Today, the solstice, specifically here in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice, ushering in the return of the light. Sometimes we forget that winter is actually whenever the light begins to return to us. Even the depths, the cold and the chill, light is coming back. So beautiful.

So for this journey today, I invite you, whatever position you'd like to take. If you want to be seated, if you'd like to lay down, lay your body down. Find a position that's comfortable and happy, soothing to you. We're going to go on a bit of a winter solstice cosmic dance.

As you settle into the space, just letting your body let go, closing your eyes gently, turning your attention now to your breath. Watching the inflow and the outflow. Just witnessing, noticing that sometimes when we try to control, especially our breath, it winds up wanting to do something else. So this space of permission, of allowing, to find that perfect balance between the in and the out, whatever that proportion is for you today.

Today your body may feel really soothed connected to an equal in count and exhalation count: inhaling four, exhaling four. Today your body may feel more settled if you were to inhale for three and exhale for five, or perhaps seven and eleven. Find your perfect rhythm. Beautiful.

In your mind's eye, see yourself standing on a vast seaside cliff, standing in the middle of a field of green grass. In the distance you can hear the ocean. Take in this environment. Feel the chilly air around you, the grounding presence of the grass beneath your feet. Suddenly, in front of you stands a single door, as if out of nowhere. The door is closed, yet it seems to beckon you silently.

Count backward with me from ten. With each number, you'll be one step closer to this mysterious door. Ten, you take one step towards the door, the wind gently blowing against your skin. Nine, another step, as distant clouds begin to roll in in the darkening sky. Eight, another step, the waves crashing more distinctly on the shore below. Seven, your eyes begin to focus on the door's brass handle. Six, there's a strange peace that washes over you, like the wind unfurling about you. Five, the door begins to slowly open, as if entranced by your very presence. Four, you feel so relaxed, so peaceful, as you step closer, closer to the door. Three, the door swings open fully, as if to welcome you, and you breathe a sigh of relief as you see what's on the other side. Two, you take a deep inhale in, holding your breath as you realize what's on the other side. One, you gently exhale as you take one last step forward, totally relaxed, stepping into the blackness of the cosmic void.

You're weightless, floating in the vast celestial ocean, suspended in the silence and the expanse of the universe. Let's begin a journey to a cosmic winter. You were carried by this gentle cosmic current as a silent voyager, surrounded by a dazzling array of stars, planets, nebula. You feel at peace in this vast expanse of space. As you gaze around, you notice you're but a tiny speck in this vast universe, yet there is nothing to compare, for you are pure light, connected to everything around you, everything within you.

You feel awe and wonder as you gaze upon the infinite expanse of space that continues forever and ever. Feel how you are a single light, a spark connected to the Great Divine Mind, bursting forth, out and beyond, into the infinite void of all. As you drift through the cosmos, you feel a sense of peace, of tranquility. You're no longer bound by the limitations of your physical body. You are free, free to explore the universe, to experience the infinite. Weightless, free, pure, perfect peace.

Drifting weightlessly, you notice a celestial body in the distance, a distant planet cloaked in winter's icy embrace. It's a breathtaking sight, a stark contrast to the vibrant colors of the surrounding cosmos against its black canvas. The entire surface of the planet in front of you is covered in a thick layer of white ice and snow. With just a single thought and intention, you move yourself closer to the planet, its white hue becoming more intensely bright and dazzling against the blackness of space.

Curiosity, wonder arise within you as you approach the planet. You long to know more about this mysterious wintry world, to experience its magnificent beauty and tranquility for yourself. And as you descend towards the planet, its ground below, anticipation, excitement begin to bubble in your chest. You're about to embark on a journey to a new world, a world of snow and ice, a world of potential and promise.

Welcome to this frozen wonderland. You descend onto this icy landscape, the air crisp and clean, the biting cold invigorating your senses, awakening a chill of joy. A blanket of pristine milky snow covers the land as snowflakes dot the sky. Each flake is a unique masterpiece of this nature's holographic artistry. Silence surrounds you, envelops you, comforts you, guides you as you walk through this ethereal landscape. You feel a deepening sense, quietness, equanimity, peace.

The world is hushed. The only movement you perceive is the gentle sway of the snow-laden trees towering high above your head. You notice the trees, they're a little different from what you're accustomed to seeing, their colors reflecting the nourishment of their planet. As you ponder this, the serenity of this winter wonderland overwhelms you. It calms you and it soothes you, knowing that we are all just alike, only so very uniquely different, and yet the same.

Bringing you to the heart of winter. You continue walking, wandering. Soon, at the heart of this world, you happen upon a frozen lake. Its surface, smooth as a mirror, reflects the vast expanse of the skies, the cosmos above. Its icy water droplets sparkle like stars in the heavens. The lake seems to go on forever, its ice so clear and still that the frozen lake appears to dissolve into the distance, blending seamlessly into the far-off horizon. Stillness.

You direct your gaze around this tranquil scene. As you gaze into the icy depths below your feet, you see a flicker of light, a spark. What is this? Life amidst the frozen expanse? And yet there it is, underneath the hardened ice. The light grows stronger, pulsing with a gentle energy. You're suddenly filled with a flush of anticipation and knowing that something special, something extraordinary, is about to occur.

From the depths of the lake, the biophotonic light from a tiny seed of a pink water lily begins to rise, slowly at first, then with more directed speed and persistence. As you continue to gaze through the ice into the frozen waters below, you recognize this light is expanding. It's returning. Even in the depths of winter, on the longest day of the year, light has never left. And this seed is drawn to you to remind you, to always remember, to always pursue, to always welcome the light in every season. You smile with this knowing, sinking even more deeply into a renewed sense of peace, security, hope, and the promise of the returning that light brings.

As a seed melts through that hardened ice and emerges from the cold waters, its pink shell is bathed in another soft glow of celestial light. The seed, imbued with cosmic energy, rises and floats in the air in front of you. With a mysterious rhythm, begins to spring forth new life. The once firm seed begins to dissolve into a resplendent green bud, bursting with such life force and vitality, unlike anything you've ever witnessed. So much creative potential in this one tiny seed. Its green, a stark contrast to the white surrounding it.

The sprout shakes awake its hidden blossom as it unfurls into a delicate pink, like a sacred starburst in the heavens. Its vibrant rose-color hue illuminates the frozen landscape. There's a gentleness about this moment. This moment is pure magic. All is possible. As you gently inhale in, feeling your heart relax before you softly exhale.

You see yourself desiring to tend to this delicate yet potent flower. You cup it gently in your hands, warming it with the warmth of your breath, fire of your inner belly. The blossom sparkles and shines and shimmies into light. With your loving intention, you offer the flower a bath of a soft, ethereal light that begins to pour from your Sacred Heart center, a beautiful rose gold color beginning to emanate from the center of your chest outward, reaching and expanding, connecting into the sweet little pink bud floating in the air in front of you.

The energies of the pink lily and your Sacred Heart merge, fuse, intertwine. With each connection, compassion, acceptance, love, care, profound nurturing. Both you and the pink blossom feel as you're floating together as one, weightless in the wintry air. Your gift of love literally sweeps you off your feet. You float, moving seamlessly in the air, dancing with the vital life force of this pink water lily.

Suddenly the flower's radiance is magnified. It bursts, beginning to emanate a sparkling light, its metallic colors a kaleidoscope of silver, gold, copper, pearl, opalescence, illuminating the frozen scenery around you. Each pink petal shimmers like a diamond lit from within, casting a warm glow upon the ice below. You turn your face towards this radiant energy, basking in its warmth, feeling a heightened sense of renewal, of rejuvenation, of revitalization, feeling your frequencies merge, collide, retune with this state of perfect vitality.

And as you do, the world around you seems to come alive, the frozen landscape transformed into a woven white tapestry of unending light. Little sparks of magic seem to encompass you as light dances around you, feeling the release of any heaviness that had been with you before. Just letting that all go, melt away, as if by magic. Taking a deep inhale in, holding that breath in, feeling your Sacred Heart relax, releasing any final tension, any final heaviness or burden that could have been remaining in your space.

This mystical encounter with this beautiful pink water lily, a bud, a promise, the simplicity of its flowering unfolding in front of you, a profound reminder that in every season there is life, there is hope, there is goodness, and it's always okay. Taking a deep breath in, holding that breath in, feeling your heart relax before you gently exhale.

You realize it's time to leave this wintry planet and return to your physical home, your space and time. You bid farewell to the pink flowering magical display still floating in front of you, watching as it begins to fade into the distance as you ascend upward into the silent cosmos above. Floating up, up, up, watching as the planet fades into the distance. In fact, that white wintry planet is only now a glowing distant speck in your vision as you once again effortlessly move through this deep space.

In a moment, I will count from ten to one, and as I count down, you will feel a gentle pull drawing you back to the present moment. Ten, you approach the doorway, there, floating in the distance. It's returned, its brass handle gleaming in the dark sky. You feel calm. Nine, the door opens and you float closer to it. You feel peaceful. Eight, as you approach the door, you feel relaxed, content, revitalized. Seven, the door opens and you can see the green grass on the cliffside coming into focus. Six, the darkness of space behind you begins to fade as you come nearer and nearer to the door. You are at the door.

Five, sensing the vastness of space behind you and the possibilities of the present moment in front of you. Four, you move through the door, crossing the threshold of heaven and earth. All is well. Three, you float above the cliffside covered in green grass, listening to the crash of the ocean waves nearby. You are regenerated. Two, your feet now touch the green earth below you, grounding you into this present moment. One, you return to your full awareness, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

You slowly begin to open your eyes, settling back into this time space, feeling refreshed, invigorated, ready to embrace the day or night with an embraced and renewed sense of purpose and clarity. You are fully connected, ready for your next experience in this day. If you're ready to drift off into sleep, I invite you to take the next few minutes and witness the slowing of your breath. If you are ready to continue into your day, I invite you to take the next few minutes as we listen to these frequencies and tones, and see how your breath leads you. Is your breath leading you into greater stillness or more activation? What does your body need right now? Witness your breath and enjoy these tones.

Placing your attention now in the area of your heart. Think, imagine or feel a beautiful golden rose light that originates in your chest and seems to expand, growing, pulsating, undulating, beginning to envelop your entire upper body area, filling every crevice, every opening, every cavernous space within you. This rose gold light now filling, surrounding your entire body. You feel it all throughout your physical body, and you even begin to feel it in your subtle bodies, that electrical space that sits just outside of your skin. This rose gold light filling and dazzling your entire energy space.

This light reminds you of the perfect freedom that exists all around you, all of the time. It feels so good just to let go. The warmth of this rose gold glow rebalancing, harmonizing, realigning your system. How far can you expand this rose gold light? Can you feel the room around you? Can you feel the building around you? What about your city or town? What about your entire nation? Can you amplify the presence of this rose gold frequency to fill the entire globe?

It's gentle. It's easy. This energy, this golden light is infinite. You'll never out. It's always accessible. It's always right there. It's always yours to connect to, to move, to gift. Taking a deep breath in, holding that breath in, feeling your heart relax before you gently exhale.

May this winter solstice mark a new beginning. As the sun reaches its most distant point, may you embrace the darkness, allowing it to nurture your spirit in its stillness and its peace, in its silence, this new information, this new perspective of your own inner light. You learn about the light; in darkness, you can better perceive the light on these darkened days. Let your mind still, your heart sing, as you promise and prepare your life, your perspective, for rebirth that is already on its way to you, even now, no matter the chill of the season.

As the days begin to lengthen once more, may you emerge from the darkness stronger, more radiant than ever. May the light of the eternal sun awaken your spirit, filling you with hope, joy, vitality. May you step into the new year with renewed purpose, with joy, and with a heart full of love, for you are loved. Taking a deep breath in, holding that breath in, feeling the heart relax before you gently exhale.

If this is where you sign off and finish your day, from my heart to yours, happy solstice and sweet dreams. If this is where you begin to come back into your space, your body, begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes and your nose. Come back, come back. Welcome back.

How was that for you, my friends? What did you experience? I'd love to hear. Tell me in the comments. I thought it was very interesting witnessing, while the bowls continuing to want to play, but also how they moved us through the various key signatures. I thought that was very profound, very interesting.

We started in the place of A major. A major, a lot of times in classical music, connects us into... there's this innocence. It's an innocent love, satisfaction and openness. It's kind of this just desire to connect to something greater. And we really floated in between the keys of A as well as D. D came through several times. D is a very victorious, it's a beautiful, uplifting key. It's an easy key. It's an easy key to play, it's not just in bowls, pretty much most instruments, but it's an easy key because it feels good in the body. It's very comforting, it's very accessible. It's probably why it's so easy to play. It's comforting and accessible. Classically, we connected these ideas of just rejoicing, uplifting, triumph.

We also, the bowls took us very much also into the key of C, where's this innocent childhood simplicity. It's very cut and dry. It just is. It's the basic pattern upon which all others are built, you could think of it that way, sonically and vibrationally. And then we ended in this really beautiful place of B major. B major is... we frequently, when we write, we'll write in different key signatures because it evokes different colors within the listeners, which means it helps us tell different stories. So in the key of B, it really connects us into... it's very strongly colored, but there's this, like, wildness in it, this, like, potential of pure potentiality. And so we ended here in this beautiful key of B.

I also, it makes me think of the Rumi quote that I'll probably botch a bit, but it's this idea of that even in the winter, in the garden, the roots down there, while everything else is frozen all around it, the roots of the plant, they are riotous. It's exactly where we landed, and the poem that keeps coming to mind right now. So very interesting journey, at least musically.

…From my heart to yours, I pray that this season fills you with love, with joy, compassion, tranquility, and a greater sense of connection to your pure inner light that's always there and never goes away. Our job, our task, is strictly to find all of the areas where we have not yet let in that light, and expand. Turn up the volume to your perfect, beautiful light. Happy holidays. I love you. I'll see you soon. Be well. Sat nam.