Welcome,
My name is Lisa Parenteau and this is Rooted Growth,
A place where we can all return to what's already true.
You don't have to earn peace.
You don't have to prove your worth.
Practicing isn't about becoming someone new.
Our meditation practice is about remembering the version of ourselves that's always been whole.
I come to this work through decades of meditation and 25 years in recovery.
Two paths that have taught me this truth.
You can't hustle your way into healing.
You didn't get here overnight,
And you're probably not going to be unraveling at all overnight either.
In today's short meditation,
Let's take a few minutes to settle in and notice what's here,
Underneath all the noise.
And then to gently remind ourselves that everything we seek is already within.
Let's begin.
Take a deep breath in and allow your eyes to close gently.
As you exhale,
Allow your shoulders to soften.
Let your body begin to fully arrive right here,
Right now.
Softening eyes,
Softening your jaw.
Let your belly really expand with each next in-breath.
Let the exhale be a gentle release.
There's nowhere else you need to be right now.
Nothing you need to fix.
Just breathe.
If your thoughts are busy,
That's okay.
You don't need to stop them.
Just choose to return again and again to the simple rhythm of your breath.
Bring your awareness to your chest.
Notice your heart space,
Not as a symbol or an icon,
Emoji,
But as a space.
What if beneath all the striving,
All the noise,
All the stories we tell ourselves,
What if there was already peace there?
What if there is already peace here?
Not perfect peace,
Just something steady,
Quiet,
Enough.
With your next inhale,
Imagine breathing into that space of peace and stillness.
And then watch it expand gently.
With every breath.
Don't force it,
Just be curious.
What if we didn't need to chase anything?
What if nothing was missing?
Let your body absorb that question.
Let your heart absorb that question.
You are already whole.
Continue your meditation now.
I'll mind the time.
And we'll begin and end with a soft bell.
Continue to sit restfully.
And when you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes.
And bring the light of this practice back into your day.
We don't meditate to become better.
We meditate to remember.
Thank you so much for your practice today.
If today's practice did resonate with you,
You can find more Thruwooded Growth here on Insight Timer.
Where we don't chase worth.
We come home to it.
Until next time,
We're together.
Stay rooted.
And keep growing.
