This is an exercise intended to support you during moments of difficulty,
Times when something painful,
Uncertain,
Or heavy is present in your life.
Rather than fixing or pushing away what hurts,
This practice invites you to notice and allow your experience,
And to gently reconnect with what matters to you.
Begin by allowing yourself to pause.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently closing the eyes or softening the gaze,
Bringing the attention to the breath,
Breathing in and breathing out,
Allowing the breath to anchor you in this moment just as it is.
There may be a difficult situation on your mind right now,
Something in your life or in the world around you that brings up strong emotion.
For right now,
There's no need to analyze it,
Solve it,
Or change it.
Simply allowing yourself to acknowledge this is something that matters and it's hard,
Letting the situation be present in your mind.
As you continue to sit with this situation,
Begin to notice what shows up inside.
What emotions,
Sensations,
Or impulses arise as you gently hold this difficulty in your awareness?
Perhaps there is sadness,
Fear,
Anger,
Longing,
Or uncertainty.
Perhaps there is tension in the body,
Heaviness in the chest,
Or a sense of tightness or aching.
Whatever is here,
Whatever is showing up for you right now,
See if you can notice it without judgment,
Not as something to get rid of but as something to allow.
If it feels manageable,
Silently name what you notice.
This is sadness,
This is fear,
This is grief.
Noticing how these experiences rise and fall,
Shift and change like waves passing through.
You don't need to hold on to them and you don't need to push them away.
Simply allowing them to come and to go in their own time.
If at any point this feels overwhelming,
Gently return your attention to the breath.
Letting yourself know that you can move in and out of this awareness at your own pace.
As you sit with what's here,
Consider this.
Pain often shows up where something deeply meaningful is present.
Just as shadows are cast by light,
Our difficult emotions often reflect our values.
The things that we care deeply about,
Love and long for,
Things that reflect who we are at our core.
You might ask yourself,
Gently and without forcing an answer,
What does this pain say about what matters to me?
What value is being touched here?
Connection,
Care,
Fairness,
Justice,
Growth,
Love,
Integrity.
Simply noticing whatever arises for you.
Allow yourself to feel the feelings that come with caring.
Recognizing that by turning toward this experience,
By allowing instead of fighting or avoiding,
You are already moving toward what matters.
You are letting the light be present even when it casts a shadow.
Now,
Bringing to mind this value,
This sense of what matters,
Not as something abstract,
But as something alive within you.
See if you can imagine how this value might guide you forward.
You might ask yourself,
Given what matters to me,
What is one small step I can take?
Not a perfect step,
Not a big or dramatic one,
Just the next step in the next hour,
The next day,
Or the coming week.
Allow this intention to settle into your body,
Like the needle of a compass pointing to true north.
Trusting that even in difficult times,
You carry your values with you.
When you're ready,
Begin to bring your attention back to the room.
Feeling the breath,
The body,
Noticing the sounds around you.
You may gently open your eyes,
Bringing with you a sense of compassion for yourself and taking with you this intention to move forward,
Guided by what matters most.
