Hi guys and welcome.
My name is Kiana and I am a licensed professional counselor in the Pennsylvania area.
And so,
Today we are going to be doing a guided meditation that is called Meeting Your Shadow with Compassion.
During this practice,
I invite you to get comfortable,
Take breaks when needed,
And allow whatever comes up to come up.
Now before we begin,
We're going to take three deep breaths.
Taking an inhale through the nose.
Holding,
Exhaling.
Letting that go.
Taking another inhale.
Exhale.
One more time,
Inhaling.
And exhale.
I invite you to begin by finding a position that feels comfortable for your body.
You may close your eyes if that feels comfortable,
Or simply soften your gaze.
Before we turn inward.
I invite you to take a moment to notice the space around you.
Notice where you are.
Notice the sounds in the room.
Notice the surface supporting your body.
And remind yourself that you are here in this moment.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And allow yourself to exhale gently.
There is nothing you need to force.
Nothing you need to uncover.
And nothing you need to fix.
For the next few moments,
We're simply practicing curiosity.
If you feel comfortable.
I invite you to bring your attention towards your body.
And if you do not feel comfortable,
I invite you to just breathe.
But as you bring awareness towards your body.
Notice where you feel the most settled or neutral right now.
Maybe that's your feet against the floor.
Your back against the chair.
Your hands resting in your lap.
Or simply the movement of your breath.
Allow that place to become an anchor you can return to at any point during this practice.
Now I want you to think about a part of yourself that you sometimes struggle with.
Not your most painful memory.
Not your deepest wound.
Just a pattern or part of yourself that you sometimes judge Criticize hide,
Or wish you could change.
Maybe it's the part of you that overthinks.
The part that becomes defensive.
The part that people pleases.
The perfectionist.
The Procrastinator The part that gets angry.
The part that shuts down.
The part that needs reassurance.
The part that wants control.
Whatever comes to mind.
I invite you to allow it to be enough.
Taking a moment to notice here.
And using this moment as a gentle reminder to breathe.
And once you have this part,
Instead of asking.
How do I get rid of this part of me?
I invite you to ask something different.
What might this part be trying to do for me?
Taking a moment to reflect here.
Notice what happens inside your body when you ask that question.
You don't have to figure it out intellectually.
Simply notice.
Maybe an emotion appears.
A sensation.
An image,
A memory?
A word.
Or perhaps nothing appears at all.
There is no correct experience.
Now imagine.
That this part of you could sit somewhere nearby.
You don't have to bring it close.
Allow it to be whatever distance feels comfortable.
And simply observe it with curiosity.
You might silently ask.
What are you afraid will happen if you stop doing this for me?
And again,
Don't force an answer.
Just listen.
Maybe the perfectionist is afraid you'll fail.
Maybe the people pleaser is afraid you'll be rejected.
Maybe the port that shuts down learned that feeling nothing was safer than feeling everything.
Maybe anger learned that being powerful felt safer than being vulnerable.
Maybe your inner critic believed criticizing you first could somehow protect you from being criticized by someone else.
We don't have to approve of every behavior.
To understand where it came from.
And if it's okay.
I invite you to notice if anything shifts when you begin looking at this part,
Not as an enemy.
But it's something that may have learned a way of protecting you.
If it feels comfortable.
Place a hand somewhere on your body.
Your chest,
Your stomach.
Giving yourself a hug.
Or simply allow your hands to remain where they are.
And silently offer this part of yourself.
I see you.
I understand that you've been trying to protect me.
You don't have to disappear for me to heal.
We can learn another way.
Notice what happens in your body.
There may be softness.
There may be resistance.
There may be absolutely nothing.
All of those responses are welcome.
Compassion isn't forcing yourself to love every part of yourself.
Sometimes compassion begins with simply becoming willing to stop fighting yourself.
Take another slow breath.
And return your attention to your anchor.
Feel the surface underneath you.
Notice your feet.
Your hands,
The sounds around you.
Orient yourself back towards the room.
And before we finish,
I invite you to ask yourself one final question.
What does this part of me actually need from me now?
Not what did it need 10 years ago.
Not what did it need when this pattern began.
What does it need from the person I am today?
Maybe the answer is reassurance.
Rest.
Boundaries.
Permission to make mistakes.
Safety.
Connection.
Or simply acknowledgment.
Whatever comes up.
You don't have to act on it right now.
Just notice.
Take one fuller breath in.
And a long breath out.
Begin gently moving your fingers or your toes.
And whenever you're ready.
Allow your eyes to open or your gaze to lift.
And take your time coming back.
And carry this question with you.
What changes when I become curious about the parts of myself?
I've spent so much time criticizing.
Thank you for joining me today.
I hope this was helpful and that you can continue meeting yourself with love and compassion and grace.
Treating yourself as you would a friend.
If you like this meditation,
Please don't forget to leave a rating.
Ratings help.
These meditations get to other people that may gain use from it.
And it also helps me know if it is something that you are enjoying,
That people are enjoying,
I should say.
So thank you.
Have a beautiful rest of your day.
