Year Of The Dragon: Courage For A New Chapter

The Year of the Dragon is often associated with courage, clarity, and the willingness to step forward into what’s next.

In this guided meditation, we begin with a steady breath practice to support grounding and emotional regulation, followed by a visualization designed to help you reconnect with your inner strength and sense of direction.

This practice is especially supportive during times of change: when you may be called to take on a new role, speak up, make an important decision, or move beyond self-doubt.

Use this meditation when you are preparing to step into greater visibility, take aligned action, or move forward with confidence into a new chapter of your life.

Transcript

Hi,

This is Jessica of the Lotus Pond.

Welcome to your moment of intentional pause.

Globally,

Around 2 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year,

Particularly in Asian cultures.

During this time of the year,

The lead-up to the Lunar New Year can be extremely busy,

But mostly positive.

Grand work parties to wrap up the year,

Inviting in prosperity for the new year,

Deep clean-ups of homes,

And days on end of family reunions and meals.

This year,

We are welcoming in the wood dragon,

The fictional creature in the zodiac lineup.

And before I go further,

I'd like for you to think about a word or description that comes to your mind when you think of this creature.

Often,

The dragon is linked to power,

Royalty,

Stature.

Today,

We are going to honor the dragon's energy and awaken our dragon within.

I will first lead you in a simplified version of the dragon's breath,

To invoke deep relaxation,

Followed by a deeper visualization for connection with our inner dragon.

So find a seated position and make yourself extremely comfortable.

And if you'd like,

You can prop some extra pillows or cushions next to you and rest anytime if the breath work feels too intense at any point.

This breathing exercise can be fun,

Even for kids,

But quite intense for others.

So do so at your own discretion.

Do what's best for you.

Prep a journal or pen next to you to write down any inspirations that may come through during our visualization.

We will begin with the dragon's breath,

Which is a combo of breath to fire,

Followed by deep inhales and big sigh exhales.

It sounds like this.

First,

Take a nice inhale with your mouth closed.

Then,

Consecutively pump air through the nose from your diaphragm around 20 times,

Exhaling from the tummy.

Then,

Take a deep inhale through the nose and let out a big,

Deep,

Audible sigh with your mouth.

A few rounds of this breathing technique can elicit a deep sense of relaxation as it triggers our body's ability to breathe.

This breathing technique can elicit a deep sense of relaxation as it triggers our parasympathetic system,

Releasing some say fire from our bellies.

That's allowing for an easy flow to a deeper meditative state.

So let's begin.

Relax into your seat.

Allow your spine to be tall and free.

And gently close your eyes or have a soft gaze and begin breathing normally.

Inhale through your nose deeply with your mouth closed.

Then start pumping the air through your nose from your tummy 20 times.

Take a deep breath through your nose.

Let out with your mouth.

Two more times.

Good job.

Let's try this for two more rounds.

Let's go.

Breathe in.

Start pumping.

Breathe in through your nose.

Exhale with your mouth.

Breathe in.

Let go.

One more time.

Breathing in.

One more time.

Breathing in.

Relaxing your whole body as you let out.

Last round of our dragon's breath.

Breathe in.

Start pumping.

Breathe in.

Let go.

Breathe deeply.

Let go.

Relaxing your body.

One last time.

Deep breath in through your nose.

One last time.

Deep breath in through your nose.

Release your whole body,

Relaxing from your head to toe.

And just breathe naturally in this space.

Allowing your body to let go and relax.

Just enjoying this moment of deep relaxation.

Just feeling whatever it is that you feel in your body,

In your mind and in your heart.

Now bring your attention to your mind's eye.

That imaginative space between your eyebrows.

And as you rest here,

I'd like for you to call upon your dragon.

Invite your dragon to show up in its natural form.

The mystical,

Powerful dragon represents a world we cannot normally see.

It connects us with mystery and infinite possibilities.

So allow the image of your dragon to naturally come through into your mind's eye and start noticing its details.

Notice your dragon's color or colors.

Is it a mixture of light or dark green?

Or is it red like fire?

Or black like the night sky?

Or is it a tapestry of various colors?

Notice the size of your dragon.

How big or small is your dragon?

Notice the movement of your dragon.

The speed at which it moves.

And how does it move?

Is it walking?

Is it resting?

Or is it soaring through the sky?

Notice the surroundings in which you find your dragon.

Where are you?

Do you see yourself in the picture?

Are there others?

People?

Or is it just you?

Are there others?

People?

Creatures?

Around?

Rest in this vision for a little while and just observe and be.

And as you observe your dragon,

Ask yourself what three words would you use to describe your dragon?

What does your dragon represent for you?

What message does it bring along for this new lunar year?

To close this practice,

Let's invite your dragon into your heart space.

Watch as it nestles into a comfortable position within you.

Take a few deep,

Beautiful breaths as you let go of this image,

Slowly transitioning back to the present moment.

To your room,

To your body,

Slowly moving your body from your toes to your fingers and eventually opening your eyes.

Feel free to expand on this meditation through journaling or creating.

I wish you a healthy,

Peaceful and abundant year of the dragon.