We are going to take some time to get to know a part of you more deeply.
So take a moment now and pick a part of you to focus on.
This may be a part of you that is showing up in your life as an emotion,
Or as a behavior,
Or as a thought pattern,
Or a body sensation.
Pick a part that you are curious to get to know more deeply,
And as you do that,
Let's take a few moments to settle in.
And as you do this,
You may find it helpful to deepen your breath,
Slowly increasing the length of your inhales and exhales.
And as you do this,
Invite in a deeper awareness and connection to your internal world.
As you breathe,
Remember that you are in the presence of God,
In whom we live and move and have our being.
Pay attention to your body right now,
And shift in your chair or wherever you are right now to get into a comfortable position,
Maybe stretching your neck and arms so that you can feel comfortable in this space right now.
Or connecting to the part that you are focusing on.
Take a moment to check inside of yourself,
Focusing on your own heart,
And see if it is possible to connect inside with a sense of warmth,
Openheartedness,
And curiosity towards the part you are going to meet.
How open is your heart towards connecting with this part?
Stay with this a moment,
Asking any parts of you that are blocking openheartedness to soften back,
Allowing more space for you to lead from your core self as you draw closer towards this part.
And now,
As you put your focus on the part you would like to get to know a little bit better,
You might begin by internally letting this part know you would like to connect with it more.
It may be helpful to start by simply saying hi to this part,
And seeing if it can be aware of your presence.
You may find it helpful to ask it to look at you.
Can it see you?
If you are struggling to get a sense of connection to this part,
It may be helpful to ask the part to step out in front of you,
So it can have a greater sense of your presence,
And so that you can have a greater sense of its presence.
How is this part responding to your presence?
Check with yourself now and see how you are feeling towards this part.
Can you lead with openness and curiosity towards the part?
If you notice other feelings,
Such as judgment,
Anger,
Criticism,
Or even analysis coming in,
Simply ask the parts holding these feelings and behaviors to soften back,
And use your breath to invite in a deeper sense of presence and a more open heart towards the part you want to get to know.
How is this part responding to you now?
And now,
Take a moment to observe this part.
What do you notice about it?
What does it seem to be feeling?
What is its energy like?
How big is it?
How old is it?
As you observe this part,
You are increasing your sense of who this part is,
And deepening your understanding of it.
How do you feel towards it now?
As you continue to lead with an open heart,
You might ask the part if it is willing to let you get to know it a little better by asking a few questions.
If it has concerns with this,
That is fine.
It may be enough for it to just be in your presence right now.
But if it is willing,
You might start by asking the part if there is more it wants you to know about it.
I will mention some more questions that may be helpful with this part now.
As I do this,
Feel free to pause this meditation after each question if that is helpful to give you some more time to really hear from this part.
Some questions may apply to this part,
And some may not be helpful.
So,
Like a loving friend,
If a question isn't helpful for the part,
Simply move on,
Using the questions really as a guide to build a deeper connection and understanding of this part.
So as you are with this part,
You may consider asking the following.
Ask the part what its role is in your life,
And what is it afraid happens if it doesn't do its role?
What are strong beliefs that this part holds?
Where did it learn its beliefs?
What emotions does this part experience?
When did it first start to feel these things?
What is this part afraid of?
Is there anything this part is longing for?
How does this part view God?
What are its beliefs about God?
How close does it feel to God?
Does it trust God?
How does this part feel towards you right now?
Is it feeling more understood?
Does it feel a deepening connection to you?
If not,
You might ask the part what seems to be in the way of that deeper connection.
And now you might ask this part what it needs from you now.
As you look through the eyes of your core self,
Is there anything you sense you would like to let this part know or offer to this part?
What will be helpful for this part moving forward?
If you can authentically offer it,
Let the part know you understand it and care about it.
What is it like for this part to hear this from you?
And now ask this part if it would like to connect more deeply with God's presence.
If so,
Invite in a deeper awareness of the presence of God towards this part.
What do you sense or notice about how God is responding to this part?
Is there a quality,
Maybe a fruit of the Spirit,
Such as love,
Joy,
Peace,
Patience,
Kindness,
Goodness,
Faithfulness,
Gentleness,
Or self-control that this part needs most right now?
If so,
You might imagine that characteristic surrounding this part right now,
Holding this part in the presence of God.
How is this part responding to that?
And now,
As we come to a close of this meditation,
You might imagine yourself allowing this to carry forward into your day.
Let this part know that it can remain in a place of connection to your caring presence and the presence of God surrounding this part,
Even as the meditation ends.
