Hi there.
Welcome.
My name is Jen and I live in Ontario,
Canada.
After living abroad in sunny Mexico for 10 years,
My transition to long Canadian winters has come with some personal and emotional challenges and lots of work towards acceptance.
I created this meditation and incorporated it into my own practice during these long winter months for myself to be present and flow with the changing seasons and shifts of energy.
I hope you find some peace and acceptance in making everyday sacred,
Including all the challenging and all the beautiful moments.
Thank you.
Find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably.
When you're ready,
Close your eyes,
Softening your face,
Your forehead,
Eyelids,
Cheekbones,
And jaw.
When you're ready,
Bring an image of a crisp winter evening into your mind's eye.
Feeling the stillness of this winter world,
Let it settle into your awareness.
Feel yourself becoming more relaxed and slowing down.
Deepening your breath,
Inviting the air to fill your lungs by inhaling through the nostrils in a longer exhale.
Imagine the snow covering the pines,
The bare trees with flecks,
A glimmering blanket of white covering the ground.
Feel the stillness and peace wash over your body.
As you breathe in,
Imagine drawing in calming energy like the soft snowflakes falling outside.
Deepening your inhale,
Possibly inviting four counts.
And as you exhale,
Inviting a longer breath,
Possibly five counts.
Noticing anything you're holding onto in the body,
Bringing your breath,
Your awareness there.
On the exhale,
Feeling release and inviting in more light to that place of shadow.
If any tension arises or worries or distractions start to appear,
Notice them.
Let them pass or release them.
Imagine the snowflakes floating through the air,
Perfectly beautiful,
Light,
And moving on their way.
Once they land,
Knowing they will melt.
Grounding yourself,
Notice where your body is touching the earth,
Supported by mother earth in the present moment.
You are here now.
Everything that you've been through,
The challenges,
The accomplishments,
The moments of bliss and joy,
The moments of heartbreak and sorrow have all brought you here today.
Give yourself time and space to say thank you.
Thank you to your darkest moments,
Your deepest regrets.
Thank you to your greatest achievements.
You've made it this far.
Something to be celebrated.
And that is enough.
You are enough.
Returning your awareness to your breath,
This present moment,
Knowing that there is nowhere to go and nothing you must do except to be fully here,
Fully present with yourself and your breath.
Winter often brings a quietness that mirrors our inner world.
The winter months are dark and slow,
Full of solitude and introspection.
Allow yourself to embrace the solitude.
Not as isolation,
But as a nourishing rest for your body,
Your soul,
Your mind.
A moment for personal growth,
To reflect on everything that has led you here,
To plant seeds for your future,
For spring.
Even if you're in a moment of darkness,
Accepting that,
Exploring it,
Feeling it,
Choosing to make it sacred,
Knowing that it's all part of the process.
All light creates a shadow,
A constant dance in our minds,
A constant dance in the cosmos.
Let these thoughts come and go like a winter breeze that travels through the trees,
Gentle,
Ever changing.
The only permanence that we have is constant change.
That is life.
Allow each thought to pass without attachments,
Like snowflakes moving gracefully and landing without judgment.
Reflect on the seasons you've lived through,
The moments that have shaped you,
What has brought you here today.
Celebrate the lessons learned,
The joys and the challenges you faced.
They have led you here to this place of quiet acceptance,
To this present moment.
Allow yourself to feel gratitude for your past,
Honor it as it has shaped who you are now,
And recognize that it is part of this unfolding journey that continues to evolve.
Returning to the deep cycles of your breath,
Inhaling through the nose,
Releasing through the mouth of the lung.
Feel the cool air around you,
The coolness on your skin,
The stillness of the world in winter.
Notice how the world rests without struggle,
Without rush.
Nature knows exactly what it needs to do,
And does so freely and seamlessly.
Accepting this moment,
This feeling,
This emotion,
The winter season and its darkness for what it is.
There's no need to make big changes right now.
You are exactly where you need to be.
Embrace the quiet beauty of the present,
Knowing that everything you need is always within you.
In this stillness,
In this solitude,
You have made it this far.
You are here.
You are enough.
As you breathe deeply,
Allow yourself to simply rest.
There's no need for effort,
No need for strain.
You are enough,
Just as you are.
Allow the winter to teach you to rest.
Surrender to it.
Just as nature rests,
You can too.
You are part of this cycle.
Trust that in this quiet time,
Renewal is happening within you,
Even if you feel like you can't see it right now.
Inviting in a deeper sense of peace and reciting the mantra,
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Aum,
Either aloud or in your mind.
Aum signifying the divine form of sound,
The beginning,
The creation and Shanti representing peace for all humankind.
I invite you to chant this mantra with me or continue with deep breaths.
Shanti Shanti Shanti And love entering your heart,
Your existence.
If you'd like to continue the mantra here,
Please do so.
For when you're ready,
Gently bringing your awareness back to your body,
To its stillness,
To your surroundings.
Beginning to make subtle movements,
Possibly wiggling your fingers and toes.
Stretching your body as needed and remembering that you can return to this place of peace,
Acceptance,
Rest,
And gratitude at any time.
Carry with you the calmness of winter and the knowledge that in solitude,
That you are enough,
That you are whole and everything that you need is inside of you.
