Let Your Heart Rest - Holiday Edition

A gentle space for anyone feeling tender this season.

This short meditation is created for the moments when the holidays feel heavy. When you’re overwhelmed, grieving, exhausted, or carrying emotions you can’t quite name. With soft, soothing guidance, you’ll be invited to breathe, release tension, and let your heart rest without needing to be cheerful, strong, or “okay.”

Through warm imagery and gentle heart-focused breathing, this practice helps quiet the noise of the season and bring you back to a place of inner stillness and compassion. Nothing is forced. Nothing has to be fixed. You’re simply held with softness, with understanding, with space to feel what you feel.

Come as you are. Breathe. Let your heart rest for a moment.

Transcript

Hello sweet soul.

Welcome to your meditation.

I'm Julian Arce and I'll be your guide during this time.

I invite you to take a slow breath and allow your whole body to just begin to settle.

You don't have to be okay right now.

You don't have to be cheery or bright or hold it all together for anyone.

This is a quiet place for your tender heart to rest,

Where nothing is asked of you except to breathe.

Inhale gently and exhale slowly.

Let yourself land right here.

The holidays can stir up so much joy and connection,

But also exhaustion,

Overwhelm,

Loneliness,

Old memories,

Grief that returns when you least expect it.

If you're carrying something heavy,

Just notice it.

Not to fix it.

Not to push it down.

Just to acknowledge,

Yes,

I'm holding a lot right now.

Let your breath be soft around whatever you feel.

Place a gentle hand over your heart if that feels comforting.

If not,

Just allow your awareness to be there.

Your next inhale,

Imagine your breath creating space around the tightness in your chest.

As you exhale,

Let that space soften just a little.

Inhale.

Inhale space.

Exhale softness.

Inhale warmth.

Exhale release.

Now let the breath loosen the grip of whatever has been sitting on your heart.

Nothing forced.

Nothing rushed.

Just softening.

Just ease.

Imagine all the noise of the season.

The expectations.

The rushing.

The old emotions.

The pressure to feel a certain way.

Slowly fading into the background.

Like turning down the dimmer on a room that's too bright.

Let everything outside of you grow quieter,

Softer,

And further away.

Let your own presence become the warmest thing in the room.

Here you are allowed to rest.

Here you are allowed to feel.

Here you are allowed to breathe.

Without holding anything together.

Now imagine a gentle warmth spreading across your heart,

Like a small glowing light being placed gently in your chest.

This light doesn't fix everything.

It doesn't erase your pain.

It simply holds you.

With tenderness.

With compassion.

With love.

Let yourself receive it.

Let yourself soften into it.

And take one last deep breath.

A warm breath in,

And a slow releasing breath out.

Let your heart feel held.

Let your nervous system settle.

Let your whole being rest in this small moment of the holiday softness.

You can return here anytime you need a quiet place.

A quiet place to breathe,

To feel,

And to let your heart rest.

This meditation served you.

I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.

Namaste.