Hi darling,
I'm so glad you decided to join me today.
Our inner critics can be loud so often,
And today we're not here to fight them,
We're here to befriend them.
So go ahead and find a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
Whatever your body needs today.
If it feels safe,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze,
And take a slow breath in and a long easy breath out,
Let yourself arrive right here,
Right now.
Begin to notice your breath,
Not foreseeing,
Just observing,
And then gently deepen it With each exhale,
Allow your shoulder and jaw to soften,
You don't have to be perfect here,
Now I want you to bring to mind that voice,
The one that judges and questions and tells you you're not enough,
Or you're doing it wrong.
Don't push it away,
Instead get curious,
Does it have a face,
A tone,
A feeling,
Does it sound like you,
Or maybe like someone from your past?
There's no right answer here,
Just notice.
And now gently imagine you're walking toward it,
Not with fear or frustration,
But with curiosity,
As if you're meeting a part of yourself that's been trying in its own way to protect you.
What do you see?
Notice how it looks,
How it shows up,
There's no need to change it,
Just see it.
And now imagine yourself sitting beside this inner critic,
Close enough to feel its presence looking at you with quiet awareness,
Gently reach out your hand and place it softly on its shoulder,
Just a steady grounding touch,
Let that touch say,
I'm here,
Befriend it.
This part of you doesn't need to be pushed away,
It needs to be attended to,
Witnessed,
Not rejected,
And as you sit together,
Begin to make a soft,
Gentle sound,
Just like you would to the baby,
Not to silence,
But to comfort,
And carry warmth,
Not rejection,
Let it wrap around this part of you like a quiet reassurance,
You don't need to fix it,
You don't need to fight it,
Just soothe it,
Feel how your body responds,
How your nervous system begins to soften,
Being held like being safe,
Your inner critic isn't your enemy,
It's a sacred part of you that learned to speak loudly because no one taught it how to be safe.
Stay here for a moment,
Hand on the shoulder,
If it feels natural,
And just notice if anything shifts,
Maybe it softens,
Maybe it quiets,
Maybe it just feels seen,
All of it is ok,
This part of you is not your enemy,
It just needed a different kind of care,
And today you gave it that,
You've begun to befriend your inner critic,
And that is powerful work for your well-being.
Take a deep breath in,
Soaking in the new sense of connection to the space around you,
Maybe wiggle your fingers and your toes,
And before you open your eyes,
Wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a gentle hug,
You did some meaningful work today,
You don't have to silence your inner critic to find peace,
Sometimes you just have to sit beside it,
Place a hand on its shoulder,
And remind it,
My heart sees yours.
