Hello and welcome to Returning to Yourself,
A daily practice for meeting your parts with self-energy.
Begin by finding a comfortable position.
Sitting or lying down,
Whatever lets your body be at ease for this time.
I invite you to close your eyes or let your gaze soften toward the floor,
Whatever supports you going inward.
Take one slow,
Deep breath in through your nose.
And a long,
Easy exhale out through your mouth.
Letting your shoulders droop.
Let this breath be a signal to your system.
I'm here.
We're turning inward.
There's nowhere else to be right now.
Take another breath in and with the exhale,
Let the day settle a little.
You don't have to set it aside completely,
Just let it be in the background for a few minutes while you let yourself tune inward.
Feel the weight of your body.
The ground beneath you.
Allow yourself to be held by the chair,
The floor,
The bed,
Whatever space you're in right now.
Let yourself be here.
Now without trying to fix or interpret anything,
Begin to notice the inside of your body.
Slowly scan from the top of your head down through your face.
Your jaw.
Your throat.
Down into your chest.
Your belly.
And down through your lower body.
Just notice.
Is there anywhere that feels tight?
Warm.
Happy?
Open.
Held.
Nom.
You're not looking for a problem.
You're just checking in.
The way you might check in with a friend with genuine curiosity and no agenda.
I invite you to let your attention rest wherever it feels drawn.
If something pulls you,
Go there.
And if nothing stands out,
Just let your awareness rest in the body as a whole.
From this place of simple noticing,
Begin to sense the quality of your attention itself.
From this inner witness,
Notice if you can feel a sense of calm.
Not the absence of everything,
Just a thread of stillness underneath it all.
Is there any curiosity?
A genuine openness to what's present without judgment?
Is there any warmth,
Even just a small amount,
Toward yourself,
Toward whatever you're finding inside?
These are the qualities of self,
Just a few.
Calm,
Curious.
Compassionate.
Present.
And your self-energy may be showing up a little different for you today,
Perhaps it's Courage.
Creativity.
Playfulness.
You don't have to conjure or make anything happen here,
Just notice if these qualities are available.
Even just a sliver is enough.
And if they feel far away today,
That's okay.
Just notice that too.
With the same curiosity.
Your whole experience right now is welcome.
Now from that place of self.
From whatever calm,
Curiosity,
Or compassion is available,
Let yourself become aware of any part that is present today.
It might have been waiting for you.
It might arise quietly as you settle in.
It may be one that shows up as a sensation,
An image,
A feeling,
A word.
A color.
Or just a vague sense of something.
You don't have to name it or understand it.
Just invite it to be here and let yourself notice it.
And if a part is showing up.
Let them know I see you.
I feel you.
I'm here.
Notice how it responds.
It may soften.
It might move closer.
Or it might feel guarded.
Whatever it does,
That's just information.
See if you can stay with it.
If it feels right,
You may ask,
What do you want me to know,
See,
Or feel today about you?
And just listen.
No need to force an answer.
Your body may respond before your mind.
You may notice a sensation,
A shift,
Or a memory that flickers in.
All of that is information from the park.
Trust what comes.
Whatever this part or parts are carrying,
Whatever is showed to you or shared with you.
Offer something simple.
No solution.
No promise to fix it.
Offer it your presence.
See if you can allow it to feel you.
And try on these words.
See which ones feel right for you.
I'm not going anywhere.
You don't have to work so hard right now.
I'm here.
I'm glad you're here.
I want to know you.
I'm here with you and we can do this together.
Let those words land,
Or ones that feel more right for you.
Not as a performance.
But allow what feels actually true.
And notice what happens in your body as you offer this.
Any shifts,
However small,
Matter.
Tune in and notice.
And now as we move to a close,
Know that you can stay with these parts as long as they need you.
And when you're ready,
I invite you to take a slow breath in.
And allow a full,
Easy exhale.
Allow your awareness to widen again from the part back to the whole of you.
Back to your body.
Back to the room you're in.
Notice that you showed up.
You turned inward.
You offered your own inner world your attention.
This is the work and it matters.
Allow yourself to continue to wake up,
Maybe gently wiggling your fingers and toes,
Taking another breath in.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes and come back.
To the space you're in,
Ready.
For your day.
You may consider jotting down whatever you notice.
In your journal,
Your workbook,
In a way that you can track who's showing up.
Who you're noticing so that you can keep tuning back in.
And continue your journey inward.
