Welcome to this meditation.
My name is Anissa and I created it with you in mind.
And if you're someone who holds everything together,
Who plans ahead,
Anticipates problem,
Carries more than you share so nothing falls through the cracks,
Then this is for you.
The same grip that makes you dependable,
Capable,
The one people count on can quietly wear you down.
The clenched jaw.
The shoulders that never quite drop.
The mind that won't stop managing.
And for the next few minutes,
You don't have to hold anything.
Nothing to fix,
Plan or perform.
Just arrive and let's begin.
Find a comfortable seat or lie down if that feels better.
Let your spine be tall but not rigid.
There's nothing to achieve here.
Nowhere to be,
But exactly where you are.
Let your hands rest open,
Palm facing up.
This small gesture matters.
It's the physical obesity of gripping,
And the body listens to what the hands do.
Gently close your eyes.
Breathe in.
And a long,
Unhurried exhale.
Let the shoulders fall as the air leaves.
And one more time,
In and out.
Notice something simple.
The breath doesn't need your management.
It's been rising and falling all day without a single instruction from you.
It knows what to do.
And now,
Without forcing anything,
Let your attention turn inwards.
And bring to mind the thing you've been holding too tightly.
Maybe it's a person you're trying to protect or fix.
Maybe it's a plan,
An outcome,
A timeline.
Maybe it's the way things are supposed to go.
The version in your head that reality keeps refusing to match.
You don't need to solve it right now.
Just let it come into view.
Notice where that holding lives in your body and scan,
Slowly.
Is there a clench in your jaw?
A tightness across your shoulders?
A held breath in your chest?
A breathing in your stomach?
Wherever you find it,
Don't push it away.
Just rest your attention there,
The way you'd place a warm hand on a sore muscle.
And say to yourself,
Silently.
I see where I'm holding.
And now,
On your next exhale,
Invite that place to soften by just 10%.
Not all the way.
You don't have to release everything at once.
Just a little.
Just enough to feel the difference.
And clench the jaw.
Let the piece part slightly.
Let the shoulders lie down,
Away from the ears.
And let the belly be soft.
Let the breath move all the way down into it.
And now,
Let the breath carry a few words.
You don't have to believe them fully.
Just let them land.
Breathing in,
I don't have to hold all of this.
And breathing out,
I let it be as it is.
Again in your own time.
Breathing in,
I'm safe even when I'm not in control.
And breathing out,
I release the grip.
Control can feel like safety.
And when you manage every detail,
Hold every thread,
Anticipate every problem,
It feels like that's what keeps everything from falling apart.
But notice the cost,
The tension,
The exhaustion of being the one who holds it all.
There's another kind of safety.
One that doesn't come from tension,
But from trust.
And your body can learn it.
You're learning it right now.
Feel your open palms again.
Feel the air against them.
And now imagine gently setting down what you've been carrying just for these next few moments.
Picture placing it on a table in front of you or setting it on the ground beside you.
It doesn't disappear.
It's still there.
You can pick it back up later if you choose to.
Putting it down is not the same as losing it.
It's not the same as giving up.
You are simply resting.
Notice how the body feels when it isn't managing everything.
Lighter maybe.
A little more space in the chest,
A little more room to breathe.
And stay here for a moment,
Empty hands,
Nothing to hold,
Nothing to fix.
The world is still turning and it doesn't require your grip to keep spinning.
And slowly.
Begin to bring more energy into the breath and let it deepen.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Feel the surface beneath you supporting you,
As it has been the whole time.
And before you open your eyes,
Take one thought with you into the rest of your day.
Not everything needs my grip to stay upright.
You can hold things with an open hand,
Care deeply and still let go.
Show up fully and still trust.
And when you're ready,
No rush,
Gently open your eyes and return.
Much Love!
Much health,
Much peace.
Vanessa.
Love you all.
