Hello,
Welcome to this guided meditation inspired by the fall season.
Let us begin by finding a comfortable seated position or lying down position,
Whatever is most comfortable for you.
Perhaps you rest your hands gently in your lap,
Across your belly or chest,
Or gently down by your sides.
This is your meditation.
You decide whatever feels most comfortable in your body.
I invite you to close your eyes or soften the gaze,
Again,
Whatever feels most comfortable.
Noticing how your body feels as you settle in,
Welcoming yourself into this time of self-care.
On your next inhale,
I invite you to bring your attention to your breath,
Taking a deep breath,
Inhaling through your nose,
Filling your lungs completely,
And exhale slowly through your mouth or nose,
Letting any tension just float away,
Letting it go,
Whatever doesn't serve you.
I invite you to do this a couple times in your own time,
Your own rhythm,
Breathing in through your nose,
Feeling your belly and chest expanding,
And then releasing either through your mouth or nose,
Whatever feels comfortable,
Letting go of whatever doesn't serve you.
Again,
You're just repeating this a few times,
Allowing your body to settle into stillness.
And when ready,
I invite you to return to your own natural rhythm of breathing.
And on your next inhale,
Imagine yourself stepping outside on an early autumn morning.
Feel the gentle coolness of the air as it brushes softly over your skin.
The air is crisp,
But not biting or freezing,
A quiet invitation to be present here and now.
And as you're feeling this cool fall breeze,
Visualize a path before you,
A trail,
Trail beneath your feet covered in a tapestry of leaves,
Crisp and rustling with every step you take,
Shades of orange,
Red,
And coal surrounding you,
Each leaf a delicate gift from the trees,
The golds and reds and oranges and yellows,
The rich hues around you,
Hearing the soft crunch beneath your shoes,
Grounding you in this moment,
Smelling leaves,
This unique fall experience.
And as you move,
Take a slow,
Mindful breath in,
Breathing in the cool,
Fresh scent of earth and fallen leaves,
Feeling out the coolness of the air.
And then as you exhale,
Letting go of any lingering worry or heaviness that you may be carrying,
Releasing it,
Releasing it with the breath into that cool,
Crisp air.
Allow this breath to become a steady anchor as you continue your walk,
Breathing in the beauty around you and breathing out and letting go,
This natural rhythm of life,
The ebbs and flows,
Walking on your trail,
Again,
Surrounded by the beauty and colors of fall in a New England,
The brightness and richness of the golds,
Oranges,
Yellows,
And reds,
A cacophony of colors embracing you.
In this quiet time,
Perhaps remember the wise words of Ram Dass,
When you go out into the woods and you look at trees,
You see all these different trees,
You just allow it.
You appreciate the tree.
The minute you get near humans,
You lose all that.
And so I practice turning people into trees,
Which means appreciating them just the way they are,
Like that of the beauty of the woods as you're walking along your trail,
Accepting the beauty,
Letting it wash all over you.
Your sense is alive with the hearing of the sound of the leaves falling and rustling,
The crunching beneath your feet,
The beauty for your eyes,
The colors of autumn,
Feeling the cool,
Crisp breath,
The cool air touching your face,
Perhaps the sunlight coming through the canopy of trees,
Enriching the glows and the colors of autumn,
The golds and yellows,
Reds and oranges.
Your walk,
Your trail,
You decide.
Breathing in,
Inviting softness and ease as you're walking along,
Perhaps noticing how your body feels as you walk,
Paying attention,
Noticing if there's any areas of discomfort or ease and inviting softness to nurture your body,
Reflecting on the colors of the trail,
The beauty of this trail,
The brightness and beauty of the colors,
The sun radiating through the leaves,
The warm glow.
What is your trail like?
Allowing it to nurture you,
Giving gratitude for this nature,
Your ability to walk on your trail,
Living your life.
I invite you to take a deep breath in,
Filling your whole being with the freshness and life,
All that this trail has to offer,
Breathing it in,
And then exhaling,
Feeling your feet planted on the earth,
On this trail,
Feeling the connection of the earth,
Just noticing how your body feels as you begin to welcome yourself back into the space,
Gently adding movement back into your body,
Wiggling your toes and fingers,
Gently stretching,
If your eyes are closed,
Slowly fluttering them open,
Just honoring your body,
Easing back into the present.
Allow yourself to carry the sense of grounded presence with you as you move throughout the rest of your day.
Thank you for sharing this meditation,
And may each step you take be mindful,
Each breath a reminder of the beauty and impermanence all around you.
