Hello,
And welcome back to session three of Stillness Speaks.
I'm Colleen,
And today's practice is called The Protector's Heart,
An exploration of balancing strength with kindness.
In high school,
I started to find my voice,
Often too loud,
Too fierce,
More brave than afraid.
I stood up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves.
But if I'm being truthful,
My voice was often fueled more by anger than by love.
Over the years,
I learned to soften,
To let go of the fight in my body and open my heart,
To protect,
Not with walls and sharp edges,
But with compassion at the center.
Today we'll practice finding that balance,
Connecting with your own inner protector,
And anchoring it in kindness.
Let's begin.
Please find a comfortable place to land,
Letting your body arrive fully in this moment.
Feel the steadiness of the ground beneath you.
Let your shoulders drop down and your jaw release.
Soften your belly,
Allowing your breath to move more freely.
In your mind's eye,
Imagine a protector,
Strong,
Steady,
Unshakable.
It might be you in your strongest form,
Or something else entirely.
Notice how it feels to stand in that strength.
And now,
Imagine weaving kindness through it,
Softening the sharp edges.
Allowing your strength to protect,
Not harm,
To hold,
Not push away.
Allowing your hands to rest gently,
Releasing any grasp,
Slowing your breath down.
Breathing in and out through your nose.
No rush,
Just an easy rhythm.
On your next inhale,
Silently repeat to yourself,
Strength.
On your exhale,
Silently repeat kindness.
Again,
Inhale strength.
Exhale kindness.
Once more,
On your own.
Let the words and the breath work together,
Building an inner protector that is both powerful and kind.
Now,
Simply be here,
In this space where strength and kindness meet.
Let your awareness rest in the steadiness of your own heartbeat.
When thoughts pull you away,
Return to your breath.
Inhaling strength.
Exhaling kindness.
My voice will be quiet for a little while.
Rest here in the stillness.
When you're ready,
Slowly bring your awareness back to the sounds around you.
Feel the earth beneath you.
Gently move your fingers and toes.
Roll your shoulders.
Take a deep breath in.
And a deeper breath out.
When it feels right,
Open your eyes.
Strength and kindness are not opposites,
They are companions.
One steadies you,
The other softens you.
Together they create a protector's heart.
May you be well.
May you trust your own inner wisdom.
And may you always know strength and kindness.
