The focus of this meditation is to connect with and explore the relationship between two parts of you who disagree,
Argue,
Or act at cross purposes inside of you.
These may be two parts of you who live in a state of tug-of-war,
Or they could be parts that simply show up in your life or in the world in opposing ways,
Such as holding different behaviors,
Different opinions or ideas,
Or different emotions.
Before we begin connecting to these polarized parts,
I'm going to invite you to begin by taking some deep breaths,
Using your breath to invite in a deepening sense of connection and grounding inside of you.
As you breathe deeply,
See if your breath can allow your heart to open,
Expanding the presence of qualities of your core self inside.
See if calmness,
Connection,
Curiosity,
And love can expand inside of you now,
Even in small degrees.
I invite you also to draw your attention to God's Spirit with you and in you.
God's image is in you,
Giving capacity to be present to parts of you that are at odds with each other.
As you connect with the Prince of Peace,
See if his peaceful presence can also expand inside of you right now.
And as you continue to breathe deeply,
I'm going to invite you to use your imagination to imagine that you are sitting at a table.
And this table is a meeting place for conversation and connection.
For the purpose of this exercise,
Let the table be a square or a rectangle where there are four sides to sit at.
And then take a moment to choose a location to place the table that feels safe to you.
Maybe it is in a safe room in your house.
Maybe it is in nature somewhere.
Maybe it's in an imaginary location.
Or maybe there's somewhere else you're drawn to put the table.
And then I invite you to sit at one side of the table,
Continuing to embody openness,
Curiosity,
And loving presence at the table.
Once you are settled,
I invite you to invite the two parts of you that do not get along well to join you.
Inviting one to sit at your left and one to sit at your right,
So they are next to you and facing each other at the table.
As they join you,
Invite them to notice you.
They can even be invited to turn their gaze towards you to put their focus on you instead of the other part,
Really letting them know that you are present with them.
And now,
Taking each part one at a time,
Check inside yourself and ask yourself how you feel towards each part.
So begin with the part on your left and ask,
How do I feel towards this part of me?
And if you notice anything present other than curiosity or openness,
Such as criticism or judgment or detachment,
Ask the parts holding those feelings to step away from the table,
Gently letting them know that this is a private meeting between you and these two parts.
See if it's possible to be just a little curious or just a little open towards this part.
And as this happens,
Let the part know how you feel towards it.
What is it like for this part to know you are with it?
Let the part know that you will come back to it in a minute,
But you're going to take a moment to check with the other part.
So now turn towards the part on your right,
Following the same guidance.
Begin by asking yourself,
How do I feel towards this part of me?
And if you notice anything other than curiosity or openness,
Such as criticism or judgment or detachment,
Ask the parts holding those feelings to step away from the table,
Letting them know that this is a private meeting between you and these two parts.
And then check again to see if it's possible to be even a little bit curious or a little open towards this part.
And as that happens,
Let the part know how you feel towards it.
What is it like for it to know you are with it?
And then let this part know you will come back to it in a minute.
And then check to see what is it like for both of these parts to feel your presence?
How are they responding to this?
Invite them to continue to keep their focus on you and not each other.
And let them know you're going to ask them each a few questions,
One at a time.
See if one part is willing to wait while you begin with the other part,
Reassuring it you will return to it in a few minutes.
And now,
Focusing on the first part,
Turn your attention towards it,
Led by curiosity and an open heart,
And ask it,
What is your hope or longing for me?
Is there something you're afraid of?
Is there something you protect me from or a part of me that you are protecting?
I'll give you another moment with this part,
Making space to get to know it,
And then we will switch to the other part.
And thank this part,
And let it know you are going to shift to the other part as promised.
But first check and see,
How do you feel towards this part now?
Do you understand it more?
Do you notice any feelings towards it,
Such as compassion or respect?
If so,
Let it know.
And once again,
If there's any parts judging this part,
Ask them to step away from the table.
And now shift to the other part,
Gently asking the first part to wait,
And see if you can now turn towards the second part with curiosity and an open heart,
And ask it,
What is your hope or longing for me?
Is there something you're afraid of?
Is there something you protect me from or a part of me that you are protecting?
And I'll give you another few moments with this part,
Making space to get to know it and to hear from it.
And now thank this part.
And check with yourself to see how you feel towards this part now.
Do you understand it more?
Do you notice compassion or respect for this part?
If so,
Let the part know.
And once again,
If there are any parts judging this part,
Ask them to step back from the table.
And then check and see,
How are these parts responding to hearing more from the other part?
Do the parts recognize anything they have in common with each other?
Are they able to hold any respect for one another's role?
Ask the parts if they would like your help moving forward and exploring ways to get along better with one another.
Reassure them that you are not trying to force them to change,
But simply here to support them in finding a more peaceful way of being.
Remind them that they are both valuable parts of you.
And then if it feels right,
Ask the parts if they are open to inviting God's presence to join you at the table.
Possibly inviting God's presence to occupy the fourth seat at the table.
And then if this feels okay,
Prayerfully invite God to be here in whatever way the parts need him the most.
And then notice,
How is God showing up?
How is God responding to these parts?
How are the parts responding to God?
And then before leaving the table,
See if there is anything that needs to happen between these parts.
Is there anything the parts want to change or shift moving forward?
Is there anything they want to let go of or change about what they do or feel?
What do they need from you moving forward?
And are there any qualities or gifts they would like to invite in to support them in moving forward in life?
Maybe God is offering something to them.
And now,
See if the parts are willing to look at each other again.
What is it like to see each other now?
How would they like to move forward from here?
And then take a deep breath.
And when you're ready,
Invite the parts to leave the table.
And see as they transition out of this meditation,
If there is anything else they need from you or from God.
Inviting them to know and trust that they do not leave this table alone,
But can continue to turn to you and to God as a resource.
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