This month we celebrate the Celtic festival of Beltane, or ‘May Day’, the midpoint between the Spring and Summer equinox. During this time, we celebrate the return of light and warmth as we move into the summer months, and the fertility of the land in nature, which allows the greenery to grow. All in all, this is a perfect time to celebrate new beginnings.
Spring itself is a time for new beginnings. We see baby Lambs being born and flowers beginning to bloom. It is a resurgence of life after the darkness of winter. You may have begun feeling more energised in recent weeks yourself, as you emerge out of the darker months. This time of the year can be a great opportunity to sow the seeds for your own growth, to bring into fruition in the summer months.
At the British School of Meditation, we have been celebrating our own new beginning during this period. As you may have seen, on 1st April the ownership of the school changed hands. It was passed from our wonderful founders Mary and Helen to our current 3 trainers, Sarah, Catherine T and Catherine B. We are so excited to have this opportunity to grow the school, to develop on the incredible foundations set by the previous owners and have our own new beginning. Our focus over the coming months will be on developing our already existing community of fantastic meditation teachers, who have trained with us and are part of our register. We will also bring our own unique energies and enthusiasm into the school too, so that we can continue to offer an excellent service to students and graduates alike.
New beginnings can be celebrated in your meditation practice too. As we sit in meditation and bring our attention to a point of focus, be it the breath, a mantra or the body, the chances are we will become distracted, as our brain will need to process any external or internal stimuli that comes its way. Meditation is not about silencing the mind – in fact, that’s not actually possible to do. It is simply about re-focussing and coming back. Starting again. At these times you can perhaps remind yourself that this is all part of the experience and that each new moment, and each new breath is a new opportunity to begin again.
This may be a mantra which can be helpful throughout your day too. If you recognise yourself getting wound up or ruminating on the past, take a deep breath, ground yourself in the moment and remind yourself that every moment is a new opportunity for new beginnings.