Breathe and Be

Summer Solstice Meditation

Maryann Season 2 Episode 19

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0:00 | 14:02

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The longest day of the year can feel like a challenge: soak it up, do more, make it count. We take the opposite path. Together, we settle into a supportive posture, soften the gaze, and let the breath bring us back to something simpler than the to-do list: the surface beneath us, the air around us, and the quiet truth that there is nowhere else we need to be right now. 


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Have a meditation idea you'd love to hear? I’d be delighted to bring it to life! Feel free to share your thoughts by emailing me at therapy@maryannmsw.com 

The Longest Day Sets In

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Today, we'll spend some time on the longest day of the year. A day that seems to stretch endlessly before us. A day filled with warmth, light, and the gentle reminder that every season has its own kind of beauty.

Settle Your Body And Breath

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Find a position that feels supportive for your body.

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Allow your hands to rest. If it feels right, close your eyes, soften your gaze.

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Notice the surface supporting you.

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Notice the air around you. Allow yourself to arrive fully in this moment. There is nowhere else you need to be. Nothing else you need to do.

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Just this breath. Just this moment.

Meadow Walk In Golden Light

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The evening sun hangs low in the sky, casting everything in a warm golden light. Today is a summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The sunlight seems reluctant to leave. The air is warm against your skin. Not heavy, not overwhelming. Just pleasantly warm, carrying the scent of wild flowers and sunwarmed earth. A narrow path winds through the meadow ahead of you. Tall grasses sway gently in the breeze. Wild flowers bloom in clusters of yellow, purple, and white. You begin walking slowly along the path. The grasses brush softly against your legs. The ground beneath your feet feels steady and familiar. Above you, the sky stretches endlessly blue. A few birds circle lazily overhead before gliding toward the distant trees. You walk at an easy pace. No destination to rush toward. Simply noticing what surrounds you. As you continue, the sounds of summer fill the air. The faint hum of insects among the grasses. The rustle of leaves moving in the breeze. The distant call of a bird settling in for the evening. Everything feels alive.

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Everything feels connected. And yet nothing appears hurried.

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Nature isn't rushing toward the next season.

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It simply exists in this one.

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Take a moment to notice what that feels like. To exist right where you are. Without needing to be somewhere else, without needing to become something different.

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Simply here, simply now.

Hilltop View And Abundance Reflection

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Ahead the path rises gently toward a hill. You make your way upward, each step unhurried. As you reach the top, the landscape opens before you. Rolling fields stretch into the distance. Clusters of trees cast long shadows across the land. My small stream catches the sunlight like a ribbon of gold. You settle into the grass. The ground beneath you still holds the warmth of the day. The breeze brushes softly across your face. And you look out across the landscape. Watching, listening. As you sit here, notice the fullness of the season around you. The fields are green, the flowers are blooming, the trees are covered in leaves. Life is thriving all around you. The longest day of the year has long been associated with abundance, with recognizing what has grown, not what remains unfinished, not what still needs work. But what has already grown, what has already taken root. So as you sat here, gently reflect. What has been growing in your life lately? Perhaps it's confidence, perhaps healing, or patience, maybe a relationship, perhaps a boundary you've learned to honor. Something so quiet you've barely noticed it until now. There is no need to judge your answer. Simply acknowledge it. The same way you might notice a flower blooming in a field. Without demanding more from it, without rushing it along, simply appreciating its presence.

Sunset As A Gentle Ending

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The sun slowly sinks lower. The sky begins to change. Gold softens into peach. Peach becomes pink. Hints of lavender and orange spread across the horizon. The air cools slightly. The sounds around you shift. The daytime birds grow quieter. Crickets begin their evening song. One steady chorus joining another.

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The transition is gradual, gentle, natural.

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Nothing in nature resists the coming evening. The day simply becomes night. And there is something comforting about that. A reminder that change can be soft. A reminder that endings are not failures. They are part of the rhythm of life.

Fireflies And Beauty After Change

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As twilight deepens, tiny lights begin appearing throughout the meadow. A single firefly. Then another. Soon dozens of tiny lights blink softly among the grasses. Floating, dancing, glowing in the growing darkness. You watch the move and perhaps notice something surprising. The beauty did not disappear when the sun began to set. It simply changed. The golden light gave way to fireflies. The brightness of the day gave way to the quiet wonder of evening.

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One kind of beauty becoming another.

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Perhaps there have been moments in your life like that. Moments that ended, seasons that changed. And yet something beautiful remained. Something new emerged. Take a slow breath in. And as you breathe out, allow yourself to appreciate this moment, this season, this version of yourself. Not because everything

Return To The Room With Gratitude

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is perfect, but because you are here growing, learning, living. Just as surely as the meadow around you. The sky deepens into rich shades of blue. Stars begin appearing overhead. The fireflies continue their gentle dance. The evening settles around you like a soft blanket. And when you're ready, you rise from the grass, taking one final look at the landscape before turning back toward the path. You begin walking through the meadow once more. The grasses swaying softly, the evening air cool and pleasant. The sounds of summer surrounding you.

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With each step, the scene begins to fade.

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You can begin bringing your awareness back to the room around you now. Notice the surface beneath you. Notice the sounds nearby. The temperature of the air. Gently wiggle your fingers, your toes. Maybe roll your shoulders or take a comfortable stretch. And before you continue with your day or evening, consider this reflection. What has been growing in your life that deserves a moment of recognition?

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Allow yourself to carry that question with you. Thank you for spending this time with me today.

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Until next time, breathe, be, and take good care.