Hello everyone and welcome to your winter meditation.
During this meditation,
We are going to find stillness the way that the winter season begs us to.
We're going to connect to these themes of duality and darkness,
Embracing them as we sit in the pocket of transition.
So to begin,
Find a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down,
And close your eyes.
Let your hands rest gently on your knees or by your sides and feel the support of the earth beneath you.
Notice how it holds you effortlessly,
Grounding you in this moment here.
Notice the way that the seat of your body meets the seat of whatever is holding you.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Allowing your belly to slowly rise.
Hold it at the top as you slowly exhale now through your mouth.
Let's do this two more times,
Inhaling deeply and exhaling completely.
Once more,
Inhaling deeply and exhaling completely.
Now allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm and feel the cool air as it enters your nostrils and feel the warmth as it leaves.
With each inhale,
Imagine drawing in the calm and steady energy of winter.
With each exhale,
Let go of any tension or heaviness you've been carrying.
Bring your awareness to the base of your spine,
Where your body connects with the ground,
And imagine roots growing down from this point deep into the earth.
Feel the warmth of the air as it enters your nostrils and feel the warmth of the air as it these roots anchoring you,
Providing a steady connection to the earth's core,
A place of stillness,
Stability,
Renewal.
As you breathe,
Imagine energy rising up from the earth through these roots,
Filling your body with the sense of calm and grounding.
The winter solstice is the longest night of the year,
A time to honor the darkness.
Darkness is not something to fear.
It is a space of rest,
Reflection,
Possibility.
In the unknown,
We are rebirthed.
Winter's darkness is not something to endure.
It is an invitation to slow down,
To turn in words.
It is the longest night,
The shortest day.
It is the moment that the sun is born again.
Winter is here,
But we know that even the coldest days will end.
Take a moment to reflect on the gifts of darkness in your life.
Perhaps darkness,
Hard moments,
Strife have shown you your strength,
Brought you clarity,
Given you the space for something new.
Reflect on the strength that darkness has brought you in all of the moments where you thought you couldn't get through it,
But you did,
In all of the moments where you wondered if the light would ever come again.
Take a moment to respect what darkness has taught you.
Breathe in,
Honoring the lessons of the night,
And breathe out and allow gratitude to flow through you.
Winter is the chrysalis in your personal evolution.
It doesn't look like anything is happening,
But in the deep and dark,
A quiet transformation is occurring.
Nature has given us a full cycle of its seasons,
And we want to rest here.
Take some time to rest here.
Now imagine standing outside on this solstice night.
The air is crisp,
The earth is still,
And the stars shine above you,
And in the distance you see the horizon beginning to brighten.
The first rays of the returning sun begin to peek over the edge of the earth.
Feel this light touching your skin,
Warming your heart.
It is gentle,
Yet powerful,
Like a flame awakening within you.
This light is your inner light,
Your strength,
Your hope,
Your joy.
Even in moments of darkness,
This light has always been with you,
Waiting to shine,
And it has been what has carried you through the darkest times of your life.
As the light grows stronger,
Notice how it coexists with lingering darkness,
How you exist in the night and how being in the night allows you to see the light before you.
Day and night,
Light and shadow,
Both are part of the whole.
Within you,
There is duality,
Strength and vulnerability,
Growth and stillness,
Joy and sorrow allow yourself to hold space for it all.
Take a moment to feel the balance within you,
Embrace the fullness of who you are,
Just as nature embraces both the longest night and the rebirth of the sun.
Bring your awareness to your breath here.
Feel how your chest gently rises and falls with each inhale and exhale as you meditate on the duality of darkness and light.
Imagine that the light you connected with is now glowing within your heart,
A steady and comforting presence.
Your heart beats and you feel the warmth that it brings you.
Want you to inhale in,
Feel the fire in your heart light and exhale,
Knowing that you return this light to the earth.
Inhale,
Feel the fire of your heart and exhale,
Keep the fire in your heart,
Know that you can return whenever you need it.
It is steady,
It is unwavering,
Just like the trees which stand tall without their leaves in the winter.
Picture yourself like one of them.
The branches are bare,
The roots are deep,
The trunk is strong,
You know that growth is happening even if it cannot be seen.
You are in perfect alignment with the seasons of your life.
Trust that your inner nature is always guiding you.
Take a moment to thank yourself for showing up today to this solstice,
To this winter,
To this moment in between,
For grounding,
Reflecting,
Connecting with your light and knowing that during our inner winter,
We see the darkness will bring us to the light.
We witness our own light only if we are able to subtly recognize ourselves in this space of stillness.
Bring your awareness back to the room that you're in.
Move around your fingers and your toes and when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes.
Carry this sense of balance and love into the rest of your day.
Honor the light and the darkness within you.
Trust in your growth.
Connect to nature,
To yourself,
And to the unfolding cycles of life,
For they are all one.
