In this meditation,
You'll be bringing into mind someone who provides you with feelings of being nurtured and cared for.
This is in order to generate positive feelings and give yourself the experience of feeling supported.
When you can visualize yourself receiving nurturing and care from others,
You can feel a sense of soothing,
Relief,
Resilience,
And hope,
Leaving you feeling more at peace and more confident and capable of navigating difficulties or challenges.
It can also help you open up to receiving nurturing and care from yourself,
Which is important for building self-compassion.
So to begin,
Find yourself a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
And for this meditation,
You might want to grab a blanket or some pillows so that you're resting against a soft surface and you're feeling as warm and as comfortable as possible.
Once you're settled in,
Go ahead and close your eyes and begin by taking a few deep breaths to allow yourself to begin to relax.
Relaxing your shoulders,
Feeling the weight of your body sinking into whatever you're resting on.
Focus on allowing your breath to come in and out with ease,
Slowly and gently.
If you'd like,
You can try deepening your breathing by breathing in to a count of four and then breathing out to a count of six.
So go ahead and breathe in to a count of four.
And breathe out to a count of six.
Breathing into a count of four.
And out to a count of six.
You can go ahead and try that on your own for a few more times.
Remind yourself that there's nowhere else you need to be,
Nothing else you need to do,
Except to be here,
Right now.
Breathing slowly and gently,
Allowing yourself a moment of peace and ease.
As you're sitting or lying there,
Notice where your back is touching whatever surface you're resting on,
Feeling yourself being supported through your back,
Under your legs,
Under your feet,
Almost like you're being held,
Like you're being cradled.
Warm and comfortable,
Relaxed and supported.
Feeling the gentle movement of your body as you continue breathing in and out,
Slowly and gently.
Now I'd like you to bring into mind someone who you see as nurturing and caring.
This can be someone you know,
Or simply someone you know of.
It can be a fictional character,
Someone from a movie or a TV show,
A historical figure,
Or someone imaginary.
Think of someone who is nurturing or supportive.
I'll give you a moment to think of someone,
And when you're ready,
Go ahead and bring this person into your mind.
Now picture this person standing in front of you.
See them with a warm smile on their face.
Noticing the smile on their face,
The smile in their eyes,
Imagining them offering you a kind and warm gesture.
Perhaps they're placing a hand on your shoulder,
Or reaching out to hold your hand,
Or perhaps offering you a hug.
Or maybe they're offering to help you with something,
Offering you a meal,
Or a kind and generous act of service.
Simply picture this person offering you a kind and caring gesture of some sort.
Now imagine this person saying something kind and supportive to you,
Something that you need to hear right now.
Simply imagine them saying kind or encouraging words.
What do you need to hear right now?
What message will bring you a sense of comfort and support?
Listen to what they're telling you,
And if you'd like,
You can smile or extend your gratitude in acknowledgement.
Notice how it feels to be supported,
Cared for,
And seen by this person.
What are you feeling?
Perhaps it's a sense of gratitude,
Happiness,
A sense of fullness,
Love.
What are you feeling?
Bringing your awareness to the sensations in your body,
Any sensations that you notice right now.
Maybe it's warmth,
Slight tingling,
Any tension or tightness,
Heaviness or lightness.
Whatever you can feel,
Breathe into the feeling in your body,
Noticing your chest expanding and contracting as you continue to breathe.
Bringing this nurturing and caring person into mind again,
Seeing them before you,
Really experiencing what it feels like to be in their presence,
Focusing in on how it feels to be supported,
Nurtured,
Recognized,
And cared for.
And allow yourself to really feel it.
If you want,
You can place your hand on your heart,
Or place each hand on your opposite shoulder like you're giving yourself a hug to help reinforce the feeling of nurturing.
Allow yourself to feel the feeling of being nurtured.
And if you notice your thoughts starting to drift,
Just redirect your focus to imagining this nurturing person offering you kindness and care.
And if you notice your thoughts starting to drift,
Just redirect your focus to imagining this nurturing person offering you kindness and care.
And as a way to help you remember this feeling,
This experience of feeling nurtured,
Cared for,
Comforted,
Like you to think of a word that you would use to describe what you're feeling right now.
Go ahead and repeat this word in your head now as you pay attention to how it feels to feel nurtured and cared for.
This word can be a reminder to you in the future when you're in need of some nurturing and care.
You can say this word to yourself and remember the feelings associated with being nurtured to help bring up those feelings again.
And now bring your attention back to your body,
Feeling yourself sitting in your chair or laying down.
You can start to move around a little,
Stretch if that feels right.
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes,
And take a couple full deep breaths.
When you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes to return yourself back into this room and back into the present moment.
Take good care.
