August Monthly Reset Meditation

Every month offers new opportunities for growth and realignment. I began this monthly meditation series with my clients and they found such benefit from it that I wanted to share it with you here on Insight Timer as well. Consider this your opportunity to press the reset button on any misalignment or veering from your purpose that occurred during the previous month. I will guide you through seasonally appropriate visualizations, breathwork exercises, and affirmations to prepare you for the month ahead. You can always begin again, and I'm honored you're here each month as I begin again too.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to August's monthly reset meditation. I'm honored that you're here and sharing this space with me today. These monthly meditations, Always on the first of every month, Serve as a recalibration diving into the month ahead. We will center into the space together, I will guide you through a series of thought exercises, And we will end with a series of affirmations to keep with us throughout the month. If you're ready, Just settle into your surroundings. Whether you're sitting in a chair or on the floor or even lying down. Make any adjustments your body feels called to make. Feel free to close your eyes or leave them in a soft gaze. And just be with the natural rhythm of your breath here for a few beats. We'll begin today's meditation by doing a brief body scan, Checking in with ourselves before diving into the visualization and affirmations for August. Keeping with the natural rhythm of your breath. Start at the top of the head and breathe into your face muscles, Forehead, Your brow, Your eyes, Cheeks. Jaw muscles. Breathing into any tension you notice. Will continue across the head and back of the neck. Down through the back body. Your shoulder blades. The muscles surrounding your spinal column. Lower back and sits bones. Breathing deeply here as we travel back across the shoulders. And over the chest. Across your right bicep, Right forearm, Wrist, Right hand and fingers. And then across to your left bicep, Left forearm, Wrist, Left hand, And fingers. Continue breathing. Down the front body now. Noticing your collarbone. Chest. Ribcage, Abdomen. Hips, Pelvis. Breathing down through each leg. Scanning the thighs and hamstrings for any tightness. The muscles around your knees, Shins, And calves. Around the curvature of your ankles and heels. Breathing all the way through each tiny muscle in your feet and toes. Continue breathing into any spaces of the body that feel tight or tense. And see if you can let go a little bit more there. No need to judge why the tightness is present. Just breathe there for a few beats. When we think about the month of August, We often associate it with back-to-school energy, The busyness of getting everything prepared so that we may learn and grow. August is also known as a major harvest month, Where, In many places around the world, Crops begin to reach their peak bounty, And farmers enjoy the offerings of their tireless labor. Students of their land, Gleaning wisdom from their crops. For today's meditation. I invite you to settle into your student mind. Allowing the part of you that seeks knowledge to take up a little more space than it typically does. Envision yourself as a student in a classroom. You are the only pupil in the room. And a single, Spacious desk sits at the front of the room, Facing a blank wall. The room is well lit with windows lining the side walls. And you know this space will hold you safely as you learn. You feel called to sit at the desk. So you settle into your seat. And as you do, You notice that the desk drawers are full of pens, Markers, Pencils, Paints, A never-ending assortment of writing and drawing utensils. There's a note on top of all the supplies that reads, The walls are your canvas. You pause for a moment to consider the idea of filling the walls with your thoughts. Part of you hesitates. You were afraid of the mess you'd make of it. But another part of you wants to rush up to the walls and fill them with everything you can imagine. You settle in on your approach, And grab the items you'd like to use to fill the walls with your brightness. As you walk up to one of the walls, You realize you have morphed into a child version of yourself. You remember what it felt like to stand in front of a classroom full of students. Looking at you. Perhaps judging you. Or worse yet, Laughing at you because you answered a question incorrectly. However. Here in this space, You feel a strong pull to write and draw a few of your thoughts onto the walls. So you begin. You allow everything to pour out of you. All that you've learned so far in your young age. Lessons about crawling and walking. And talking and safety and play. Breathe here for a few beats and consider what it is you'd write or draw on the walls of your blank classroom. Just as you put the finishing touches on your masterpiece. An adult walks through the classroom door. It's you as you are today. And you've come in to teach little you about something of great importance. Little you can't quite understand what's happening or how they know adult you. But they feel safe, Seen, And cared for. Little U returns to their desk. And adult you stands at the front of the room, Preparing to begin today's lesson. In what feels like the blink of an eye. Adult you has taught little you the ways of the world. Everything that you've learned since you were a child pouring out of you as if you were reading a story out loud. Every lesson, Every triumph. Every moment of grief and joy and silliness and growth. Little you now knows it all. Any worries or fears little you began the lesson with have all faded away from your child mind. You feel limitless in your potential and excited to grow and learn even more as the years progress. Breathe here for a few beats, And consider what lessons you just taught to your younger self here in this classroom. Now, As adult you settles in at their own desk, Another person walks through the door. Another teacher. You can't quite place how you know them. But you trust them and know that you are safe, Seen, And cared for. You have the opportunity to ask this teacher as many questions as you'd like. Knowing that their wisdom will help guide you forward. You ask every question you could possibly think of. Gaining a lifetime of knowledge from this second teacher. The safety you feel having gained this wisdom washes over you like a comforting breeze on a hot August day. You know, Even as you leave this classroom, Heading out into the unknown, That you have everything you need. The journey ahead feels less daunting. And your ability to access courage in the face of the unknown is unmatched. You step out into the world, Seeing everything and everyone as a teacher. And know at your core that you are a student of your life. Breathe here for a few beats, And consider how you feel, Knowing that you're exactly where you are meant to be. Learning every day from past versions of you. Feeling propelled forward by future versions of you and their new wisdom. I'd like to now offer a few affirmations to provide some support as you journey along your path this month. Feel free to use any of these or create your own. You can repeat them back to yourself either out loud or in your mind. And I'll repeat them twice here so you can let it marinate the first time. Remaining curious in the face of difficulty is the most direct route to a solution. Remaining curious in the face of difficulty is the most direct route to a solution. I can always ask for help from the safe humans in my life. I can always ask for help from the safe humans in my life. I am capable of growth and change, No matter what stage of life I am in. I am capable of growth and change, No matter what stage of life I am in. My ability to lead is directly connected to my ability to learn. My ability to lead is directly connected to my ability to learn. I am not meant to know all the answers on the first day of school. And every day is the first day of school. I am not meant to know all the answers on the first day of school. And every day is the first day of school. And so it is. Feel free to come back to this visualization anytime throughout the month if you're needing the reminder that it's okay to be a beginner while we stretch, Learn, And grow through this life. I'm so grateful you joined me here today. I like to close my meditations with a phrase that keeps me grateful, Centered, And hopeful. Thank you. I love you. Keep going. Until next time.