12 Minute || Cozy Holiday Relaxation Meditation

Hello everyone! Welcome to this episode of the Mindful in Minutes podcast. I'm Kelly and today we are going to do a cozy holiday relaxation meditation. I think there's something so calming and comforting about kind of the dark and the holiday lights, the snow, kind of the whole ambiance. And so I wanted to kind of encapsulate that cozy feeling in a meditation. So that's what we'll be doing today. And I wanted to take a moment to thank you so much for being here. I am just so grateful for you and thank you for letting me lead you in this meditation. So if you haven't already, we'll begin our practice by getting comfortable, just settling in, allowing yourself to leave behind the busyness of this season and just embrace a moment of stillness. This time, these next few minutes are just for you, a time to reconnect, a time to enjoy just the warmth, comfort, and peace of this season. And when you're ready, we'll take a big deep breath in and slowly exhale, letting it all go. Doing that once again, big breath in, slowly exhaling, letting go of all stress, worry, or tension, bringing your awareness to the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you. Feel yourself anchored and rooted in this moment by these points of contact between your body and the ground beneath you. Just continue to breathe. Every inhale and every exhale bring you closer to a place of stillness and rest. Everything is slowing down around you, and you come right here in this moment, just being present with all that's happening around you. Nothing else exists except for you and this moment right now. Now in your mind's eye, imagine yourself stepping outside into a quiet winter's night. The air is crisp and fresh, there's soft fluffy snow gently falling around you. You can hear that crunch of snow beneath your boots as you walk down this small, charming street. Lined with twinkling lights, wreaths, there's snowmen in the yards, and each home you pass is warm and inviting. There's a soft glow of candles and holiday lights coming out of the windows. Everything around you is so quiet, that certain quiet that comes after a fresh blanket of snow has covered the earth. As you walk a little bit further, you come upon this small cozy cottage right at the end of the street. It feels familiar, as though you've been here before. Maybe it's from a memory or a dream, but as you approach you notice that same soft inviting golden light pouring out from the windows and casting this warm golden glow on the fresh snow. You open the door and you step inside. The first thing that you notice is the warmth from a crackling fire in the hearth. You can smell cinnamon and cloves in the air, and you get this instant sense of relaxation, that comfort, that coziness of stepping into your home. In this cozy holiday cottage, everything is peaceful. The soft flicker of candles dancing across the walls, and the sound of the fire crackling adds this extra layer of comfort. You walk over by the fire and you sit in this big overstuffed chair, wrapping yourself up in a soft knitted blanket. It feels so cozy, so warm. As you settle in, you become completely relaxed and at ease. You look around and you can see that the room is decorated with simple and quaint holiday decorations. There's a pine tree in the corner, and its branches are draped with twinkling lights and ornaments that are shimmering in the firelight, and adding its own little special twinkling glow in your room. You can see some handmade holiday decorations on the mantel, and even a stocking or two. This holiday cottage is so charming. You look out the window by your chair and you can see that the snow continues to fall, but inside everything is peaceful. You are so safe and warm and cozy. You know that there's no rush. There's no need to do anything except enjoy this moment. Enjoying yourself just sitting by the fire, being cocooned in your blanket, just feeling the magic in the air. Maybe you have a cup of tea or hot cocoa, and the steam rising from the cup brings a sweet aroma that fills the air around you. Every sip brings you this warmth and comfort, soothing you from the inside out. You can feel that warmth spreading through your chest, down your arms, all the way through your entire body. And all you do is just sit there, being surrounded by the comfort of this holiday cottage. Your heart is open, the fire is flickering, the holiday lights are twinkling, and you're just taking a few moments of this quiet peace and joy that surrounds you. And just take a few moments to breathe and enjoy the warmth and coziness of this space. Enjoying the moment, being present, letting yourself just be cozy and enjoy. And then when you're ready, begin to return to the here and the now, taking a few big deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth, opening your eyes, and closing your meditation. Thank you so much for joining me today.