting as you are right now.

Visualize yourself at this very moment.

Now imagine that you are sitting in a chair.

Now imagine that you are sitting in a chair.

Now imagine that you get up and walk out the door and down the street.

Notice the pace of your steps and the direction you walk in.

As you walk,

You see a big door in the middle of the street.

You walk through the door,

And it takes you into a long hallway.

You see a light at the end of the hallway and walk toward it steadily with curiosity.

When you finally get to the opening,

You step into a beautiful fall scenery.

A forest filled with red,

Gold,

And rusty-colored leaves.

You begin to hike through this magical forest.

You notice the trees all around you.

You notice the trees all around you.

The sounds of leaves rustling and crinkling beneath your feet.

And you watch as hungry animals scurry by.

Move through this fall scenery and watch it unfold,

Adding details as you go.

What animals do you see?

What do you hear?

Is there a breeze?

See if you can bring the physical sensation of this scenery into your body.

Feeling the wind caress your cheeks.

Feeling the cool air enter into your nostrils as you breathe in.

Listening to the sounds of the birds.

Seeing the squirrels and the life in the forest.

Now bring your focus back to yourself.

How are you moving?

What is your facial expression?

What kind of mood are you in?

Now watch yourself sit down under a sturdy tree and reflect.

Your mind settles on someone or something in your life that you know deep in your heart is not serving you well.

It could be a relationship,

A job,

An activity,

A responsibility,

Or a negative mood you've been feeling lately.

You know it is time for you and this person,

Thing,

Or idea to go your separate ways.

Pause here and observe yourself with this person,

Thing,

Or idea,

Noticing how it affects your mind and body.

You now get up and continue on your way.

And soon you notice the path runs along a river.

You follow the river upstream,

Enjoying the bustling sound of water flowing with strength.

You see something about a hundred feet up ahead and start to get a feeling of dread.

As you get closer,

It becomes clear that what you are seeing is this person or thing you need to release in your life.

You wonder why it is here and why it is still in your life.

And you make the decision to release yourself of it once and for all.

You take this thing that you need to release and walk over to the river edge.

You take a deep breath in and exhale out into your heart space.

And gently offer this person,

Thing,

Or idea to the river.

And you watch the river carry it away with her current.

You watch it for a moment and feel a sense of calm wash over you.

You look around.

The sun is shining strong.

A bird sings overhead.

The wind catches your hair and gives it a twirl.

The smell of crisp fall is in the air as you take a deep breath in and exhale out.

Bending down by the river bank,

You gently place your fingers through the running water,

Feeling a refreshing surge of coolness run through your body at its contact.

Submerging your whole hands into the water,

You splash your face a few times,

Clearing away the remaining debris of the past.

You see a bench nearby,

Illuminated by the sun shining through the trees.

A little cool from the water,

You take a seat and enjoy the warm rays kissing your skin.

You breathe deep and feel at ease,

Excited for the possibilities that lie ahead.

Stay in this place of peace for as long as you need,

Reflecting on all the things that are now possible in your life,

Without this thing,

Idea or person weighing heavy on your heart.

And when you are ready,

Release the visualization.

Take a few deep breaths,

Coming back into your physical body.

Gently wiggling your fingers and cracking your eyes open.

Take a moment now and grab your journal to write down any insights that may have come to you during this experience.

What did you release in the visualization?

And what small intentional step do you need to take in order to release it in your current life?

And once this is done,

You can get out a clean sheet of paper and write down or draw a representation of this and anything else you want to let go of.

Sometime in the next few days,

Build a fire in the fireplace or simply light a match and burn the piece of paper along with your need to hold on to this unnecessary baggage in your life.

And once you've burned off what no longer serves you,

Take another piece of paper and write down what you would like your life to look and feel like in the next six months.

And affirm to yourself that the life you desire is possible for you.

And that you are open to guidance and support.

Taking full responsibility as a powerful co-creator of your personal reality.

You can help yourself with the following affirmation.

I am ready to create the experiences I want for my life.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me.

I hope you feel a little lighter and more at peace in your mind,

Body,

And heart.

Until next time.

Wishing you a lovely fall season.

From my heart to yours.

Namaste.