Hello and welcome.
This meditation is a space for anyone who is caring for others and carrying so much more than most people see.
Just know there is nothing you need to achieve here,
Nothing to fix or improve,
This is just a space for you to rest for a little while.
Find a position where your body feels supported,
Sitting or lying down is fine,
Letting your hands rest somewhere natural.
If it helps you imagine that for the next little while the world can wait.
Allow your eyes to gently close,
Feel the simple contact of your body with the surface beneath you,
Whether that's the chair,
The floor or the bed.
Allow gravity to do some of the work that you have been doing.
Take a slow breath in through the nose and an easy breath out through the mouth,
Again breathing in and out,
No special technique,
Just letting the breath remind your nervous system that it is safe to soften a little.
Bring awareness to your shoulders,
Caregivers often carry tension here,
Almost as if you are holding the whole world up.
On your next exhale,
Imagine the shoulders dropping just a few millimetres,
Not force but just allow them.
Notice the jaw,
The tongue,
The space around the eyes,
Allowing the muscles of the face to unclench.
Now feel the breath moving in the chest,
There is no need to deepen it,
Just notice that it is breathing for you.
Even when you are so exhausted,
The breath keeps on going,
Even when you feel alone,
This body keeps working for you.
Let the rhythm of breathing become a gentle rocking motion,
Like waves arriving and leaving,
Nothing to manage,
Nothing to supervise now,
For this moment you are not responsible for anyone else.
Caregiving asks such a lot,
It asks for patience when you are tired,
Strength even when you are scared,
Tenderness even when you feel empty.
You may be carrying worry that never really fully switches off,
Like a quiet background tension,
A constant state of readiness,
Let yourself acknowledge that,
There is no need to dramatise it or minimise it,
Simply notice,
This can be heavy for you.
And if you find emotions rise up here,
That is welcome,
Sadness,
Frustration,
Guilt,
Love,
Pure exhaustion,
They can all be present without needing to be sorted.
You do not have to be composed in this space,
Imagine placing the weight you carry into a basket beside you,
Not abandoning it,
Just setting it down temporarily.
You can pick it back up later when you need,
But for now,
Let your body remember what it feels like to be unburdened.
Now imagine that you are sitting in a wide steady field of support,
Not a specific place,
More like a presence,
It might feel like warm light surrounding your body,
Or strong hands at your back,
Or maybe the sense of leaning into something that will not collapse on you.
Let the image form in whatever way feels natural,
Feel that support behind your spine,
Beneath your ribs,
Encompassing your heart.
You are not holding yourself up alone in this moment.
If it helps,
Imagine that every caregiver everywhere is part of a quiet circle,
A shared human effort,
A shared tenderness.
You are one of many who love so deeply enough to carry this role,
Allow that circle to hold you safely,
Nothing is required of you here,
You are not duty,
You are the one being cared for here.
Let the breath move through that support as if each inhale draws steadiness in closer and each exhale releases a small layer of strain.
Place a hand gently over your chest if that feels comfortable for you,
Feel into the warmth of your own touch.
This is not indulgence,
It is maintenance for you the one who gives.
Silently repeat the following,
I am allowed to rest,
I am allowed to receive support,
I am doing more than enough.
Again repeat,
Even when I feel tired,
My care has meaning,
Even when I struggle,
I am human.
Imagine a soft glow spreading from the centre of your chest,
Steady,
Like embers that never fully go out.
This glow is your capacity to keep loving,
Keep loving without losing yourself.
Let it warm the places in you that feel worn thin,
There is nothing to force,
Replenishment happens quietly,
Like water soaking through into dry arid ground.
Now start to return awareness to the whole body resting here.
Notice any subtle changes,
Even small ones really do count,
Maybe a fraction more space in the chest,
A softer brow,
Maybe you notice a slower pulse.
Know that this state is not a fragile one,
You can revisit it,
Even if it's for a few breaths during a busy day.
The support you touched upon here is not imaginary,
It is a real capacity inside your nervous system to give you a reset.
You are not meant to carry everything alone,
Let that truth settle deep inside of you.
Begin to notice the room around you again,
The temperature of the air,
Distant sounds,
The surface beneath your body,
Gently wiggle the fingers slowly and the toes,
Take a fuller breath in and a steady flowing breath out.
Feel the weight of your body,
Feel the support that's still here,
The ground has not disappeared.
You return to your life,
Still held safely by it.
When you are ready,
Allow the eyes to open up softly,
Take your time sitting up or moving,
There is no rush,
And carry the memory of being supported within you.
And know that even in the middle of responsibility,
This space still exists for you inside.
And you can come back to it.
Thank you so much for practicing with me,
And more importantly for taking this time for yourself.
Have a beautiful rest of your day,
Go in peace.
Namaste.
