Welcome to this meditation for caregivers,
Specifically for those loving someone through dementia.
Finding yourself a quiet place if you can.
You can be seated or lying down.
Just get yourself comfortable,
Loosen any tight clothing.
And if it's available to you,
Closing your eyes or softening your gaze.
And take a deep breath in and gently let it go.
And again with more intention now,
Bringing an inhale so you can feel your body rising and filling with fresh air.
And exhaling,
Releasing any stale air.
And again,
Breathing in gently and fully,
Maybe noticing the pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.
And exhaling,
And you may notice as you do this or you may invite your shoulders to drop.
Releasing the tension through your shoulders.
And you may invite your belly to soften as the air moves in and out.
And you may invite your body to know that it is safe to take these precious moments out and have a pause here to recharge your batteries.
And bringing your attention inwards now.
This quiet space inside you,
This inner landscape,
Carries so much and often goes unnoticed.
There is parts of you that love and care so much.
There are parts of you that grieve and feel sadness for what was.
And there may be parts of you that remember how things used to be.
Know that all of this is welcome and this is okay.
We are observing with no judgement or shame or needing to fix or change anything.
Acknowledging what is here.
And we are offering what is here space to breathe,
Not to manage or solve.
Simply space to open and release.
And if it feels right to you and if it feels true,
Repeat after me,
I am doing my best.
And this is so hard.
And I know it's okay to feel all of this.
And now bring your mind to something you may be finding challenging.
Maybe it's a painful memory,
Some confusion,
Aversion of who they used to be.
Maybe it's a sadness for the way they are trying to figure it all out.
Maybe it's a bit of self-compassion for the way that you repeat and explain repeatedly.
Or maybe it's a version of you or them that feels so far away that you don't know what to do.
It can be any or all of these or it may be something different.
But if something resonates with you right now,
Say silently to yourself,
I acknowledge this.
I know this to be true.
And I'm learning to let go.
Not all at once,
But breath by breath.
So you're naming gently without judging.
And you may want to label your breath.
Label the breath,
Inhale,
Acceptance.
And exhale,
Letting go.
Or if that doesn't feel right,
You can inhale,
This is hard.
And exhale,
But I don't need to hold it all.
Or maybe finding your own labels.
And know that letting go doesn't mean forgetting or giving up.
It means making space so that the care can still move with more contentment.
More softness and grace,
Even in the midst of constant change.
Letting go means making peace with the now.
Releasing,
Knowing,
Even if it isn't what you had hoped for.
And with one hand over your heart and one hand over your belly,
If this feels right.
Repeating after me,
I accept what is here.
I release what I no longer need to carry.
And I make space for grace.
Let these words ripple gently through you.
Returning to the body.
Feeling the floor beneath you.
Feeling all those points of contact with the support beneath you.
You know that you have taken these precious moments out to rest and rejuvenate with your body and your breath.
And as you take one last deep breath in and out,
Inhale softness.
And exhale permission.
And know that you are still here.
And you are loving.
And you are doing an absolutely awesome job.
Namaste.
Have a good day.
