This guided meditation is designed to be used while you are out on a walk.
So if you have not started walking yet,
I encourage you to pause here and continue once you have started walking.
And as you put one foot in front of the other,
I encourage you to really notice what's the rhythm or the cadence of those steps.
Really anchoring down and grounding in the present moment as you put one foot in front of the other.
Noticing the ground beneath your feet.
Noticing your breath as it enters and leaves your body.
Even letting out some nice,
Deep exhales in the form of an audible sigh.
You can roll your shoulders up,
Back,
And down with a few inhales and exhales.
And taking a few more nice,
Deep breaths,
We're going to start to consider a stuck space that you'd like to explore.
So maybe you've been engaging in some parts work and you keep finding yourself coming up against what feels like a wall or a barrier.
Maybe you don't know how to put words to it,
But you just feel stuck in some way and you're not sure why.
You can gently notice if this guided meditation gives you any clarity about that.
And you can,
Of course,
Further process this with a trusted friend,
A counselor,
A therapist,
Some sort of helper or coach.
And once you know the stuck space that you are focusing on,
I encourage you to consider if there is any part of you that sees a value or a benefit to keeping you stuck in this way.
A nice,
Deep breath.
I know this might sound counterintuitive,
But sometimes doing our own kind of processing and reflection and working with parts can be quite threatening to protective parts of us.
It can often feel risky,
Not the most secure or safe thing.
And so we're going to explore what parts might be at play here in that stuck space and try to understand that perspective and what function that is serving.
So taking a nice,
Deep breath,
You can consider as you think about the stuck space or the barrier that you're focusing on,
How do you envision this?
You can let your mind be curious and creative.
There's no right or wrong,
Just whatever comes to mind.
And if it's hard to think about something or nothing pops up naturally,
You can consider,
Okay,
Does this stuck space feel like a canyon?
Does it feel like,
You know,
This big gap and there's no bridge across the way?
Does it feel like a thick castle wall or a barricade?
And whatever imagery feels most natural or connected,
You can also consider,
Are there any parts of me that are involved in this in some way?
That are somehow keeping this barrier in place or trying to keep things stuck in some way?
I'm taking some nice,
Deep inhales and exhales.
We want to be really cautious here not to jump to internal criticism,
Shame or blame.
As we try to understand the function that this might serve,
We want to do that with curiosity and empathy.
So any part of you that you might notice is responding with judgment,
Criticism,
Shame,
Blame,
Can take a nice,
Deep breath and see if that part of you would be willing to step back or create some breathing space for you as you explore in this exercise.
And if you need to,
You can pause this audio to spend more time creating that space.
Nice,
Deep inhale and exhale.
As you notice how a part of you or parts of you might be involved in maintaining that barrier or that stuckness,
I invite you to imagine asking that part or those parts of you if they can help you understand what purpose it serves to keep things stuck in this way or what purpose it serves to keep that barrier in place.
Throughout this audio,
You can pause if you need more time in any of this internal dialogue.
With a nice,
Deep breath.
With a nice,
Deep breath.
You can also ask this part of you if they can help you to understand anything that they feel is misunderstood,
Anything that they feel is not being seen,
Almost like this big threat that's just being totally ignored.
With an intentional inhale and exhale.
Another thing that you can ask this part of you is,
What do they fear would happen if you were no longer stuck in this way,
If this barrier wasn't there anymore?
What's the worst thing that would happen?
Continuing your intentional inhales and exhales.
You can ask this part how they feel about you incorporating spiritual formation practices in the processing that you're doing.
Does that feel like part of the threat at all?
Does that make this any scarier?
Or does that make this any safer?
You can ask this part of you if they know who God is,
And if so,
How they view God.
You can check in and see,
Does it feel like a relief for God to hold things together?
Or does that feel really scary and risky and threatening for this part to imagine letting go?
With a nice deep breath,
You can consider if it feels really scary,
And if it doesn't feel comforting.
Ask this part what they are afraid might happen if they were to let go.
Again,
With a nice deep inhale and exhale.
We are not looking to correct anything.
Again,
With a nice deep inhale and exhale.
We are not looking to correct any theology for this part.
We're not looking to fix their perspective.
We're looking to understand and empathize with that viewpoint.
Being curious about what has shaped that viewpoint.
And asking the slow moving questions of what would be needed.
To cultivate a genuinely safe and secure connection and communion with God.
Before I close this with a prayer,
I encourage you to continue your walk.
Further reflecting on the questions that we have surveyed here.
And setting an intention for how you will continue to engage with this part of you in any stuck spaces you are experiencing.
You might decide to speak about this with a counselor or a therapist.
Maybe you have a friend that you would feel really safe expressing these things to and getting their thoughts on.
Maybe you'd like to go on a walk with a significant other or a friend and just share what you've experienced.
I do encourage you if you have experienced more stuckness or no movement in the stuckness.
To seek out help from some sort of helper,
Whether that's a counselor or a therapist,
Someone who has knowledge of the part's work.
And I hope you enjoy the rest of your walk after this prayer.
Lord God,
I thank you that there is no amount of stuckness that is beyond repair for you.
And I pray for the ways that that doesn't feel true for the parts of us that feel like there are things really beyond repair.
Would you help us to borrow hope?
Would you help us to find rest?
Not in our ability to fix things or change things,
But somehow,
Beyond repair.
Not in our ability to fix things or change things,
But somehow by your grace and mercy alone.
And knowing that you ultimately hold all things together.
For any part of us that doesn't find this comforting,
I pray that you would help us to receive,
Embody,
Embrace your compassion in a way that would seep into the depths of our soul for every hurting,
Wounded,
Exhausted,
Stressed out part of us.
To find any ounce of relief.
Would you give us insight,
Wisdom,
And discernment into the stuck spaces inside of us?
And would you open up clearings and pathways toward peace?
Amen.
