Hello,
Dear one.
Welcome to Inner Haven.
I am Megan,
And I will be your guide today.
If your body has been holding tension for a long time,
Staying alert,
Bracing,
Pushing through,
This practice is an invitation to soften out of survival mode for a few moments.
Not all at once.
Not perfectly Just gently.
Let's begin by settling into a comfortable position sitting,
Lying down,
Gently supported by something that feels safe and comfortable And if it feels okay.
Allow your posture to soften slightly.
There's no need to sit perfectly straight here.
No need to hold yourself so tightly.
Once you're settled.
Take a moment and ask yourself.
What would help me feel 1% more supported right now.
Maybe adjusting slightly Taking a deep breath Grabbing a blanket.
Just anything that would make your upcoming practice a little more supported.
Feel free to pause the meditation if you need to take a moment to resource yourself and come back when you feel fully supported.
Now,
Take a slow breath in Then a long breath out,
Feeling your body soften.
Again,
Breathing in softly and slowly releasing Bring your awareness to the back of your body back of your head.
Back of your shoulders.
Their spine.
The back of your hips.
Notice your glutes the back of your legs their heels.
Noticing the support behind you So often survival mode asks us to stay forward.
Watching,
Preparing,
Protecting.
I invite you for these next few moments to allow yourself to feel supported from behind as though the surface beneath you is helping you hold some of the weight Really leaning into your back body if it feels good to you I invite you to place your hands gently on your lower belly or wherever else feels most supportive.
And as you inhale,
Let the belly soften outward slightly.
And as you exhale,
Allow it to relax completely.
No holding in.
No bracing.
Again,
Inhale,
Let the belly soften outward And exhale,
Allow it to relax completely into whatever shape feels most natural.
Survival mode often teaches the body to stay tight,
Guarded,
To stay ready.
But right now,
Your body does not need to fight so hard.
If it feels supportive.
Gently shrug your shoulders up towards your ears,
Holding just a little tension there.
And then exhale as you let them drop completely Again lifting up towards your ears,
Your shoulders toward your ears,
Holding a little tension here And releasing.
One more time.
Inhale,
Lift.
Notice the difference between gripping.
And exhale,
Notice the difference between letting go now soften your jaw if that feels good,
Unclench your teeth Let the tongue rest gently Allow the muscles around the eyes to relax Taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out,
Softening your whole face Bring one hand over your heart and one over your belly if that feels good.
Feel the warmth of your own touch.
The steadiness of your own breathing in the support of this moment.
Your nervous system learned these protective responses for a reason No,
There is nothing wrong with your body.
It has been trying to care for you in the best way it knows how.
And right now,
You are offering it something new.
A pause.
A breath.
A moment without urgency.
A moment where nothing is being asked of you.
Take one more slow inhale and a long soft exhale Allow your body to soften just a little more if it wants to.
No pressure.
No forcing.
Just gentle support.
Even small moments like this matter deeply.
Keeping the hand over your heart and over your belly.
Thank yourself for taking this time.
To shift into a different mode of being.
Coming back to yourself in a gentle and kind way Taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out carrying this with you throughout your day knowing you can come back whenever it feels good to you.
I'll meet you again soon.
