You Were Never Lost

Beneath the stories you’ve learned to tell about yourself, beneath the roles you’ve taken on to belong, to be safe, or to be loved, there is an essence that has never needed fixing. Your essence is not your personality, your history, your fears, or your coping strategies. Those are layers shaped by life — intelligent, protective, and understandable. But essence is simpler than all of that. It is the quiet sense of being here, the presence that remains when nothing needs to be explained or improved. You do not need to build this essence, earn it, or fully understand it. You only need to notice that it is already here.

Transcript

Begin by settling into a position that feels supportive,

Allowing your body to rest without effort.

Let your shoulders soften,

Your jaw unclench and your hands relax.

If it feels comfortable,

Gently close your eyes or lower your gaze and take a slow,

Natural breath in,

Followed by a long,

Unhurried breath out.

Allow the breath to find its own rhythm,

Trusting the body to breathe itself.

As you settle,

Begin to notice the subtle sensations of being in a body.

The weight of your body meeting the surface beneath you.

The quiet pull of gravity holding you without asking anything in return.

Let yourself be supported here,

Noticing that you do not have to hold yourself together at this moment.

Thoughts may continue to arise,

And that is completely natural.

Rather than engaging with them,

Simply notice that they are happening within awareness.

You don't need to follow the content of the thoughts or try to stop them.

Let them move through like gentle ripples on water,

While something deeper remains still underneath.

Now,

Allow your attention to gently turn inward,

Towards sensing.

Sense into the space behind the thoughts,

Beneath the stories,

Beneath the familiar sense of me.

Without trying to define it,

Notice what is already here when nothing needs to be solved.

Perhaps you sense a quiet presence,

A subtle aliveness,

Or a simple steady awareness that is aware of this moment.

Rest your attention there,

Not gripping it,

Not analyzing it,

Simply allowing yourself to be with it.

If the mind pulls you back into thinking,

That's okay.

Each time you notice,

Gently return to sensing,

To the feeling of being here,

Breathing,

Alive.

There is no right way to experience this,

Whatever you notice is enough.

You might begin to sense that this presence does not come and go in the same way thoughts do.

It does not rush or judge.

It does not need to prove itself.

It simply is.

Allow yourself to rest here for a few moments,

Letting the nervous system soften as it recognizes that nothing is required.

Stay with this simple awareness for a few more breaths,

Allowing the experience to deepen naturally,

Without forcing or expectation.

And when you feel ready,

Slowly begin to reorient to the space around you,

Gently moving the body in small ways.

And opening your eyes when it feels right.

Reviews

That was so beautiful and calming. Happy New Year to you, Mariana