The Story Of You: Diabetes Discussion & Meditation

My name is Patricia Daker and I am the owner of Better Diabetes Life and I provide coaching and inspiration to people dealing with diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

I am a board certified nurse coach and I've been a nurse for 35 years.

I have corporate IT background and I'm also a type 1 diabetic.

I've been type 1 for 30 years.

But I bring you as many aspects of my story,

What's worked,

The successes,

The failures and the lessons I've learned in hopes that some of what's helped me can help others.

And so that's what we do.

So tonight's topic is going to be getting stuck in the story of you.

I'm going to start with a quote.

So I have this little,

You know,

I've got a lot of stickies all over.

I like these little affirmations that kind of keep me in mind and I looked to my right a little bit ago and the one on that wall right there says,

The mental and physical space we create by letting go of things that belong in our past gives us the option to fill this space with something new.

And so kind of just going to tie into what I'm talking about.

So again,

Keeping this relevant.

I guess before we get into the whole talking point,

Let's gather a little bit too.

I always like to do that.

I need to transition time.

So it's Monday,

It's been a busy day.

I was traveling over the weekend.

So I think we just take a moment to pause.

Let's just take a breath together.

You know,

And what we want to do is mentally gather.

I think this is really important because individually we feel alone often and not understood,

Maybe disconnected,

Maybe a little isolated.

But I think these talks when we come together on Monday is a time to connect and gather.

And I like the image of gathering with friends in a space that is safe and nonjudgmental,

Right,

Where we can come together and know that other people get our struggle.

So whether you struggle with diabetes and trying to get your body's blood sugar to perform perfectly,

Or you struggle maybe with blood pressure and you're trying to manage that,

Maybe you're struggling with diet and weight loss.

There's always these things where we want our body to do something it's not,

Or we're having to compensate for something.

So I think in this space tonight,

We know we're all struggling with something.

We all have a set of conditions that we need to pay attention to,

Try to improve upon.

And that in the end of it,

It impacts our health,

Right,

And how we live and who we are.

So we want to talk about that.

So as we gather,

Again,

Just know,

Kind of let go of the day,

Put it up on the shelf,

Whatever you brought that's busy and worried and hurried.

We're just going to pack that away,

Myself included.

So the intention that we'll set for tonight is may you remember your truth and tell your version of the story.

So interesting,

This weekend's Halloween,

So I thought Halloween kind of was a good segue into this because what do we do at Halloween?

We dress up and we put on a mask and we become something we're not,

Right?

So we present ourselves to the world as some other version of ourselves.

You know,

It might just be something funny.

I love witty Halloween costumes.

People that come up with little witty things just,

Oh,

They make me so happy.

I think it's fun.

I love when people use humor.

But what we do with Halloween is we put on a mask,

We don these clothing,

Cover our faces,

And we pretend to be this thing.

So I want to tie that link to our stories,

Right?

We also have a story that we tell of ourselves and usually it's a story of our journey.

You know how we got here,

What happened,

The hardships.

How we pick and choose from our past the little pieces that describe us,

That we try to tell to someone else so that they understand us.

Part of it's the story that we want to tell.

Oftentimes there are words,

Other people's interpretations of what we did or said or thought,

Their words come into play and they might color our story.

I think we've all had someone speak negatively over us.

We're talking about a doctor,

Obviously it could be,

I mean,

I'm sorry,

Diabetes,

It could be a doctor,

Right?

How many people have your doctor said something,

A label that you weren't doing as well,

They wanted you to do better,

Right?

So that becomes part of your story.

So we all have this story we tell.

I'm going to share a couple of things with you just because of my weekend and just the interesting part of story.

So first I went home to visit family and they live not close to where I do.

So growing up from age zero to 21,

Everybody called me Patty.

It just was Patty,

Right?

Not my favorite name for whatever reason,

I just never resonated with it.

So when I moved away when I was 21,

My real name is Patricia and I just never corrected anyone,

Right?

So I let the nickname go.

So it's interesting to me as we talk about this,

The story of Patty versus the story of Patricia.

And when I go home,

Patty kind of shows up sometimes,

Right?

So Patty didn't have diabetes.

Patty was in the middle of a pack of big kids,

Like seven children.

So I wasn't like the oldest or the youngest,

I was in the middle.

Patty's dad died when she was young.

There's a story,

Right,

That goes around with this character.

And when I go home,

Because I'm back with people who knew that part of the story,

I find it really difficult sometimes to be my new version of me,

My evolved self,

Right?

So there's a story of who you tell,

Right?

Well,

And none of my growing up family has ever been around me with diabetes.

So I was diagnosed at 26.

So even though it's type one,

I had the onset at age 26.

So it's funny because they don't see me that way,

Right?

And so it's amazing just how much darn sugar my family eats,

Right?

Cookies,

Cakes,

Halloween candies,

It was everywhere.

And it's fine,

I don't expect anyone else to change.

But when I look back at the story of me,

Right,

The story of my life,

I remember like,

Wow,

That was such a big deal at Halloween and things.

And so as you look back at your story and the events that shaped you and other people's expectations,

I guess I'm really aware of it because I shifted,

Right?

So when I moved away,

New experiences happened.

I was diagnosed with diabetes.

I did it by myself.

I lived alone.

I didn't have anybody to really help me.

So my story about diabetes was I had to figure it out.

It wasn't failure.

It was like,

I'm going to do this,

Right?

So it's a different story,

Maybe for other people,

Because no one was around to feel sorry for me.

I just had to get it done.

So I was like,

I'm not sick.

I got this.

I'm going to be fine.

No,

I don't need help.

I can figure it out.

I'm smart.

I can do it on my own.

I'm not going to move back home.

I'm not going to do anything.

I got this.

So that's part of my story,

Right?

And it's played out because on some level,

I agree with my story,

Right?

That's the story of me.

So I had a conversation while I was home with some friends who are retiring.

And they're getting to that point where they want to quit working.

But the interesting thing to me was that when they quit working,

The rest of their story stopped.

They had no other passion,

Right?

It's just like,

I just want to be done.

I don't want to work anymore.

I just want to retire.

And I just thought that was interesting because your story,

Right,

Your story colors so much of how you engage in the world,

What you think,

How you behave,

What you tolerate,

What you want.

Okay so anyway,

So the story,

Right,

Like it's what you believe.

And your story plays on a loop in the background,

Right?

It's what you believe about yourself,

About your world,

About your place in the world,

About what's possible,

What's not possible.

And every person,

I think we've all had some trauma,

Some hardship,

Some things that didn't go well.

Obviously,

If we're on here and we're living with diabetes,

That probably wasn't anybody's favorite thing to happen,

Right?

So it's all this stuff in our world and maybe they're excuses,

Maybe they're badges of honor.

Often some of the hardest stuff we've ever had to live through is what we're most proud of,

Right?

So it depends.

Is your hardest thing the thing that beat you down?

Is it the thing that gave you courage and moved you forward?

You could have the same thing,

Two different people and their perspective and the story they tell about it.

One story is about,

I overcame,

I conquered.

And the other one was like,

Oh,

This happened and I couldn't anymore,

Right?

So not saying that there aren't influencing factors in a person's life that make things challenging or sometimes even impossible.

But I want to think about the story that gets stuck in our head,

That plays without us thinking about it,

And that impacts what we can and can't do,

How we see ourselves and what we think about the world.

Because again,

I shifted and to me,

It's very front of mind.

But we make these agreements.

Well,

This is true.

So even in work today,

I found myself listening to other people's opinions about something,

Whatever happened at work.

And I felt defensive,

Like I needed to explain my side of the story.

I needed them to understand my worldview.

And all it did was serve to make me angry a little bit,

Like,

You should understand,

Right?

The shoulds,

I should it on someone today.

But I just kind of caught up and nothing changed on my side,

Really.

I still did the thing I did.

And it was all okay.

My opinions were still the same.

But I noticed how in another person's perspective or participation in my story,

When they wanted to change it,

It changed my story a little bit.

Because instead of being confident,

It made me have some self-doubt.

Okay,

Is this normal?

100%,

Right?

Here's the interesting thing is how we,

From a coaching perspective,

From what I can help you with is,

How do we unpack our story and see how it serves us?

Because honestly,

It's not something you think about all the time.

And all these affirmations and things we do help us kind of reframe who we are.

So when we think about our story,

First of all,

Is to be aware,

What is your story?

What do you say about yourself when you meet someone new?

How do you introduce them?

What are the things that you tell somebody about you?

So versions of your story,

Right?

And what is yours?

So that's before you start.

What's your version?

What are you telling people?

What have you agreed to about yourself,

About your chronic condition,

About diabetes maybe?

So that's the first is,

What is your story?

Think about it.

And if I had a bunch of time and we were in a live coaching,

We might have you sort of write some of that out.

Maybe it's your diabetes story.

Maybe it's your challenge story.

Maybe it's your success story.

Whatever the story of you is that maybe feels off,

Like the world doesn't get the real true part.

So I want you to think about that.

We'll just think about it for a minute and I'll give you a moment to just think about the version of your story that you tell the world.

And is it your truth?

Is it the real story of you?

Which pieces have you chosen to share,

To keep with you,

To hang on to?

What little tidbits of your story got written in a chapter,

In a book?

What are the parts of you that were influential?

What are the excuses maybe,

Or the reasons that we explain away why we are the way we are?

What is that?

So just think about that for a minute.

You know,

You can't tell your whole life story,

But most of us have a pretty go-to when somebody says about you.

We start with our job.

We might say we have diabetes.

We say we're married,

Where we live,

Things like that.

But peel back the onion one more layer about you.

What is the story of you?

So you kind of got that story.

Once upon a time,

This happened.

I was this way for these reasons.

You know,

That's it.

So I want to magically give you a little,

This is going to be a magic wand.

And I want you to wave it over your story.

And I want you to change any one thing you could.

If you could rewrite that story,

If you could tell it differently,

What would you tell differently?

And I don't want you to think about this very long,

Whatever the first thing that pops in your head.

That's kind of what I want you to think about.

What's the difference?

What's the truth about?

You know,

What is true?

What could you change about the way that was to make it the better version of you?

Think about that.

And with that new truth,

That new piece of the story,

The way you should tell it,

The way you want to tell it,

What is that?

Right?

So maybe you write about that,

You write the newer version.

Maybe you post it somewhere where you see it every day when you're looking.

Maybe you just believe it.

Instead of believing the old story that didn't serve you,

Maybe you choose to believe the new story.

Maybe you meditate on it and feel it.

What's it like to try that version of yourself on?

Right?

How do we change that?

What's it feel like?

Who would you be if that were the true story?

And then I challenge you to act like it.

So again,

When you put on a Halloween costume,

You act in character,

Right?

So if you're a scary guy,

You're doing this.

If you're a funny clown,

You're doing this.

So sometimes when we want to make changes in our life to adjust our perspective to be a little bit different,

We act like something else.

And I personally have a story,

When I was probably in my late 20s and I was still working as a nurse,

I had the opportunity to do some speaking and I hadn't done it before.

So the whole time I pretended to be someone else because she was a really good speaker.

So in my head I'm like,

I'm just going to be her.

And honestly,

I did a really good job because the scared version of myself didn't show up.

I was pretending to be this confident,

Really well spoken and articulate speaker.

Interesting,

Right?

So you can just act like it.

You can try it on and over time,

The more you do it,

The more you step into that truth and reality,

It gets a little easier.

And before you know it,

That little version of your story becomes more true.

And I think,

Again,

Looking at different situations and even my own personal,

It's like,

I have to go back to what is my story that I want to tell?

Not what do my siblings think?

Not who I used to be 30 years ago?

Not what a critical coworker might've said,

Right?

What is my truth?

Who am I?

What is my story?

And that's the place where you get your inspiration,

Where you might find a new idea and you might open some doors because what happens,

That old story that plays in our head,

We just get in a rut and we repeat over and over.

So again,

Talking with chronic illness,

It's very easy for our story to become about the parts that don't work,

Right?

All the things we have to do because we have to check our blood sugar and do whatever and eat differently and all that stuff.

But to be honest,

That's something that happened to you,

But it is not who you are.

It is not your truth.

It's truthful that you live with it,

But I would really challenge you,

Is that really who you are?

No,

It's something that happened to you,

It's not who you are.

Okay,

So we're going to transition.

If anybody has any comments or questions,

Feel free to leave them in the chat,

But we're going to transition into the meditation part of my talk.

So let's gather,

Take a breath,

Relax.

So the rest of this is a good time you guys get to relax and enjoy.

Maybe let your story unfold as you're not trying to think about things,

Make things happen,

Process so much.

And we'll repeat our intention before we get started.

And our intention tonight is,

May you remember your truth and tell your version of the story.

What's your truth?

Who are you?

Okay,

So let's gather,

Relax,

Lie back.

Close your eyes.

We'll do some deep breathing and this really from a physiological standpoint helps you transition from brain processing mind into your body and healing and your physical self.

It shifts chemicals,

It shifts hormones,

It moves you from a fight or flight stage of your sympathetic nervous system into rest,

Restore,

Repair,

The creative side of your parasympathetic nervous system.

And we do that with something as simple as a breath.

So when we breathe,

This is called polyvagal breathing.

It's a very simple exercise.

You breathe in and out through your nose with your mouth closed.

You track your breath as it goes in and out,

Kind of noticing it play along the back of your nose and the back of your throat.

Breathe in fully,

Expand your lungs,

Let your body absorb and fill.

And then we'll exhale twice as long as we inhale.

And that extended exhalation is actually what causes your shift and the breathing stimulates your vagus nerve,

Which also lowers your blood pressure,

Lowers your heart rate,

Tells your body if we're breathing this way,

We're safe.

Because when we're not safe,

We pant and we shallow breathe.

When we're safe,

We have very long luxurious breaths.

And so that physical act of breathing that way helps shift us into a state where we're not as concerned about the outer world and we're shifting our resources,

Our energy towards our inner world.

So we'll do this for a couple minutes.

I'll just count.

It's very simple.

We'll count in for four,

Out for eight.

And just be mindful to keep your mouth closed,

In and out through your nose.

And really as you breathe in,

Let it fully enter you.

And as you exhale,

Let it fully leave,

Right?

It's that complete and easy breathing.

So we'll begin now.

Breathe in,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Big breath,

In,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Out,

Slow and controlled,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Relax.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Breathing in,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Fully in,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And letting go,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Relax your shoulders.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Big breath in,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And let go,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Last time,

Full breath,

In,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Okay,

Let your breathing go.

Let it be normal.

Notice a shift inside your body.

Notice how you feel on the inside.

Hopefully you notice a little bit of relaxation,

A lowering of anxiety,

Your attention on your inner self,

The darkness beyond your closed eyes.

The simple and soothing feeling of being safe and relaxed in the right place with nothing else to do,

Knowing that you're gifting yourself with this time and this focus.

I'd like to share with you some affirmations,

And as I speak them aloud,

You can repeat them in your mind or say them out loud if that feels good for you.

As we do our meditation,

We're going to tell the truth about our body,

About who we are and where we are.

Repeat after me.

I am here.

I am in charge.

I am living my life.

I am having amazing experiences.

I am authentic.

I am the narrator of my story.

I am grateful to the challenges that showed me what I was capable of.

I am learning lessons.

I am at peace.

I am worthy.

I am wise and strong.

And I am okay.

Right now,

In this minute,

In this time,

I am okay.

No need to worry.

No need to fret.

The purpose of this moment now is to notice that things are okay.

As I guide you through the different parts of your body,

We're going to focus on things that are true,

Allow them to be,

And offer gratitude for the miracle that is our body.

So close your eyes if you haven't.

Turn inward.

Notice yourself.

The blackness beyond your eyes.

The blurring sensation between your body and the external world.

The pull of gravity that keeps you on the earth.

The feeling of life as we pay attention to the movement and the happenings under our skin.

Now put your attention in the center of your heart,

Of your chest.

And what is true is that your heart is beating.

It is pumping blood to every cell in your body.

It is amazingly and miraculously connected to your body,

To your mind,

To your nervous system,

To your spirit,

To your ability to love.

Offer your heart gratitude and warmth and appreciation because it beats every moment whether you pay attention or not,

Giving you life,

Allowing you to be here for this day,

For this moment.

From within inside your body,

Below your heart,

Move down and to the right,

Just under your diaphragm,

Inside your right ribs is where your liver lives.

And right now your liver is cleaning,

Secreting,

Normalizing,

Balancing,

Protecting,

Digesting,

Repairing,

Self-correcting,

And removing toxins from your body.

Without your direction,

Without your thought,

It happens automatically.

As you place your attention on this area of your body,

Receive healing,

Offer gratitude,

Give yourself care to this part of you.

And once again,

Thank it for its tireless work,

Which happens 24-7 without you noticing.

From inside,

From this place deep within you,

Place your attention further towards your back,

Above your waist,

Beneath the ribs on both sides is where your kidneys live.

And what is true right now is your kidneys are full of blood that is flowing through,

Filtering impurities,

Maintaining water balance,

Normalizing blood pressure,

Secreting hormones,

Keeping you safe and in balance,

Keeping electrolytes in check,

And constantly trying to repair itself.

Despite any limitations,

The flow continues,

The effort is consistently made.

Allow yourself to receive the resources,

Healing,

Energy,

Anything that your body has that can benefit your kidneys,

Release,

Let it happen,

And let your kidneys receive.

Offer gratitude to these organs,

Wish them well,

And give them everything you have to give.

Next,

We'll focus on your digestive system and what is true there.

What is happening is the truth.

Your digestive system is breaking down.

It is nourishing.

It is supporting.

It is the home of your immune function,

Of your biome,

Of your gut bacteria.

It helps maintain fluid balance,

Keeping you healthy,

Constantly and rhythmically moving food through the track.

Breathe deeply as you relax into this truth.

Allow your digestive track to release any anxiety,

To let go of worry and fear and nervousness because it is true that you can guide it to do this.

You can let go from your inner self,

From the seat of your soul,

From the part of you that is guiding your body 24-7.

Use the energy that would be turned outward for the world to turn inward on yourself,

Providing healing and anything you need to recover and restore.

Practice and hold gratitude in your inner body throughout your digestive track.

Let warmth wash over you,

Removing any worry,

Restoring balance and bringing any healing that is necessary.

Move now to your pancreas in the middle of your stomach,

Nestled behind your belly button within all the organs.

What is true about your pancreas despite any dysfunction?

Is it still excreting some enzymes,

Some hormones?

It's listening to other areas in the body,

Reacting as it notices that you're eating,

That you're digesting.

It's still a part of the ecosystem that is you,

Functioning in every part and way that it can.

Offer gratefulness,

Gratitude,

Thankfulness for any and all function that remains.

Welcome healing,

Welcome restoration,

Melt any fear and worry away,

Softening so you are receptive,

Open and grateful for all that it can do despite any limitations.

Bless your pancreas and once again guide your internal resources to deliver whatever is necessary.

Move down to your lower extremities,

Past your hips,

Your thighs,

Your knees,

Your calves,

Your ankles,

Your feet.

And what is true about your body right now is the muscles are stretching,

They're contracting,

They're holding you together.

They move you,

They're supporting you.

They're allowing for circulation.

Right now your lower extremities may be resting,

Relaxed,

Smooth,

Easy.

Offer gratitude for the work they do that gets you from one place to another.

Notice the sensation of aliveness inside your legs as blood flows to every muscle fiber and your legs have big,

Big muscle fibers.

Imagine the molecules,

The blood cells,

The fluids gushing and traveling through all your blood vessels,

Full of nourishment,

Fluid,

Hydration,

Oxygen,

Electrolytes and sweeping away anything your body no longer needs easily and effortlessly.

Once again,

Offer gratitude and kindness to this part of your body,

Healing if it's necessary.

Imagine perfect blood flow through vessels that are firm and smooth.

Remind yourself what you felt like when you were younger and perhaps had more strength and stamina,

Perhaps more muscle.

If you can remember it,

Your body can repeat it.

Allow that to be true.

Now move to the story of your upper extremities,

Your shoulders,

Your arms,

Your elbows,

Your forearms,

Your wrists,

Your hands,

Your fingers.

The part of you that is reaching,

Holding,

Caring,

Creating,

Writing,

Typing,

Driving,

Comforting,

Clenching,

Relaxing,

Lifting.

Your upper extremities that allow you to engage with another person that are the conduit for connection that transfer warmth from your hand to another that can hold another person,

But the same upper extremities and arms can hold yourself,

Keeping you warm,

Bracing you from the world.

These are your arms that have created your story that can tell most of your story.

Hold yourself now if you feel like it and offer gratitude for these arms and hands that help you along your way.

And again from inside your hands,

Feel the aliveness,

Maybe a warmth,

Tingle,

Tightness.

Notice your hands move ever so slightly.

The true story of your hands,

Offer gratitude for everything your hands do.

Offer gratitude to yourself with a warm hug.

Move up next to your neck,

Which right now is the connection from your brain to your body.

That is true.

Your neck which can be turning,

Moving,

Looking,

Supporting your head,

Speaking your truth,

Allowing your words and your story to come forth.

In your neck there are hormones,

Glands,

Secreting your neck which is the passageway from the air outside to the air within you,

From the intelligence in your mind to the reaction of your body.

Your throat which has the wisdom to keep the food in your digestive track and the air in your lungs.

Notice the air traveling through your neck.

All these things are true.

Once again focus here and offer gratitude on the inside to the space inside your windpipe,

To the muscles of your neck,

To the glands,

The tissues,

The ligaments,

The bones of your spine.

Again grateful for the movement,

The flexibility,

Even if it's not what it once was,

Gratitude for everything that is.

If there is lack and need,

Allow your body to direct your resources and energy right where they need to be.

Move up next to your brain and right now your brain is an electrical powerhouse that is thinking,

Creating,

Signaling,

Processing,

Assimilating,

Guiding,

Directing,

Coordinating,

Without you thinking any of it.

It just happens.

The magic of independent thought is a bonus.

Everything that's going on inside your brain right now,

Blood flowing,

Bringing nutrition,

Glucose that is so necessary for brain function.

The brain which is in a parasympathetic relaxed state,

Because it feels safe it can turn your resources to the parts of your body that need them most.

It is the conductor of your orchestra making everything work together.

Allow calmness to wash across your brain,

Your head,

Your skull,

Your scalp.

Relax.

Let energy flow away from you and with a soft and gentle thought thank your brain again for its magical,

Magical powers,

Its ideas,

The subconscious things that happen without you knowing it,

And your brain which is constantly evolving and changing,

The brain which knows the story of you,

And the brain which can decide which parts of the story of you you will hold on to.

Move next to your eyes,

Relax your forehead,

Notice the movement in your eyes,

The presence of your eyes,

The muscles around your eyes,

And what is true is your eyes are sensing,

They're signaling,

They're moving,

They're blinking,

And even with your eyes closed they're seeing,

They're creating images whether it's from the light of the outside or the images on the inside.

Blood is flowing in the smallest of vessels to your retina,

A retina that carries signals that help shape your vision,

The blood flow that can bring healing,

Perhaps new growth of small microscopic blood vessels to improve your vision and your eyesight.

Relax,

Receive,

Let peace and warmth and goodness come to your eyes,

Notice your lashes,

Your lids,

The space between your eyes,

The muscles behind your eyes,

Let all of this relax,

Once again offer gratefulness and gratitude for what your eyes can do and what is true about your eyes.

Wanting now to focus on your body as a whole,

As a system of interconnected parts of your physical body,

Your mind,

And your spirit,

Working in a choreographed dance to carry out functions of your body that are hard to describe or even fathom,

Doing all this every day without your knowledge.

And so at this time we call on our inner wisdom,

Our inner self,

And we know that right now this is true for you,

You are healing,

You are breathing,

You are repairing,

Your body is constantly adjusting,

Always balancing,

Forever integrating information,

Reacting to the world around you,

Preparing for that which is to come,

Loving,

Seeking kindness,

And you are here because you are being from this deep part within you.

Feel the aliveness of you,

See if you can focus in on the blood flowing through your veins,

The warmth of your skin,

The feel of your breath,

Perhaps the digestion and movement in your abdomen,

The feel of your eyeballs underneath the lids,

Your body adjusting and adapting with each breath,

Constantly giving,

Constantly receiving,

And sit and feel this aliveness that is within you because you are alive,

This is your true story.

And from this place of peace and calm and truth,

We will repeat the affirmations for tonight,

I am here,

I am in charge,

I am living my life,

I am having amazing experiences,

I am authentic,

I am the narrator of my story,

I am grateful to the challenges that have taught me lessons,

I am at peace,

I am worthy,

I am wise and strong,

I am okay,

I am here,

I am happy,

And I am living my true story.

So I want you to notice how you feel,

Feel the peace,

Feel what your body feels like to not be rushed,

To be receptive,

To be kind to your physical self,

To tap into your spiritual self that is the true author of your story,

And to come into agreement with your mental self,

Your mind,

About the story that can be true for you.

And remember that that story is changing always,

No matter what the past,

No matter what someone else said,

No matter what you think someone else is thinking,

Your story is yours.

You are the only one who will ever see it or know it or look out the eyes to see your version of the world and that is amazing.

So from this place if you're going to nod off to sleep,

Goodnight.

I wish you peace,

I wish you healing,

I wish you a lot of parasympathetic goodness,

Those deep breaths that can shift you from worry and fear into a place of calm where options are bigger,

Where your truth is more profound,

Where you're less reactive,

And where your energy can truly help heal yourself from the inside out.

And if you're ready to move on with your morning or day or depending on what time in the world you are,

I'll have you take a deep breath and bring that peace with you back into the present moment.

Open your eyes,

Breathe again.

Notice how good it feels to be relaxed.

Notice that you're okay.

Notice that you gifted yourself with this beautiful experience.

May today be filled with goodness,

Light,

And love.

Be well.