Welcome.
A guided meditation for fall.
Find a comfortable seat on your couch,
Chair,
Or your favorite place in nature.
Begin to get comfortable,
Sitting straight up,
Shoulders relaxed,
Collarbones wide.
Slowly closing your eyes.
Beginning to tune out thoughts from earlier today.
Thoughts of anything that you may have to do later,
And allowing yourself this time to come into a relaxed,
Calm,
And peaceful place.
A place where you can tune in,
Find peace,
Find your higher purpose.
And if nothing else,
Some strength to keep going.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through the nose.
And a slow,
Deep exhale.
Continuing with slow inhalations and full exhalations,
Creating a rhythm with your breath.
Allowing your shoulders to relax while the crown of your head reaches high to the sky.
Your sitting bones and seat are rooted firmly into the earth and the surface you're sitting on.
As you continue with slow rhythmic breath,
Begin to notice how your body and mind begin to soften and relax.
Take another slow,
Deep breath.
Let the muscles in your face relax.
As you begin to visualize a scene from nature during the fall season.
The reds,
Browns,
Darker greens,
And yellows of the terrain around you.
A cool breeze blowing in the dryness of the brush,
Branches,
And earth.
Now imagine that your body,
Your breath,
Your emotions,
And your mind are an extension of nature.
Perhaps you see yourself as a tall oak tree.
The mist rising off a lake at dawn.
Or you're simply basking in the late afternoon sunset.
Or the golden glow of a harvest moon.
Be aware that you are about to embark on an inward journey.
As you prepare to rest and prepare for the budding of a new you after the winter ice thaws,
Dare yourself to dream of the person you would like to be.
The activities you want to do.
The environment you thrive in most.
The lifestyle you want to have when you wake up from your deep sleep.
Let your imagination run wild and allow yourself to see what you would see.
To hear what you would hear.
And to feel what you would feel if your dream came true.
Next,
Notice an area of your life where there is some heaviness.
A burden.
Or an unnecessary load.
Maybe it's physical belongings like an accumulation of furniture,
Clothing,
Old trinkets,
Or stacks of papers.
Perhaps your baggage is within the area of your intimate relationship,
Your career,
Your health and fitness,
Or family.
Let yourself see where there is an over accumulation of physical stuff,
Emotional upset,
Mental challenges,
Or spiritual disconnect.
Next,
Reconnect with your dream of what your life could look like,
Feel like,
And sound like.
Once you were free of the burdensome weight you have been carrying.
What would you be doing then that is different from how you are living now?
How would your relationships begin to thrive?
How would your energy levels and mental clarity be propelling you toward your goals?
Create an internal representation,
A visual image,
A feeling or a sound of how you,
Your life,
And your surroundings could be different.
As you bask in your picture of how things could be,
Ask yourself what qualities you would need to embrace to be the type of person who could powerfully catapult yourself from beneath the weight of what you now carry to the new you that awaits.
Do you need to have more compassion toward yourself or others?
Do you need to listen more attentively without the need to fix things or justify your position?
Do you need to cultivate more strength so you can set and maintain boundaries?
Do you need to be more honest and find a loving yet direct way to speak your truth?
What characteristics would be most beneficial to acquire so that you can begin to take your next steps?
Now envisioning the traits or characteristics that are empowering you to create change.
Ask yourself what action steps do I need to take to feel inspired and motivated to charge powerfully forward?
What emotions,
Beliefs,
Or behaviors do I need to let go of so that I can stop being a victim and become the person I am meant to be?
Ask your heart for guidance rather than your intellect.
And allow yourself to hear what practice you need to cultivate or what action you need to take to prune your inner outer world to clear a path for your next journey.
Continuing with your breath,
Allow yourself a few moments to bask in your thoughts,
Your dreams,
Your hopes.
When you are ready,
Take another breath.
When you are ready,
Take another slow deep breath.
Slowly wiggle your fingertips,
Bringing new life and energy back to your body.
Gently begin to open your eyes,
Keeping your gaze soft.
Take another slow deep breath.
Moving forward in this new season is the time to let go of anything you need to leave behind.
Approaching the fall with anticipation,
Preparation,
And excitement.
Observe its energy.
Nature moves slowly and deliberately toward harmony and sustainability.
It intrinsically knows what it needs to do and simply does it.
You can learn a lot by tuning into this process in your own life.
If you slow down enough and play close attention.
Namaste.
