For SEN Parents

A short guided meditation for parents and carers of children with special educational needs, neurodivergence and/or a disability.

You probably spend a lot of your time looking after everyone else. This short meditation is a chance to pause and look after you.

As a parent of two children, one with Autism and ADHD and the other with ADHD, Emma finds it helpful to continually return to the present moment, which is what this meditation offers.

This practice acknowledges the relentless emotional load and offers a gentle pause. You don’t need any experience. Just press play, take a breath, and let this be a few minutes that are just for you.

Transcript

Wherever you are, Whatever you are doing. If it feels appropriate or comfortable to do so, You may place a hand on your belly and a hand on your chest. As parents or carers of children with special educational needs. Neurodivergence and or a disability, It can be particularly hard to find a moment for yourself. There's always so much to do, Daily decisions to be made and often big decisions too. And then there's the emotional load. It can feel relentless. This is a gentle reminder that you are doing your best. You are enough. You deserve kindness and self-compassion too. One thing I find helpful is finding my way back to the present moment. Over and over again. All it takes is a few minutes and that is what I hope to offer you. So let's begin. Everything you have been through is valid. Everything you have been through has happened up until this moment. All the worries and anxiety you have about the future and the things that may or may not happen. Are valid. They are the things that may or may not happen after this moment. Let's find the space in between. Between what's happened up until this moment. And what might happen after this moment. An invitation to just be here. You might find it grounding to notice the sounds around you. As you can only be present to the sounds. In this moment. Nothing for you to do. Letting your awareness be with each sound. Nothing you need to try to do. In fact, You can stop trying so hard here. I see how much you are silently carrying. In this moment, You can just be. Bringing awareness now to the sensation of the breath at the tip of the nose or top of the lips. Noticing the inhale and the exhale. You cannot take a breath from the past. You cannot breathe in the future. You can only breathe in this moment now. Between past and future. So inquire into the possibility of letting the breath anchor you. Each inhale and exhale here. Now. Each breath unfolding as each moment unfolds. Moment by moment by moment. Silently repeating to yourself, I am here. This is now. I am here. This is now. Doing that for a few moments. The invitation is to do this with the breath, If that feels comfortable. So you could inhale as you repeat in your mind, I am here. Exhaling this is now. Inhaling I am here. Exhaling this is now. If you're still repeating the words, Let them go. Let the awareness and the breath settle. I would like to finish by inviting you to take a deep breath in, Breathing in self-compassion. And as you exhale, Letting go of self-judgment. Taking another deep breath in, Breathing in forgiveness. And as you exhale, Letting go of what you cannot control. Finally, Inhaling the biggest amount of love for yourself. And exhaling love back out into the world. Thank you for sharing your practice with me. Perhaps this practice resonated with you or perhaps not today. Either way, That's okay. You can return to this practice any time it feels helpful.