Welcome I'm Lucy Orton an IFS therapist.
If you've chosen to listen to this meditation today you may be carrying a great deal.
You may be feeling pressure from the weight of the world,
From your own life and likely from both.
When things around us feel uncertain,
Unjust or overwhelming our inner system often responds in many different ways.
Some ways are loud,
Some are quiet.
Today and this moment is just a time to be with yourself.
We are not here to fix or solve or to push anything away but rather we are here to gently notice what's with us and offer ourselves and those parts some care,
Some love and noticing.
Let's begin by arriving inside.
Find a position that feels supportive.
Perhaps you're sitting,
Reclining,
Lying down.
Maybe your eyes are gently open and resting or perhaps they are closed.
You can always shift as we go and begin as always with a slow,
Gentle breath in and when it feels right you can let that breath out.
There is no need to force anything.
There is no such thing as good breath.
Just allow your breathing to come as it is.
Notice it.
Notice your body.
Notice parts that feel grounded.
Notice parts that might feel tense or heavy.
All sensations are welcome.
Notice them and with kindness turn your attention and your awareness inside.
Ask yourself gently and softly,
What is present in me right now?
What part of me needs something,
Needs some care today?
There may be a swirl of different feelings or maybe one sensation or emotion or word stands out.
You might notice sadness,
Fear,
A sense of distancing,
Of shutdown or even numbness.
All of these are responses that make sense in difficult times.
There is nothing wrong with them.
These parts are trying to help in the ways that they know how.
See if you can gently stay alongside one of them.
You might ask or say inside,
Are you here?
I see you and you are welcome.
You don't have to understand the part fully.
You don't have to make it go away just offering your presence is enough.
You might ask gently,
What are you worried about?
Or what do you need me to know in this moment?
Let the part respond in its own time.
Pause,
Give space.
If nothing comes,
That's okay.
Just staying close is still meaningful.
Now notice how you feel towards this part.
Is there care and love?
Or maybe there's resistance?
If anything other than self-energy and gentleness arises,
That's completely natural.
You can acknowledge those responses too.
Often we carry many parts at once.
You might want to say,
Thank you so much for sharing.
I'll be with you,
Each of you in turn.
There's no rush.
No right way to do this.
No wrong way to do this.
This is simply about showing up with love and curiosity and presence and care.
As we pause here,
Take a moment to appreciate your willingness to listen inside,
Even in the midst of everything going on.
There's a kind of quiet strength in staying connected to you,
Being with your parts,
Even when things outside feel chaotic or worrying or painful.
Let's close this meditation by returning to the body.
Feel your feet or your body on the surface beneath you.
Feel the air on your skin.
Notice any sounds in the room.
You might say inside,
I am here.
I'm listening.
I promise to keep coming back.
And if it feels supportive,
A few final words to carry with you.
You are allowed to be impacted by the world.
You are allowed to feel whatever you feel and you don't have to carry it all alone.
There is goodness in you and around you.
There is clarity in you.
There is wisdom and something steady and calm at your center.
Yourself,
The you that is always here,
No matter what.
Thank you for being with yourself.
