Welcome.
Sometimes the inner critic feels so loud that we assume it must be our own voice,
But often it's an old echo,
A parent,
A teacher,
A childhood rule that once kept us safe.
This meditation gives you a quiet moment to recognise where that voice came from,
Why it tried to protect you and how to soften its grip so your own wiser voice can come through.
Take your time,
Settle in and let yourself explore this with a gentler touch.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
You might be sitting or lying down,
Whatever helps your body feel supported.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and exhale softly through your mouth.
Let your shoulders drop,
Your jaw loosen,
Your mind begin to quieten.
For the next few minutes there's nothing you need to do,
Nowhere to be,
Just give yourself permission to pause.
Begin by noticing your breath,
Its steady rhythm,
The rise and fall.
Let it anchor you here.
Now bring to mind that familiar inner voice that sometimes criticises or judges.
You don't need to go looking for it,
Just notice if it's there,
The tone,
The words,
The feeling it creates.
And maybe that voice doesn't even belong to you,
Maybe it's a parent's voice,
A teacher's voice or a peer from long ago.
Maybe it's an old rule,
Something that once helped you stay safe,
Be accepted or do well.
But you've grown since then and you're not that child anymore.
Ask gently,
Am I still carrying someone else's voice?
Am I hanging on to old rules or unkindness from a time I've already outgrown?
You don't need to fix anything,
Just noticing is enough.
You might picture that younger you,
Still trying to do it right,
Still wanting to be loved.
And you might say to them quietly,
It's okay now,
You can rest,
I'll take it from here.
Feel what happens when you say that.
Maybe something softens,
Maybe not yet and that's fine too.
As you breathe in,
Feel the reassurance,
I am safe to grow.
As you breathe out,
Let go of what isn't yours to carry.
The inner critic was only ever trying to protect you,
But you are the grown one now and you can choose which voices you listen to,
The kind one,
The calm one,
The real you.
Take a few more slow breaths here,
Let this understanding settle and as you're ready,
Begin to notice the room around you again,
The sounds,
The light,
The air in your skin.
A final deep breath in and a long easy exhale.
Carry this with you for the rest of your day,
The quiet knowing that you can grow beyond the voices of the past and speak to yourself with kindness instead.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
