Let's begin by slowing down,
Deepening your breath,
And slowly lengthening your inhales and your exhales as you invite in an awareness of your internal world.
It may feel right to begin this meditation with a simple prayer,
Lord,
Search me and know me.
We are going to do a spiritual exercise of the examine,
Modified to notice parts of you that have been active today.
So as we prepare for this,
Draw your awareness to the truth that you are in the presence of God who loves you and knows you completely.
Continue to breathe,
Slowly pushing the external world away and drawing your attention internally.
As you do this,
Shift your body,
Making yourself comfortable,
Stretch your neck,
Feel your feet on the ground,
And shift in your chair so that you feel grounded and present in this space.
Do what feels right to you.
It may feel better to stand or move around or move in some other way,
All is welcome.
In this meditation,
We are going to open up space to look back over your day in order to notice,
Give attention,
And honor parts that have been active or have been impacted by the circumstances and the events of the day.
Often in the pace of life,
We move from one thing to another and do not pause to notice what is happening inside of us.
This space now is available to give opportunity to notice.
So as you continue to breathe,
Let your parts know that you are slowing down and pausing and are here to notice and listen.
I will offer guidance on ways to connect and invite your parts to make themselves known.
As we move through this exercise,
You may notice parts that wanting to distract,
Disconnect,
Or maybe showing up in some other way.
Maybe there are parts that are having trouble letting you focus inside or reflect on your life experiences.
Maybe these parts have concerns.
If you notice parts with concerns or distractions,
You may simply ask them what they might need to give you space to be fully present here now.
And if that doesn't feel right to them,
They may simply need you to stay with them with curiosity.
These parts may need your attention or may have something they want you to know.
And now we are going to begin by using our imaginations to create a safe atmosphere to meet any parts who may want to make themselves known.
So to do this,
I'm going to invite you to find a safe and welcoming place to be.
This will be a place that is safe and comfortable to meet your parts.
This could be a beautiful place in nature,
Such as sitting in a pretty field by a stream.
Or maybe it is by a campfire.
Maybe it's at the beach or on a mountaintop.
Or maybe it's at a calm place in your home,
Such as your living room.
Or maybe it's a fantasy place.
Simply choose a space that feels calm and inviting to you right now in this moment.
In a moment,
We will invite various parts of you to gather with you in this space.
As you choose a space,
Continue to breathe and allow yourself to really be in this space.
Look around you.
What do you notice about this space?
What do you see?
What feels warm and welcoming?
What are the sounds and the smells of this place?
See if you can really feel the safety and gentleness of this space.
Then,
Prayerfully ask God to join you here also.
Maybe Jesus wants to sit next to you.
Or maybe you simply want to draw your attention to the presence of God's Spirit here with you,
Always present to you and to your parts.
Once you feel settled,
I invite you to begin slowly looking back over your day.
As you begin,
Say a prayer,
Asking God to open your eyes to see what He might be drawing you to notice.
You might begin in the morning,
Taking one part of your day at a time,
Maybe even slowly moving through your day hour by hour,
Reviewing the day you have had so far.
As you do this,
What stands out to you?
Do you notice both moments of beauty,
Moments you are grateful for,
As well as moments that held struggle?
You don't need to overthink this.
What is important to remember will likely naturally emerge.
As you continue to draw your awareness and to ask God to draw your attention to parts that have been active,
There are likely parts that may need or may want your attention.
As you notice parts of you that have shown up throughout the day,
Can you gently ask them to join you in this safe space,
Maybe inviting them to sit around a circle with you,
Or just to be here in whatever way feels most right.
As they join you,
Maybe you can ask them to notice your presence and the presence of God here in the safety of this space.
And as you continue to review your day,
Likely you notice moments where there was a sense of flow.
The moment happened and you moved on with a sense of calmness and completion.
Maybe you are noticing moments you are grateful for,
Moments that held a certain beauty,
Or where you sensed God's presence and love.
Notice these moments now.
See if it's possible to invite in gratitude for these moments,
And invite in any parts connected to these moments to join you in the safe space.
And likely you also notice moments that feel stickier or heavier.
As you notice these,
Likely you are noticing trailheads to parts of you,
Usually in these stickier or heavier moments.
Parts will show up in body sensations,
Emotions,
Behaviors,
And thoughts.
What parts of you are you noticing now?
You may find it helpful to consider the following questions as you review your day.
What has it been like in my body today?
Maybe there has been tightness,
Heaviness,
Or numbness.
Can you invite parts connected to those feelings to join you in the safe space?
What emotions have you been feeling today?
Maybe there has been sadness,
Or anxiety,
Or shame,
Or anger.
Can you invite parts connected to those feelings,
Or any other emotions that have been present to join you in the safe space?
You might also consider your thoughts that have been present today.
Is there anything your mind wants to review over and over?
Can you invite parts connected to your thoughts to join you in the safe space?
Maybe there are moments of regret where you notice unwanted behaviors that have been present.
Can you invite the parts connected to those to also join you in the safe space?
Make space to also invite parts connected to moments of joy or peace to be present with you in the safe space also.
They are also welcome.
And now,
As you allow yourself to be in this safe space with God,
Pause to notice the parts here with you.
Maybe there are many parts,
Or maybe only a few.
Either way,
Take some time to simply notice,
Allowing these parts to be here in whatever way feels right to them.
Some may want to be near you,
Or to God,
Or to other parts,
And some may want to keep their distance.
See if it's possible to allow parts to be here in whatever way feels best for them.
As you notice the parts here,
Are there parts that have shown up that have a certain familiarity to them?
Are there parts that are more novel or unfamiliar to you?
As you notice these parts,
See if it's possible to hold a sense of love and acceptance for your parts.
Maybe say to the parts that are present,
One by one,
Hello,
You are a part of me.
You belong here.
How are your parts responding to this welcome?
If there are any parts that are not welcoming,
Invite them to join you in this safe space too.
And if it feels okay inside,
Ask God to show you how he feels towards the parts that are present here.
And then notice,
How is he responding in this space?
And before we end,
I'm going to invite you to take a moment just to notice any parts that may especially want your attention or acknowledgement,
Or maybe that you were simply curious about.
Maybe God is drawing you towards a particular part.
See if it's possible to notice that and maybe see what this part or parts may need from you moving forward after this meditation ends.
Maybe there are parts that want to be noticed more by you.
Maybe there are parts that want to spend more time with God.
Maybe there are parts expressing other needs.
See what feels appropriate and authentic to offer to your parts in terms of commitment in the days and even weeks ahead.
And now,
Thank all of your parts that have gathered here in this safe space.
Thank them for the opportunity to be seen and noticed by you.
And thank God for his presence with you and your parts here.
He knows every part of you,
Just like he knows the number of hairs on your head.
Thank him for this level of love and intimacy that he offers.
And then take a moment,
Continuing to breathe,
To gradually move your body,
Slowly open your eyes,
And gradually make your transition back to the external world.
