Find a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
And allow your body to settle.
Let your shoulders drop,
Your jaw unclench,
And your breath flow naturally.
Take a slow,
Deep inhale through your nose,
And exhale gently through your mouth.
With each breath,
Imagine yourself arriving,
Fully here,
In this moment.
Now begin to notice the quiet landscape of your mind.
Thoughts may drift in and out,
Some gentle,
Some sharp.
You might even hear that familiar inner voice.
The one that doubts,
Criticizes,
Or pushes you to do better.
For now,
Don't argue with it or push it away.
Simply notice that it's here.
This is the part of you we'll get to know today.
Not to silence or fight,
But to understand and gently reframe.
Take another slow breath in,
And as you exhale,
Soften the space around your thoughts.
You're safe to explore whatever arises.
Now bring your attention to that inner voice.
The one that tends to speak the loudest when you make a mistake,
Hesitate,
Or feel unsure.
Instead of turning away,
Imagine gently inviting it to sit across from you.
Like an old companion who's been trying,
In its own clumsy way,
To keep you safe.
Notice its tone.
Does it sound harsh,
Demanding,
Maybe even scared?
See if you can recognize that beneath the criticism,
There's usually a kind of worry.
A belief that if it pushes hard enough,
It can protect you from rejection,
Failure,
Or disappointment.
You might say to it,
Quietly in your mind.
I see you.
I know you're trying to help,
Even if your words sting.
There's no need to argue or defend yourself.
Just observe.
Notice how it feels to acknowledge the critic,
Without letting it take over.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Imagine a little more space opening up between you and that voice.
You are not the critic.
You're the one who's listening.
Now that you've met your inner critic,
Begin to listen closely to what it says.
What are its favorite lines?
The ones that echo most often in your mind.
Maybe it whispers,
You're not good enough.
Or,
You always mess things up.
Perhaps it tells you,
You should be doing more.
Let the words come to the surface.
But don't believe them.
Just notice them.
Now,
Take a gentle step back and ask yourself.
What is this voice afraid of?
Beneath every harsh message,
There's often a fear.
Of failure,
Rejection,
Or not being loved.
Let that awareness soften your perspective.
This voice isn't evil or broken.
It's protective.
It learned to warn you,
Because it thought you needed guarding.
You might say quietly,
I understand now.
You are trying to help me avoid pain.
As you breathe in,
Imagine compassion flowing toward that part of you.
A steady,
Warm light surrounding it.
And as you exhale,
Release the need to fight with it.
You're not silencing the critic.
You're learning to see the intention beneath its words.
Now that you understand your inner critic's fears,
Let's offer it a new way to speak.
Imagine looking at that voice across from you.
The one that once said,
You're not enough.
Take a slow,
Steady breath in.
And as you exhale,
Soften your response.
If a close friend came to you with those same words,
I always fail,
Or I'm such a mess.
How would you respond?
You wouldn't scold them.
You'd comfort them.
You might say,
You're learning.
You're doing your best.
Let yourself offer the same kindness inward now.
Say softly in your mind,
I can be kind to myself and still grow.
I don't need to be perfect to be worthy.
This moment is another chance to begin again.
Notice how your body feels as you speak to yourself this way.
Perhaps a loosening in the chest,
A quiet warmth behind the heart.
You're not erasing the inner critic.
You're retraining it,
Teaching it to use a gentler voice.
As this practice comes to a close,
Take one more deep,
Steady breath in.
And exhale slowly,
Releasing any tension that remains.
Notice the quiet now,
The space where the critic's voice has softened.
You've learned that you can meet even your harshest thoughts with understanding.
You don't have to silence them,
Only to listen,
Translate and respond with care.
Repeat quietly to yourself,
I'm learning to be on my own side.
I can speak to myself with kindness.
Feel the calm in your breath,
The weight of your body supported beneath you.
And the steady awareness that you can return to this space anytime.
When you're ready,
Take one final full breath.
And as you exhale,
Open your eyes,
Carry this gentler voice with you.
One that sees your effort,
Your growth and your humanity with compassion.
