Welcome.
This is Lucy Orton and today I'm going to guide you through a gentle,
Internal family systems informed version of the classic leaves on a stream meditation.
This is a spacious practice.
There's nothing to do,
Nothing to fix,
Just an invitation to notice what's here and to relate to it with curiosity and love.
So take a moment to get yourself comfortable,
Whatever that looks like for you today.
You might be sitting or lying down,
Maybe your eyes want to close or maybe they'd rather stay softly open.
Give yourself permission to settle.
And let's begin by taking a few slow,
Intentional breaths,
Not to control anything,
Just to arrive more fully into this moment.
Inhale and exhale,
Feeling the support beneath you,
Letting your body know it's safe to soften.
Now,
As you soften,
I invite you to imagine a gently flowing stream in front of you.
The water is steady,
Clear,
Not rushing.
It's moving with its own quiet rhythm.
Overhead,
Trees are gently dropping their leaves.
One by one,
The leaves land softly on the water's surface and begin to float away.
As you sit and look at this stream,
Just notice what begins to arise inside,
Inside of you.
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Sensations,
Parts of you that want your attention.
You don't need to change anything.
You don't need to follow anything.
You can just notice.
And when something arises,
A thought,
A feeling,
A memory,
Gently imagine placing that on to one of the leaves and let it float down the stream.
You might notice familiar parts,
Maybe a part that's already planning your to-do list,
Or a part that's unsure about this meditation,
A part that feels really tired,
A part that's hoping for change.
Greet each of those as they arrive.
You might say hello or thank you for showing up or thank you for being with me.
Place each one onto a leaf and let the water carry it along.
We are not here to get rid of things.
We are not here to push parts away.
You're simply letting them know,
I see each of you.
I am here.
If a part feels particularly strong or sticky,
If it's pulling you towards it,
That's okay too.
You can just notice that.
You can gently say,
I am aware of you.
I am with you.
And you might ask it kindly,
Would you be willing to give me a little bit of space right now?
So that I can keep watching.
And if it's not ready to let go,
If it does not want to float away,
That's okay.
You can just sit with it for a moment.
No pressure.
This is the practice.
Being with what's here.
Offering a chance to float down the stream.
Without merging.
Without fixing.
Without insisting.
With just enough space to notice.
And the one who is doing the noticing,
That's you.
That's yourself.
The calm,
Curious,
Loving,
Compassionate presence that can hold all of your parts just as they are.
You might notice a part that's judging how this is going.
Or wondering,
Am I doing it right?
That part can have a leaf too.
That part is welcome.
You are not doing this wrong.
You are here.
Showing up.
With your parts.
And that is enough.
Let's take one more moment here.
Watching the stream.
Letting parts come and go.
Offering each and every one a little kindness and a little space.
And when you're ready,
Gently bring your awareness back to the room you're in.
You might notice the feeling of your body.
The sounds around you.
The steadiness of your breath.
And maybe offer yourself a thank you for taking this time.
For practicing being present with yourself.
And as you go about your day,
You may wish to carry this image with you.
This peaceful,
Flowing,
Steady stream.
Your spacious self.
Watching.
Noticing.
Loving.
And the knowledge that all your parts are welcome.
But none of them need to do anything right now.
They can rest and share this precious space and awareness with you.
Thank you for being here with me.
And most importantly,
With you today.
