Welcome to this grounding new moon practice.
Whether you're doing this meditation as a midday refresher,
As your daily practice,
Or as part of your new moon ritual,
The focus remains the same.
To allow a mind-body connection strengthened by each practice,
Begin in a position of ease.
That could be cross-legged or lying down.
Find a position in which your whole body can feel relaxed and where your spine is straight.
Before you close your eyes,
Look around the room.
Collect facts about your current level of safety,
Which will inform your ability to fully relax.
Doors closed.
I am comfortable.
Phone is off.
Nothing is pressing.
Coffee maker is turned off.
Whatever it is that makes you feel as though letting go is a real option for you.
Gently close your eyes.
Lids heavy.
What do you hear?
What do you smell?
What can you taste?
What can you physically feel?
Sit bones and hips press heavily into the seat.
Look for awareness in your whole right leg,
Whole left leg.
The whole back body is fully supported.
Arms and hands have naturally fallen where they may.
Gravity holds them in place.
Shoulders fall away from the ears.
Now send awareness into the crown of your head.
It is unencumbered and open.
Begin to inhale deeply with the awareness still in the crown as if the crown itself is taking the in-breath.
Slowly exhale,
Sending the breath downward as if exiting the soles of your feet.
Inhale crown.
Exhale root down through the feet.
Inhale crown.
Exhale root.
Cycle breath in this way for one minute.
You can let go of this breathing and allow your breath to return to normal.
Keep your awareness in your crown and prepare for a practice in visualization.
Begin at the foot of a dirt path at the edge of a pasture in the heart of the prairie.
The brush on either side grows past the height of your knees.
You take a step onto the path.
The smell of fresh air hits your nostrils.
You take a deep breath in.
As you exhale,
Your eyes look up to see a cloudless sky.
It is dusk.
Deep hues of orange,
Pink,
And purple give way to darkness overhead.
You spot the first star of evening.
You smile.
You make a quick wish on the star before you take your next steps down the path.
You outstretch your fingertips away from your sides toward the brush.
They skim the tops of the grasses.
Feel the stalks of tall grass as they move between your fingers and across your palm.
You look to the horizon.
It feels as if the pasture is never-ending.
You look around and see that the path soon comes to an end.
There seems to be a clearing at the path's culminating course.
You keep walking.
You see an invitingly wonderful lounge.
Big puffy pillows line and fill the round clearing.
You crawl to the middle and watch as the last colors in the sky disappear.
You can feel the softness of the fabric.
Velvet,
Silk,
Soft cotton.
You nestle yourself into the pillows.
Nearby is a soft fuzzy blanket which you pull across your body.
It has a weight you find comforting.
You find perfect stillness as you look up to behold a black sky full of stars.
You pick out familiar constellations.
The Big Dipper,
Orion's Belt,
Maybe Cassiopeia,
A few others.
Time passes.
Something else catches your eye.
Not so much something you can see,
More something you cannot see.
The shadow of what is.
The absence of light that is the moon.
The shadow of the new moon.
You feel a heightened awareness of yourself.
You feel your chest begin to swell.
Alone in this feel of darkness,
You feel an inner fire spark to life.
Old fears begin to fall away.
New confidence springs to life.
Hours pass as you absorb the intensified effects of this new moon.
New beginnings planting seeds of resolve for the coming cycle.
A light in the east begins to swell.
Pinks,
Oranges,
And yellows begin to emerge.
The damp of morning is in the air.
You snuggle deeper into your cozy nest.
As the sun rises,
You feel renewed,
Refreshed.
You are now unafraid of anything that comes across your path.
The path.
You see it come into focus.
You rise from the lounge of pillows stretching in the morning sun.
You notice a stool nearby with a pitcher of clear,
Cool water and a glass.
You pour yourself a glass and take a deep drink.
It is refreshing and thirst-quenching.
When you are satisfied,
You return the glass to the stool.
The water bathed in the new moon's light has been charged with the energy of the cycle and further solidifies your resolve.
Your feet find the entrance of the path once again.
This time you see a new path.
You could continue back the way you came,
Knowing where you're going and how to get there.
Or you could choose to walk this new path with all the joy and excitement a new journey brings.
You can choose to stay in this meditative state and continue on with your silent seated practice.
Or you can begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Stretching the body before you allow your eyes to flutter open.
Thank you for joining me for this grounding new moon meditation.
Have a wonderful cycle.
