12 Days Of Christmas Day 2

Welcome back.

Settle into your seat,

Allowing your body to be supported.

Close your eyes or lower your gaze.

Take a deep breath in through your nose,

Filling your lungs completely,

And release it with a sigh.

Again,

Breathe in deeply and let it go.

Once more,

Gathering fresh air and releasing anything stale or heavy.

Return to your natural breath now.

Feel the rhythm of your breathing,

This ancient pattern that has sustained you through every season of your life.

You've lived enough life to know that holding on too tightly can exhaust us.

Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is open our hands and let go.

Bring to mind something you've been carrying that feels heavy this holiday season.

Perhaps it's an obligation that drains you,

A tradition that no longer fits,

An old expectation of who you should be,

An old hurt or resentment.

Don't force it,

Just see what arises.

Now I invite you to imagine this burden as something you're holding in your hands.

Feel its weight.

Notice how holding it makes your body feel.

Here's the truth.

You are allowed to put this down.

You've carried it long enough.

You don't have to hold it anymore.

With your next exhale,

Imagine opening your hands and releasing this weight.

Watch it drift away on the winter wind,

Not with anger or force,

But with gentle acceptance,

Simply letting it go.

Notice the space that this creates,

The lightness,

The freedom.

Feel your shoulders drop just a little,

Your jaw soften,

Your breath deepen.

This is the wisdom of your year speaking,

The knowing that you get to choose what you carry into the future.

Some things deserve to be honored and then released.

Continue breathing into this new spaciousness.

With each exhale,

Imagine releasing just a little bit more old stories,

Old shoulds,

Old versions of yourself that no longer fit.

You are not who you were 10 years ago,

5 years ago,

Or even last year.

You are constantly evolving and it's okay to shed what no longer serves the person you're becoming.

Begin to deepen your breath.

Take one final releasing breath.

Inhale fully and exhale completely,

Letting go.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and when you're ready,

Gently open your eyes.

Carry this lightness with you today.

You are free to release what no longer serves you.