Welcome.
Take a moment to settle into wherever you are.
Let your body be supported.
Let your breath be natural.
And let this be a few minutes just for you.
If it helps,
Place a hand on your chest or your belly or somewhere that feels grounding.
Let your body know,
It's okay to soften now.
I'm here.
Take a slow inhale and a long,
Gentle exhale.
Allow your shoulders to drop.
Let your jaw loosen.
And feel the weight of the day begin to settle.
Not as something heavy,
But as something you can finally put down.
You don't have to hold everything all at once anymore.
Right now,
You only need to be here.
When you think back on your day,
Notice what story your mind automatically reaches for.
Is it a story of not enough?
A story of how you think you came across?
A story of what someone might be thinking about you.
Or one that focuses on what went wrong or what you didn't do.
Just notice the first story that appears.
It may leap to the front,
Or it may be lurking in the background.
You don't need to judge it.
You don't need to push it away.
Just gently name it.
I'm noticing the story that I didn't do enough.
I'm noticing the story that someone is upset with me.
Whatever it is,
Name it with kindness.
Now ask yourself gently,
Softly,
Curiously.
Is this story accurate?
Is this story helpful?
Your mind might want to prove the story true,
And that's okay.
Our minds love to confirm their own patterns.
You're not doing anything wrong.
You're just noticing.
See if you can bring in self,
A calm,
Spacious part of you that can hold everything with compassion.
Let self say,
Thank you,
Mind,
For trying to make sense of the day.
I hear you.
You're safe.
You really don't have to work so hard right now.
If you feel comfortable,
See if you can make sense of what part of you is telling the story.
Who does this sound like?
Maybe it's a young person.
Maybe it's a younger part who tries to keep you safe.
Maybe it's a protector who believes that if it judges you first,
No one else can hurt you.
Maybe it's an anxious or vigilant part of you,
Or that perfectionistic part,
Trying so hard to help.
You might notice a feeling,
A sensation in the body,
An image,
Or simply a knowing.
Whatever comes is enough.
See if self,
The calm,
Grounded you,
Can sit beside this part and say,
I see you.
Thank you for trying to protect me.
You are safe right now,
And you don't have to carry this all alone.
Let this part soften in your presence.
Now,
Gently widen your awareness.
Every person you interacted with today,
Every person you worried about,
Every person you imagined was thinking about you,
Is now lying in their own bed,
Thinking about their own day,
Their own worries,
Their own challenges and insecurities,
Their own memories and stories.
Most people are not thinking about you.
They're thinking about themselves,
Just like you are right now.
Let that be a relief.
Let that be a softening.
You are not being judged.
You are not under a spotlight.
You are simply a human being,
Trying your best in a world of other humans,
Trying their best to.
Bring your focus back to yourself with kindness.
What is one thing you did today that deserves appreciation?
Even if it feels small,
Tiny,
Might just be showing up,
Getting through a moment you didn't want to face,
Being patient when it was challenging,
Being honest when it might cost you,
Resting,
And being open to the world around you.
When you needed to.
Let your body absorb that truth.
You did enough.
You were enough.
You are enough.
To close the day,
Take a deep breath in through your nose and a slow exhale out.
If it feels right,
Imagine the story of the day is softly dissolving,
As if the mind is putting down a book,
It doesn't need to analyze anymore.
Let your body say,
It's okay to rest now.
I've done what I can for today.
I don't have to carry this story into sleep.
Feel a sense of quiet beginning to wrap itself around you.
Let self steady,
Warm,
Spacious,
Sit with all of your parts as you drift towards rest.
Offer yourself one simple phrase of compassion.
You might say,
May I be gentle with myself or may I rest in kindness.
I deserve peace tonight.
Let that phrase settle into you like a soft blanket.
You can use this phrase like a mantra as you're getting ready to sleep.
Slowly bring your awareness back to your breath and your body.
The growing quiet inside you.
You are safe.
You are enough.
And you can rest now.
Good night.
