Hi,
My name is Melissa.
After the winter solstice,
The festivities have ended,
But winter is still long.
How do we carry ourselves when we're facing such emptiness compared to the cheer and celebrations before?
Or stay steady when there's pressure to be productive immediately again?
I hope this meditation can guide you to find relaxation and empowerment in staying quiet and empty.
Begin by finding a comfortable position.
Feel yourself settling into the body.
Taking a few deep breaths in and out.
Feeling your chair or the surface that you're on supporting you.
Feeling the earth beneath you.
Feeling your shoulders heavy and soft.
Your face and your jaw soft and relaxed.
Breathing comfortably.
You're safe and relaxed in this present moment.
Now imagine being inside your house.
Magically,
There's space for two tables.
Each of them stacked with things on top of them.
You walk to the first table and it represents everything about the holidays and the winter solstice having ended.
It represents the things that have happened and now are behind you.
What do you see at this table?
What do you find?
Maybe memories or thoughts.
Notice what feelings you have about everything on this table that has passed.
And for each thing,
Each thoughts or feelings you notice,
Can you label them with pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral?
Now thanking this table for some clarity,
You walk to the second table.
And this table represents everything about the future,
About what's next.
What do you see at this table?
What do you feel is calling to you or pulling you from this table?
And can you label each of them as pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral?
Now having reflected on what is true for you right now,
You decide to walk out of the house.
And outside is magically a wide,
Expansive view of winter out in nature.
You see trees with bare branches.
Maybe a meadow and the grass is yellow and dry.
Notice what kind of weather it is.
Is it sunny,
Snowy,
Or rainy?
It's just so quiet and empty.
There's not a lot going on.
Maybe with this emptiness,
You're feeling relaxed and relieved.
There's nothing requiring your attention or calling you somewhere.
Feel into this relaxing emptiness.
And then you notice there's a bowl on the table in front of you.
It's a transparent bowl that you can see through.
Maybe it's made of crystal or maybe it's made of glass.
It's an empty bowl sitting here in nature.
It reflects the sunlight.
And at some angles,
You can catch some rainbow colors.
It's so clear and shiny under the sun.
You realize the bowl is so full of light.
It's so empty that it is full of light.
The breeze goes by and you notice that the bowl is full of air.
It can hold so much air that sustains us and hold so much breeze,
So much wind.
And if it rains or snows,
You know that the bowl will gather water and the water will evaporate and it will become empty once again.
Staying empty seems to hold so much potential,
So many possibilities with so much calm.
You decide to mirror this state of being to find an empty space within you.
This emptiness becomes spaciousness and slowly grows as you give it attention.
In the spaciousness,
You feel relaxed and free to go in any direction.
Then you notice a leaf,
A branch falling into that empty bowl.
You can decide how to clear the bowl or if you want to keep it as it is,
Keeping anything inside.
It's like the requests and the stimulations from the world around you.
As things are getting filled with light,
You're able to honor what you pay attention to.
You're able to honor how you respond with action or with attitude.
This is the gift of emptiness,
Of winter.
This is the gift of releasing urgency.
You're empowered by feeling at ease with this emptiness.
Feeling supported by the natural rhythm at this time of year,
You're ready to return to your day.
Notice your breathing.
Taking a deep breath in and out.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
