Greetings,
And welcome.
My name is Alexis Brightman,
And I want to invite you to arrive just as you are to this moment.
This meditation is for the part of you that has learned how to hold things together,
Quietly,
Consistently,
And often without being asked.
The part that adapted,
Anticipated,
Studied,
And carried more than was ever meant to be carried alone.
You don't need to fix anything here.
You don't need to understand everything that comes up.
You don't even need to fully let go.
This is simply a space to soften your grip,
To meet yourself beneath the roles,
Beneath the responsibility,
Beneath the strength that once kept you safe.
If emotions arise,
That's welcome.
If nothing arises,
That's welcome too.
Let this be a place where effort can rest even briefly,
Where control can loosen just enough to breathe.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and let your body be supported.
There's nowhere you need to get to.
There's nothing you need to manage right now.
If you feel comfortable,
I invite you to gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and an unhurried breath out through your mouth.
Let the day loosen its grip on you.
You don't need to hold everything together here.
Bring your attention to your shoulders.
Notice how much they're carrying.
Imagine that everything you've been responsible for,
Everyone you've had to anticipate,
Every version of yourself you've had to maintain is resting there.
You don't need to analyze it.
Just notice the weight.
With each exhale,
Imagine that weight softening,
Not disappearing,
Just loosening its hold.
Silently say to yourself,
I've been holding so much.
Breathe.
Then I invite you to say,
I didn't choose all of this.
I adapted.
Let that land.
Let your body register the truth of it.
Now imagine yourself as you are when no one is watching.
No expectations,
No performance,
No one to manage or reassure.
Who are you there?
You might notice quiet or uncertainty or maybe even relief.
Whatever shows up is welcome.
Gently say to yourself,
This is who I am when I don't have to be anything.
Notice if there's discomfort in that or grief or tenderness.
You're not doing this wrong.
You're just meeting a part of yourself that hasn't always had space.
Breathe into that space.
Now bring one hand to your chest,
The other to your stomach.
Feel your breath move beneath your palms.
Begin to repeat softly in your mind or out loud,
I don't have to hold everything.
Together.
Again,
I don't have to hold everything together.
Let the words move through you slowly like water.
Now another phrase,
It's safe to let go a little at a time.
Repeat it once more,
It's safe to let go a little at a time.
If your body resists,
That's okay.
Control once protected you.
Think it quietly for what it did.
Then gently add,
But I don't need it in the same way anymore.
Breathe.
Let your jaw soften.
Let your stomach relax.
Imagine the part of you that has always shown up.
The caretaker,
The strong one,
The reliable one.
Picture them stepping back,
Not disappearing,
Just resting.
Now imagine you stepping forward without a script,
Without a job to do.
Now,
Silently say,
I'm allowed to change.
I'm allowed to rest.
I'm allowed to be undefined.
Feel what it's like to not be needed for a moment and still be worthy.
Still be.
Return your attention to your breath in and notice your body now.
What feels softer?
What feels lighter,
Even slightly?
Whisper to yourself,
I can come back to myself.
There's no rush,
No finish line.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Carry this with you,
That knowing that you are more than who you have had to be and you don't have to let go all at once to begin living differently.
You are allowed to be human.
You are allowed to be free.
Until next time,
Be well.
