Inner seasons of wellbeing.

Join me for my latest episode on the inner seasons of wellbeing. Discover how to notice your inner season and if it aligns or conflicts with the seasons of nature. 

A reminder not to listen to the meditation while driving or operating machinery, and if you can to be in a space that you feel safe and comfortable within   

I do hope you enjoy it. Your feedback is always welcome, and I would love to hear how you find the practice. Please feel free to share any suggestions for future topics, particularly those connected to the therapeutic world.

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You can find more information at www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk. I am also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Pinterest under the name Mindful Moments Therapies.

You can read more on my blog 

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Wishing you a wonderful month ahead,

Phiona

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A Gentle Reminder
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Sometimes, the most important step is simply giving yourself space to pause… and notice.

Until Next Time…
Take things at your own pace.
And allow yourself to reconnect in whatever way feels right for you.
 

Take care.

Phiona 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello and welcome to Mindful Moments Therapies Podcast. Wherever you're listening from right now, whether you're driving, walking, sitting quietly with a cup of tea, or simply taking a moment for yourself in the middle of a busy day, I'd just like you to know that this space is for you. I'm Fiona Hutton, counsellor, clinical hypnotherapist, and somatic worker. And within all of those umbrellas, I am mindful moments therapies. And today I'm going to be looking at your inner seasons. Something we don't quite really work with in our society, but something that is so fundamental, fundamentally a really deep element of understanding of the self. So today we're going to explore something really deeply human, something that many of us experience but rarely stop to truly notice. Not just the seasons that we see outside in nature, but the seasons we experience within ourselves, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Because just like nature, as humans, we are always constantly moving through cycles. There are times within life where we bloom and expand. There are times when we can feel energized, motivated, and connected. And then there are seasons where we feel slower, quieter, more emotional, or more exhausted. Seasons where we can feel uncertain, withdrawn, or overwhelmed. Yet so often we judge ourselves for these shifts instead of understanding them and embracing them. So today I would like to gently invite you to slow down with me and begin exploring what season you may be currently in. And later in this episode, I'll guide you through a calming meditation to help you reconnect with your own inner season and your connection to nature. So take a breath. Allow yourself to arrive fully here. And let us begin. The world around us has forgotten how to slow down. One of the many reasons so many people feel emotionally overwhelmed is because modern life rarely allows us to honour our natural rhythms. We live in a world that constantly encourages productivity, movement, achievement. There is often this pressure to always be doing more, to always be coping, to be seen on social media, to always be functioning at full capacity. And when as a society we cannot maintain that pace, many of us begin criticizing ourselves. But what if that issue is not something that is wrong with you? What if your inner world is simply in a different season? So let's explore. Nature never stays the same all year round. Winter never apologizes for becoming quiet. Autumn doesn't resist letting go. Spring never rushes its growth. And summer, well, that doesn't bloom forever. But every season has a purpose. Every season has a value. And as human beings, we're not separate from those cycles. We are part of them. So let's understand the inner seasons and talk a little bit more about what these inner seasons can actually look and feel like. Let's begin with looking at the emotional winter. An inner winter can feel heavy. Often the season where people can feel emotionally exhausted, disconnected, or overwhelmed. This can come about sometimes after specific incidences in your life, such as bereavement, life changes, loss. You may notice you want more rest, more solitude, more quiet. Simple tasks may feel harder than usual. Social interaction, draining. You may feel emotionally sensitive or mentally tired. This season can arrive with burnout, stress, anxiety, trauma, or long periods of emotional pressure. Sometimes it arrives without any clear reason at all. Yet the difficulty is many people try to fight this season. Instead of listening to what their mind and body need, they can force themselves instead to keep performing as though they're in summer. They continue pushing, ignoring exhaustion, ignoring emotions, ignoring the cry for help and need of rest. And over time, this disconnect can deeply affect mental well-being. Because when your life is asking for stillness, but your life demands constant movement, eventually something begins to feel out of balance. But after the inner winter comes the emotional spring. Because slowly and sometimes very quietly, spring begins to emerge. This is often the season of gentle hope returning. You may notice moments where life feels lighter. You begin to reconnect with yourself again. Energy may slowly return. You might even start thinking about the future differently. Spring is rarely dramatic. It's often subtle before it becomes visible. It's not until you look backwards that often you recognize you've been emerging into the spring. And this is really important to remember because many people become frustrated with themselves during healing. They believe they should be further along. But nature doesn't rush growth. A flower just doesn't bloom overnight. Neither do we. So gifting that time, that slowness, that permission to take your time is important. After spring comes the emotional summer. Summer is often the season people strive for. It's where they feel more energized, connected, expansive. As humans, we feel motivated in summer, creative, social, emotionally available. And life can feel fuller during these sessions. But even summer requires balance. Because constantly giving without rest can eventually lead to burnout. Even nature pauses. In the most hottest of days, there can be thunderstorms, there can be days of rain or clouds. Just a pause momentarily. The earth restores itself. And we need to allow ourselves that same compassion too. Because after the emotional summer comes the inner autumn. Autumn is often the season of reflection and release. And this can be the season when we begin to notice what no longer serves us. Maybe it's relationships. Maybe it's our work environment, or patterns, beliefs, friendships, expectations, or ways of coping that no longer feel healthy. Autumn can feel emotional because letting go often does. But autumn teaches us that release is necessary for renewal. Trees do not cling to every leaf. And sometimes we are being invited to release things we were never meant to carry forever. So, as an overview of the seasons we carry within, what happens when we become disconnected from our inner season? One of the most painful experiences for many people is living completely disconnected from themselves. And it can happen so gradually that you barely notice it's happening. You keep functioning, you keep coping, you keep meeting everyone else's needs until eventually you wake up one day feeling emotionally exhausted and unsure why. You may feel anxious consistently, emotionally reactive, numb, disconnected. You may struggle sleeping, struggle concentrating, struggle feeling joy. Relationships may even begin to feel harder because you're emotionally depleted. You may become frustrated with yourself because you can't function the way that you used to. But often your mind and body are simply trying to communicate with you. They're asking you to listen. They're asking you to slow down, to notice what season you're truly in, instead of forcing yourself into a season that no longer fits. And often you may be in an inner winter in the height of seasonal summer, or you may be in your emotional spring, when externally the world around you is preparing for autumn. So, how do you return to awareness? How do we begin to reconnect with ourselves? Often it starts with awareness, noticing how you truly feel without judgment, noticing your energy levels, your emotions, your needs, noticing your exhaustion or your desire for rest or connection or change. So many people move through life abandoning themselves emotionally because they've learned to prioritize productivity over well-being. Healing often begins when we stop fighting ourselves. When we stop asking, why am I like this? And instead asking, what do I need right now? Your inner seasons don't always last the same length as the seasons in nature. Sometimes the inner season can be just for days, it can be for weeks or months, sometimes it can be for years, but recognizing it and noticing it is the key to beginning to change it. The question alone can begin changing your relationship with yourself because every season has needs. Winter needs rest, spring needs patience, summer needs balance, autumn needs release. And when we begin to honour our own inner seasons rather than resisting them, life can begin feeling calmer, steadier, and more aligned. For example, sitting in spring can feel anxious. But I wonder, instead of saying I feel really anxious today, I wonder how it would feel to reframe that and say, today I'm feeling in my spring. Or winter can feel really depressing. And again, I wonder how it would be to feel if you reframe the expression of I'm so depressed, into I'm deeply within my winter right now. I wonder how that feels. Whether you're aware of it now or it's something that you can do later on. I wonder whether that's something that may shift and help you to change into your seasons. So before we finish today, I would love to guide you through a gentle meditation. Meditation is an invitation to reconnect with yourself and your inner season. You don't need to force anything, you don't need to analyze anything, simply allow yourself to notice whatever arises. So if you're somewhere safe and comfortable to do so, allow yourself to settle. A reminder to never listen to the meditations while you're driving or operating machinery. So if you are driving or working with machinery, I invite you to pause the podcast now and return to it later when you're in a safe place. So just letting yourself settle in, perhaps softening your shoulders or unclenching your jaw, taking a slow, gentle breath in and out. And just begin by bringing awareness to your breathing. There's no changing or forcing, just simply noticing the natural rhythm of your breath. Allow each breath to gently ground you into this moment. And as your body begins to soften, imagine yourself standing in nature. Notice what surrounds you. Perhaps there are trees nearby, or a soft breeze moving through the air. You might hear the sound of birds or the rustle of leaves, or may experience the feeling of rain or sunlight on your skin. Just allow nature to appear however it wishes to appear for you today. Now gently begin noticing what season this landscape is in. Don't overthink it. Simply notice what comes naturally. Perhaps it's winter. Quiet, still resting. Perhaps it's autumn. A season of change, release. Perhaps it's spring. Soft growth beginning to emerge. New life. Patiently waiting. Or perhaps it's summer. Full of warmth, energy and fullness. Now gently ask yourself this question. What season am I currently in within myself? Not the season you think you should be in. And not the season that others expect from you. But the season your mind, body, and emotions are truly experiencing right now. And just notice what arises. Notice without judgment. Notice without criticism. Just simply noticing. You may get an image or a sense, a feeling. You might get a song or a word or a smell. You may get nothing at all. And that's okay. If your inner season feels heavy or tired, allow yourself compassion. If your inner season feels uncertain, allow yourself patience. If your inner season feels joyful, allow yourself gratitude. And now imagine yourself fully accepting this season exactly as it is. No fighting, no forcing, no shame or judgment, just acceptance. Because nature never apologizes for changing. And neither should you. Take a moment now to imagine the earth beneath you supporting you completely. It's steady. Grounded safe. Breathing with you. Holding you. Reminding you that all seasons pass. Nothing remains frozen forever. Growth returns. Rest returns. Light returns. And every season carries wisdom. Now gently ask yourself one final question. What do I need most in this season of my life? Perhaps it's rest support. Stillness. Maybe it's connection with boundaries and gentleness. Whatever arises, simply allow yourself to receive it. Take one final deep breath in and slowly exhale. Begin bringing your awareness back to the room around you. Back to your body. Back to this moment. When you feel ready and on an outward breath, gently open your eyes, bringing yourself back to consciousness and your body fully back to awareness. And just stretch and move and wiggle your toes and fingers. And look around your room, just reorientating yourself and grounding into the moment. So thank you so much for spending this time with me today. I really hope this episode has reminded you that you're not failing for changing. That it's natural, it's part of our cycle. You're human. And just like nature, you're allowed to move through different seasons. You're allowed to rest, to heal, to grow slowly, to let go, and to begin again. If this episode resonated with you, and if you feel you'd like some more support exploring your own inner seasons and emotional well being, you're always warmly welcome at Mindful Moment Therapies. You can visit the website, you can reach out through email. But until next time, take gentle care of yourself. Bye.