Welcome to this profoundly transformative and beautiful practice of self-care.
The following meditation is guided by Brienne De La Salle.
We begin the practice by closing the eyes,
Just shutting down your connection with the external visual world.
And just starting to deepen the breath.
See if you can breathe all the way down into your lower abdomen.
So feeling an expansion there.
And exhaling slowly.
Again inhaling through the nose.
You might linger for a moment at the top of the breath and then a sighful or exaggerated exhale.
Breathing in through the nose,
Feeling that gentle rise of the belly.
Lingering for a moment at the top of the breath and a nice slow sighful exhale.
Just continuing through a few rounds of self-guided cycles of these deep full belly breaths.
Allowing each inhalation to be received in a softening belly.
Sensing the possibility of softening and relaxing a little more deeply with each out breath.
Seeing this be your last nice full belly breath.
Just settling back into the natural tidal rhythm.
Completely effortless breath.
Just notice any shifts even if they're only subtle.
You sense the quality of your presence deepen.
Notice if you feel just a little more settled.
Little more present.
Little more grounded in your body.
Take a moment to scan through your body just noticing any areas of tension.
Areas in your body where you sense perhaps a tightness,
A subtle gripping or holding on.
Just create a soft awareness around these areas.
Sensing that you could breathe into these areas.
Sense of expansion with your in breath and that invitation carried on the breeze of your out breath to soften,
To relax,
To let go.
Let the belly soften.
Let your shoulders soften.
Soften the space behind the eyes.
Let the brow be smooth,
Letting go of any furrowed thoughts.
Letting your jaw to be soft and unhinged.
Just bringing a half smile to your lips.
Just a subtle upturn at the corners of the mouth.
Notice the reverberations.
Any subtle reverberations from this simple gesture if there's a quality of ease,
Sense of warmth and kindness.
These tiny movements of muscles,
Those micro muscles in your cheeks.
Moving into that half smile sends a message to your nervous system that all is well.
It's not to impose a mood upon you but just to be aware of any subtle sensations or feeling tones that come with that simple gesture.
And sensing that you could pour that quality of energy into your chest and your heart space.
Setting that inner smile down and allowing your heart to receive that gentle attention.
That warm energy of affection and care.
That reassurance that all is well.
Moving very slowly,
Very softly and with a sense of tenderness just place your hands over your heart.
Be receptive to the response of that touch,
Of that contact.
That concentration of nerve endings in the chest and the heart area that is hypersensitive and responsive to touch.
Has the effect of calming the entire nervous system.
In a subtle energetic invisible way letting you know that you are held.
That it's okay.
It's a silent gesture to yourself that you've got this,
That you're supported.
Rest here for a few moments just feeling gentle contact and warmth and quiet reassurance and peace of holding your heart in your hands.
Like holding a small delicate bird.
Holding a small delicate bird honoring its fragility,
Its impulse and susceptibility to flightiness.
Be gentle,
Careful with yourself.
Letting the soft fragile bird in your heart cage know it is safe.
Let this touch be a portal opening the communication lines to your heart.
Leaning in,
Being receptive and listening.
And starting to offer words of comfort and care.
Little mental whispers and it might be as simple as it's okay.
You're okay.
Or hey you're doing really well.
We've all had that experience when someone says something really small and it just fits right into that empty place in your heart.
Let that someone be you here now.
The voice of your innermost wise self,
Your highest self.
The voice of compassion.
Speak the words you've been longing to hear.
You are held.
You are loved.
You are loved.
You are doing so well.
You are magnificent.
Golden.
You are good.
Choose words that feel good to you that contain a soft and sincere emotional charge,
Terms of endearment.
Like sweet pea or sweetheart or chica.
Perhaps it's an affectionate nickname.
Say to yourself I see you.
I honor you.
This matters.
And you've got this.
This matters.
You've got this and I've got you.
You are precious.
You are good.
You are enough.
Soothing yourself with words of comfort like this so you feel nourished and supported.
Keep smiling into the words as you whisper them deep into your psyche.
To the brain the difference between reality and imagination can be minor.
The information travels down similar neural pathways so it doesn't matter if the words belong to you or another.
Your brain will receive it in the same way as loving kindness,
Care,
Compassion.
Just that simple gesture is enough.
Continue for a few moments.
Holding the felt sense of a smile in your heart.
Internalizing this new way of being with yourself.
Of being there for yourself.
Notice what it feels like to hang out with this friendly voice.
This voice of truth.
Make it feel welcome.
Invite it to be here.
To be heard more often.
Let the physical gesture of placing your hand on your heart be a portal into this practice.
Offering a direct line to this voice that is golden.
Let it help you find the signal through the noise.
To close our practice Neil Donald Walsh and John O'Donoghue offer these gentle reminders.
Receive them fully.
Store them safe in your cells in case you ever foolishly forget.
Your light is seen.
Your heart is known.
Your soul is cherished by more people than you might imagine.
If you knew how many others have been touched in wonderful ways by you,
You would be astonished.
If you knew how many people feel so much for you,
You would be shocked.
You are far more wonderful than you think you are.
So rest with that.
Rest easy with that.
Breathe again.
You are doing fine.
More than fine.
Better than fine.
You are doing great.
So relax and love yourself today.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours.
May the clarity of light be yours.
May the fluency of the ocean be yours.
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow wind work these words of love around you.
An invisible cloak to mind your life.
I'm just starting to deepen the breath.
Bringing that half smile back to your lips.
Sending that inner smile down into your chest and your heart.
And as you hold the felt sense of a smile here in your heart space,
Just bringing to mind three things you're grateful for.
I want you to include yourself in those three things.
You might even choose to narrow the lens in on yourself and choose three things about yourself that you love and admire,
That you're proud of,
That make you feel lucky to be you.
Three things you're thankful for and acknowledge why.
And just in your mind,
I am grateful for.
.
.
Because.
.
.
Just fill in the blanks.
And when you feel complete with that little ritual,
You can start to reawaken your body inviting some gentle movements into your fingers and toes.
As you inhale,
Stretch your arms all the way up overhead.
And as you exhale,
Hug your knees into your chest.
You can yawn or purr or growl or make any kinds of sounds that feel yummy.
Give yourself a nice little hug.
If you're lying down,
You might like to roll to one side and just spend some time just curled up in that nourishing little fetal ball.
Just reminding yourself there's nothing to do,
There's nowhere to be,
There's no rush or hurry.
And when you feel ready,
Just gently easing yourself back into your day.
Thank you for being here.
Namaste.
