Family Gathering Leftovers: Releasing Heaviness

Welcome to this special meditation specifically designed for the day after big events to help you release any guilt you may be feeling around food and family.

Find a comfortable position,

Either seated or laying down,

And let your hands rest softly on your lap,

Your heart,

Or your belly,

And gently close your eyes.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in through your nose,

And a long,

Easy exhale out through your mouth.

Again,

Let's inhale for the count of four.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And exhale to the count of six.

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Let your breath fall into its natural rhythm,

And begin to notice your body right now.

Any heaviness in your chest,

Tightness in your stomach,

Clenched jaw or shoulders.

You don't have to change anything.

You're just saying,

I notice you,

And I'm here with you.

Now bring your mind to whatever is lingering from yesterday.

Maybe it's what you ate,

What you didn't eat,

A comment someone made,

Or how you showed up with family.

See if you can name the feeling underneath it all.

Perhaps it's guilt,

Shame,

Regret,

Pressure.

Whatever it is,

Let that word gently rise to the surface,

And silently say to yourself,

I notice that that feeling is present.

You're not wrong or broken for feeling this.

You're human.

Now tune into where that feeling is living in your body.

Maybe it's a knot in your stomach,

A weight in your chest,

A buzzing in your mind.

Place your hand there if you can,

Or simply bring your attention to that area.

Take a slow breath into that place,

And a long breath out.

On your next inhale,

Imagine you're breathing in softness,

Kindness,

Understanding,

Compassion for yourself.

On the exhale,

Imagine a gentle mist leaving your body,

Carrying out guilt,

Pressure,

And shoulds that don't belong to you.

Inhaling that softness in,

Exhaling that pressure out.

If your mind starts replaying moments from yesterday,

See if you can watch them like a scene in a movie without jumping in to judge or fix.

You might say to yourself,

My actions and inactions give me meaningful wisdom and guidance for how I want to show up in the future.

What a gift that I can keep learning and growing.

Let those words sink in like a warm sunlight on your skin.

Take one more deep breath in,

Filling your chest,

Your belly,

Your whole body,

And a long exhale out,

Letting go of just one layer of judgment,

One layer of pressure,

And know you can return to this feeling at any time today.

With a single slow breath,

And the words,

I release the guilt,

I keep the love.

When you're ready,

Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,

Softly blink your eyes open and return to your day,

A little lighter,

A little kinder towards yourself.

You got this my friend.