Welcome my friend.
Today we honor Our Lady of Guadalupe,
The Mother of Faith,
Hope,
Comfort,
And Spiritual Guidance.
As the story goes,
She appeared as a rose blooming in winter.
She reminds us that even on the coldest,
Busiest,
Darkest season,
Something tender and miraculous is growing inside us.
This is a short,
Sacred pause to meet the rose that is blooming in you right now.
Settle into your seat or lie down.
Let your shoulders drop.
Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
Feel the warmth gathering beneath your palms.
Breathe in slowly through your nose.
And out through your nose.
In.
And out.
Beautiful.
Now imagine a quiet winter landscape.
Snow softly covers the earth.
Everything appears still,
Almost asleep.
In the center of this white silence stands a single red rose,
Fully open,
Radiant,
Untouched by the frost.
Its petals are velvet.
Its scent is sweet and alive.
This rose is growing from within you.
It pushed through frozen ground,
Through long nights,
Through every impossible.
And yet here it is,
Proof of life,
Of your quiet,
Persistent beauty.
Now take a slow breath in.
And as you do,
Breathe in the delicate fragrance of this rose.
Let the scent fill your chest,
Your heart,
Your entire being.
And with your exhale,
Let any tiredness,
Hurry,
Or doubt drift away like snowflakes.
In your next in-breath,
Bring your hand to your heart space and ask,
What beautiful thing is blooming in me right now,
Even in this cold season?
Be still and listen.
A gentle answer will come,
Maybe a word,
A feeling,
An image.
Receive it with tenderness.
And now,
Silently or aloud,
Repeat after me.
I am the rose of winter.
Even in the cold,
I bloom.
Even in the dark,
I am held.
My beauty is unstoppable.
Take one final deep breath in,
Smelling the rose once more.
And exhale fully,
Smiling softly.
When you're ready,
Wiggle your fingers and toes and open your eyes.
Carry this rose with you today.
Our Lady of Guadalupe walks beside you,
Whispering,
You are my miracle.
Bloom,
My love,
Bloom.
You are held.
You are blooming.
And so it is.
