So let's just begin by taking a moment to get yourself comfortable.
Now this meditation is called Give Yourself Permission This Christmas.
So you can sit or lie down.
And if you haven't already done so,
Just gently closing the eyes down.
There's nowhere to go and there's nothing that needs done right now.
Apart from being here.
Give yourself full permission to let go of the to-do lists and give your undivided attention to this moment.
Taking a slow breath in through the nose and softly release it through the mouth.
Again,
Breathing in.
Arriving right here into the space,
Into the present moment.
Allowing the forehead to relax.
The jaw.
Become aware of your shoulders.
If there's any tension,
Just take a breath.
And on the out-breath,
Let go and just allow them to drop down and release.
Allow your muscles in your back to melt down and soften.
Relaxing the chest,
The abdomen.
Gently moving down to the hips.
The legs and up the way down to the soles of your feet.
Feeling relaxed,
Calm and present.
There's nothing to fix.
Nothing to prove.
Christmas can bring a lot with it.
Expectations,
Traditions.
Unspoken rules about how we should show up or who we should see.
How we should feel.
You don't have to do any of it.
Taking another breath.
And as you breathe out,
Just imagine releasing the weight of expectation from your body.
You are allowed to put down those expectations.
And if it feels right,
I invite you to place a hand on your heart.
And let these words land,
Not just in your mind,
But in your body.
You are allowed to do what you want this Christmas.
You are allowed to not attend gatherings.
You are allowed to not explain yourself.
You are allowed to choose rest over obligation.
You don't need permission from anyone else.
Give it to yourself now.
Imagine for a moment that all the shoulds are gently drifting away from you.
Like mist dissolving.
What remains is something much truer.
Your needs.
Your nervous system.
Your inner wisdom.
Just notice how your body responds when it releases.
And when it realises that it doesn't have to perform to please or to push.
Let that knowing settle.
Now I invite you to turn inward.
Come inward.
As if you are turning towards yourself after a long time away.
And imagine stepping into your own inner space.
A place that feels safe,
Quiet and entirely yours.
Here there is no noise.
No demands.
No expectations.
This is where you come back to yourself.
And from this place I invite you to gently ask.
What do I need this Christmas?
There is no rush.
There is no pressure to know.
Just listen.
Your body knows.
Maybe what you need is space.
Or stillness.
Or solitude.
Maybe you need softness,
Simplicity or silence.
Whatever arises is valid.
This,
This listening is the real gift.
Not the one wrapped up for others but the one you give to yourself.
Let these words anchor deeply within you.
Gently repeat or you can whisper.
I honour my needs.
I trust myself.
I choose peace over pressure.
I am allowed to step back.
I am allowed to rest.
Allow yourself to embody these words.
Allow yourself to be in this space.
And just notice how your body responds when it is met with kindness instead of demand.
This is what self-respect feels like.
And remember this.
You don't owe anyone your energy.
Your worth is not measured by your presence at a table.
Choosing yourself is not selfish.
It is sacred.
And as we begin to close.
Take a deeper breath in.
And slowly release.
Gently bring awareness back to your body.
The surface beneath you.
Maybe wiggle your fingers and toes.
Stretch.
This Christmas,
May you give yourself the gift of coming home to your own needs.
And when you are ready.
You can gently open your eyes.
