Welcome!
This practice is an invitation to honor the space where you end and others begin.
To feel where your limits are and to know deeply that you are allowed to protect your peace.
Go ahead and take a moment to settle in.
You can sit upright with your feet flat on the floor or find any position that helps you feel supported.
Let your hands rest softly in your lap or at your sides.
Gently let your shoulders fall,
Your breath slow,
And your attention turn inward.
If you feel safe,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
If not,
Let your gaze rest softly in front of you.
Go ahead and notice the weight of your body,
How the earth or chair is holding you.
You don't have to hold everything right now,
You just have to be here.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the inhale and the exhale.
Let each breath remind you of your presence,
Your edges,
Your shape,
Your aliveness.
Now move your awareness gently from the top of your head,
Down your neck,
Shoulders,
Down through your torso,
Hips,
Legs,
And feet.
Where do you feel expansive?
Where do you feel tight or guarded?
All of it is information.
You don't have to change anything,
You're just listening.
Now imagine yourself standing in an open space,
Somewhere peaceful.
It might be a quiet field,
A forest path,
Or even a beach at sunrise.
You are alone here,
Safe,
Fully in your body.
Now picture a soft glowing light beginning to form around you.
This light gently expands about an arm's length in every direction,
Above you,
Below you,
And all around you.
This is your boundary.
It's not a wall,
It's not aggression,
It's clarity.
You decide what gets close.
You decide what stays out.
You are not responsible for other people's reactions to your truth.
Let this boundary become stronger with each breath.
On an inhale,
Say to yourself,
I am safe within myself.
I am safe within myself.
And on the exhale,
Say,
I am allowed to take up space.
I am allowed to take up space.
Let's do it one more time.
On an inhale,
I am safe within myself.
And on an exhale.
Now imagine someone you often feel enmeshed with.
Maybe a partner,
Parent,
Friend,
Or even a client.
It could be even a colleague.
Just imagine them standing just outside this glowing field.
You can see them.
Maybe you care about them.
But you are no longer letting them live inside your nervous system.
Breathe.
Breathe.
This is what healthy separation feels like.
With each breath,
I want you to repeat softly in your mind.
Boundaries are not rejection.
They are self-respect.
Boundaries are not rejection.
They are self-respect.
I can stay connected and stay whole.
I can stay connected and stay whole.
Let those words ripple through your body.
As this visualization begins to fade,
Return to your breath.
Feel the steadiness you've created.
Feel your edges.
Your power.
This boundary is always with you.
Even when others don't like it.
Even when you forget for a moment,
It's still yours.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Go ahead.
Back to your body.
Back to yourself.
Let's take one final deep breath in.
And let it go.
I am able to protect my peace.
I am able to set boundaries with love and clarity.
