Breathe and Be
Breathe and Be is a short and simple meditation podcast to help you slow down, breathe, and be, no pressure, no overthinking. Hosted by Maryann, each episode is a gentle pause in your day, giving you space to relax, reset, and find a little calm whenever you need it. New episodes are released every Tuesday and Saturday.
For additional mental health resources, you can visit:
www.therapywithmaryannlmsw.com
Breathe and Be
The Space Between
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
The weirdest part of change is neither the beginning nor the end. It’s the middle. That stretch where summer is still warm but the evenings cool off, where you can feel the next chapter coming but you cannot name it yet. I made this guided meditation for that exact moment, when you’re between decisions, between seasons, or between versions of yourself and your mind keeps demanding a plan.
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
Welcome To The Space Between
SPEAKER_00Hello, and welcome to Breathe and Be. I'm Mary Ann, and I'm so glad you're here. Today's meditation is about a place we don't often talk about. The space between, between what was and what will be, between one chapter and the next, between summer and autumn. This time of year carries a particular kind of feeling. Summer is still here, the warmth hasn't completely left us. There are still long afternoons, green leaves and evenings that invite us outside. And yet, something is beginning to shift. The light is changing. The evenings are becoming just a little cooler. And the first hints of autumn are beginning to appear. So today, rather than rushing toward what comes next, we're going to practice something different. We're going to simply be here in the space between.
Settle In With The Breath
SPEAKER_01Take a moment to settle in.
SPEAKER_00You don't need to find a perfect position. Simply allow your body to settle in whatever way feels supportive today.
SPEAKER_01And when you're ready, let your attention gently turn toward your breath. Notice the inhale and the exhale.
SPEAKER_00No need to change anything. Just notice the breath arriving and then leaving. And just for a moment, imagine that there is nowhere else you need to be. Nothing you need to figure out. Nothing that needs to be accomplished.
SPEAKER_01It's just this moment. Take a slow breath in through your nose. And gently exhale. Again, breathing in. And breathing out. Allow your shoulders to soften.
SPEAKER_00Let your jaw relax. Allow your hands to become a little heavier. And with each exhale, imagine setting down some of the things you've been carrying. You don't have to solve them. You don't have to make decisions about them. Just set them down for a little while.
Walking A Late Summer Path
SPEAKER_00Now imagine yourself standing at the beginning of a quiet path.
SPEAKER_01It is late summer. The afternoon is beginning to fade into evening.
SPEAKER_00The air is warm against your skin, but there is a subtle coolness underneath it. A breeze moves through the tall grass beside the path. You hear insects humming in the distance.
SPEAKER_01Cicadas or crickets beginning to sing. The sounds of summer are still here. But they are changing. You begin walking slowly along the path.
SPEAKER_00There is no destination. You don't need to get anywhere right now. It's just a walk. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Notice the grasses brushing against one another as the breeze moves through them. Notice all the colors around you. Green, gold, soft brown. The occasional wildflowers still blooming. Some flowers are beginning to fade.
SPEAKER_01And somehow there's beauty in both. Notice the sunlight.
SPEAKER_00It isn't quite the bright high summer sun. It sets lower in the sky now. Golden light stretches across the path. And you might notice that the shadows are longer. The day is slowly becoming evening. And nothing is wrong. Nothing needs to be fixed. The season is simply changing.
Let Nature Teach Slow Change
SPEAKER_00Perhaps you've noticed that we often have difficulty with transitions. We want to know what's next. We want a plan and we want certainty. We want to know where we're going before we're willing to leave where we've been. But nature doesn't work that way. The tree doesn't need to know exactly what spring will look like before it releases its leaves. The lake doesn't need to know what winter will bring before the temperature begins to change. The seasons simply move slowly, naturally, in their own time. And perhaps you can offer yourself that same permission to change slowly, to not have every answer, to be somewhere between what you were and what you're becoming.
Arriving In The Quiet Clearing
SPEAKER_00You continue walking. Eventually, the path opens up into a small clearing. And there you find a place to sit. Maybe it's a wooden bench or a smooth stone, or maybe it's just a blanket. Choose whatever feels right for you and sit a while. There's nothing you need to do here. Simply notice. Feel the temperature of the air, the ground beneath you. Hear the sounds around you, the scent of grass and earth. See the changing light and feel your breath in and out in rhythm.
SPEAKER_01Now take a slow breath in.
SPEAKER_00And as you exhale, imagine releasing the need to hurry. You don't have to hurry into autumn. You don't have to hold summer in place. You don't have to know what the next season of your life will bring. You can simply sit here in this moment, in this season, in this space between.
Setting Down Uncertainty For Now
SPEAKER_00A decision, a relationship, a change, a question. Maybe you're waiting for something to become clearer. If so, allow yourself to imagine placing that uncertainty beside you. Not throwing it away, not ignoring it. Just giving yourself permission not to carry it every second. You can come back to it later. And for now, you can breathe. Breathe in and breathe out.
Finding The Pause Between Breaths
SPEAKER_00Notice the space between those breaths. That tiny pause. The moment when one breath has ended, and the next hasn't quite begun. There is a space there, a small, quiet space, and nothing is happening. And yet everything is okay. Transitions can be like that, just a pause between one breath and the next. A moment when we don't yet know what is coming. And perhaps we don't have to fill that space.
SPEAKER_01We can simply be there.
SPEAKER_00Look around your imagined clearing. The sun is lower now, the sky is beginning to deepen. The first evening stars may be appearing. The air feels cooler against your skin. And somewhere nearby, the sounds of the day are gradually becoming the sounds of night. Summer hasn't fully disappeared. Autumn hasn't fully arrived. For just this moment, they exist together. And maybe that's what makes this time so beautiful. It reminds us that change doesn't always happen all at once. Sometimes it happens quietly, so quietly that we only notice when we stop long enough to pay attention.
Gentle Reflection And Self Permission
SPEAKER_00Think about your own life. Where are you in this space between? You don't need to name it. You don't need to solve anything right now. Just notice. And if it feels comfortable, offer yourself these words. I don't have to know yet. I can take my time. I can let this unfold.
SPEAKER_01I am allowed to be here too. Take another slow breath. And imagine breathing in the warmth of late summer.
SPEAKER_00Golden light, the green leaves, the smell of grass, the lingering warmth of the day. And as you exhale, imagine making room for what's coming. Cooler evenings, changing colors, new routines, and new possibilities. You don't have to choose between holding on and moving forward. You can honor what has been while remaining open to what comes next.
SPEAKER_01Stay here for a few moments.
SPEAKER_00No destination, no expectation, just breathing and just being.
SPEAKER_01Just existing in this beautiful space between seasons.
Returning To Your Body And Day
SPEAKER_00And when you're ready, begin to notice your body again. Notice where you're sitting or lying. Notice the temperature of the air around you.
SPEAKER_01Notice the sounds in the room. Take a deeper breath in and slowly let it go. Allow yourself to stretch in whichever way feels natural.
SPEAKER_00And before you completely leave this meditation, remember you don't have to make this moment last forever for it to matter. You don't have to know what comes next to be exactly where you need to be right now. There are seasons for beginning, seasons for growing, seasons for letting go, and seasons for simply standing at the threshold, taking a breath, and noticing where you are. As you move back into your day, may you carry a little of this late summer stillness with you. May you allow yourself to move at a pace that's right for you. May you trust that change doesn't always need to be forced. And when you find yourself between chapters, between decisions or between seasons, may you remember that the space between is not empty.
SPEAKER_01It is a place of becoming. Take one final breath in and exhale slowly. Thank you for spending this time with me. Until next time, breathe gently and be well.
