Now with words, this episode reminds us that recovering is an ongoing and gradual process. This piece was inspired by a mountain spring, joyfully babbling in the warm sun after a heavy spring snowstorm.
Take a moment and allow the music to surround you. Listen to the cheerful stream as it indicates the snow melting away and exposing the new growth of spring.
Check in with your breathing. Notice your torso. How does it move with each breath? Do not change anything, as you feel how your ribs expand and contract with each inhale and exhale. Do your breaths feel shallow or deep? Smooth or laboured? You are tuning in to see where you are at in the moment and this moment alone.
Now check in with your body. How heavy do you feel? Do you notice you are holding anywhere? Are you shoulders relaxed? Is your jaw clenched? Is your belly open and moving up and down with your breaths? Can you allow your eyes to sink into their sockets? Can you slowly and gradually scan from the tip of your toes up to the top of your scalp and invite your body to relax? Just breathe while you check in with Your feet. . . calves. . . thighs. . . pelvis. . . belly. . . chest. . . neck. . . face. . .
For many of us, winter is darker and cooler. Some lifeforms hibernate or migrate to manage the cold. We spend more time indoors or travel to warmer climates. Our world is less green and vibrant. Winter is a time of pause. It is a well-earned respite from the intense growth cycle of nature.
There is a feeling in the air when Spring has arrived. A sense of joyful anticipation of newness and rebirth. There is a special shade of green reserved for the tiny buds that begin to peek through the dead growth. There is a special smell in the air as the temperature changes. There is a unique sound in the air as the birds hatch their babies. There will be a gradual expansion as the season shifts away from winter.
Just breathe and soak in the sense of joyful recovery.
Recovery starts small, one temperature degree at a time. Or one tiny bud at a time. Newborn spring animals need time to develop, gradually becoming more and more independent. What small thing can you celebrate about yourself as you are learning and growing?
For recovering is ongoing. A lifetime of learning gentle love and acceptance. And here you are, being kind and loving with yourself as you breathe and allow the music to hold you in your own recovery.