Welcome to this meditation and gentle self-compassion practice.
Find your way to a comfortable position,
Maybe lying down,
Maybe sitting,
Whatever your body is asking for.
And if it feels comfortable for you,
Let your eyes close.
Take a slow breath in through the nose.
And a long soft sigh out through the mouth One more breathing in.
And letting your body get heavier on the way out.
Feel how the breath is filling the belly the ribcage and the chest creating space from the inside Gently letting go on the exhale,
Softening,
Relaxing.
Letting your body get heavier.
Sinking slightly deeper into the surface beneath you.
You don't have to carry anything in this moment.
Let your body be carried Maybe breathe into an area that feels constricted,
Tight or heavy.
Gently opening it up from the inside gently bringing some awareness and space into that area Just know this awareness.
Without needing to change.
Or needing to fix it.
Just if you notice any tension,
Constriction or heaviness Breathe into that space.
And then maybe bring some lightness into it If you haven't done so yet,
Let the breath return to its own rhythm.
You don't have to do anything with it.
Just let it carry you.
Just notice how it's moving in and out of the body Gentle wave.
Arising and falling.
An ever-present motion in your body.
And I want to speak gently with you today.
About the parts of you that have worked so hard.
Each of us wears versions of ourselves into the world.
The strong one.
The capable one.
The kind one.
The one who doesn't ask for too much.
The one who has it together.
The one who knows what to say.
These versions are not flaws.
They were the careful work of a younger you,
Who looked at the world,
Sensed what it would and would not love,
And quietly went about the business of staying safe.
The masks were off.
Wearing them was survival.
And bring to mind now one of those masks.
Maybe the one that feels heaviest right now The version of yourself you've been performing for so long,
It feels almost like your skin.
Don't try to take it off,
Just look at it,
Notice it.
And notice how long you've been wearing it.
Notice what it has done for you.
Where it has kept you safe.
What it has helped you survive.
Who it allowed you to be loved by.
And now,
Very softly,
See if you can say to that part of you Thank you.
You were love.
You did your job.
And you did it for a long time.
I see you.
And then even more softly.
You can rest now.
I'm here.
I can be the one who decides what we wear tomorrow.
Notice what happens in your body when you say that Maybe a softening in the chest.
Maybe a tear.
Maybe a long exhale you didn't know you were holding.
This is what it feels like when a part of you that has been working so hard finally gets to rest.
Stay here.
Let your whole body soak in the relief of not having to hold this particular mask up for a few minutes.
You don't have to throw it away.
You may still need it tomorrow,
That's okay.
But underneath the mask The one that has been so well trained,
So well rehearsed.
There is someone simpler.
The one the mask was protecting all along.
He or she has been waiting for you.
And he or she is so glad you came.
Maybe bring a hand to your heart.
To both the mask and the one beneath it.
They are both you,
They are both welcome and just notice what you feel in your body now whatever you're feeling.
Is OK.
Maybe take one more slow,
Deep breath into the whole body.
Letting go of what wants to let go of on the exhale.
Now when you're ready,
Bring soft movement back into your fingers,
Your toes.
And whenever you return to your day,
Return more softly than you left.
You don't have to hold it all together every minute of every day.
Are some moments when you are allowed to simply be the one underneath.
Thank you for breathing with me.
