From Survival To Safety: A Permission To Rest

This guided meditation invites you to lay down the weight of survival mode and step into true rest. Through gentle breathwork, body awareness, and affirmations, you’ll create space to release what you’ve been carrying and reclaim your right to safety and stillness. This practice is especially supportive for Black women who are often praised for their strength while silently surviving.

Allow this session to be a reminder: you are worthy of rest, softness, and peace.

Transcript

Welcome.

If you've been praised for your strength,

If you've been told you always push through,

If you're the one who holds it all together,

Even when you're exhausted,

This is for you.

Today I want to give you something you may not have been given enough of,

Permission to rest.

This is your time to pause,

To soften,

And to allow your body to step out of survival mode and into safety.

Find a position that feels comfortable,

Sitting or lying down.

Notice the weight of your body being supported.

Let your shoulders soften.

Begin with a slow gentle breath,

Inhaling for the count of four,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold for a count of four,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And exhale for a count of six,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

We're going to repeat this two more times,

Letting each breath be slower and softer than the last.

Inhaling for one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Holding,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Inhale,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Remind yourself quietly,

I am here,

I am safe enough in this moment.

Let your awareness travel to the top of your head.

Notice any tension.

If you feel tightness,

Imagine it melting away.

Moving to your forehead,

Your eyes,

Unclench your jaw,

Feel your neck and shoulders soften.

Continue slowly through your arms,

Your chest,

Your back,

Your hips.

As you scan,

I'll speak some gentle permissions.

It is safe to rest now.

I do not have to carry everything in this moment.

Rest is my birthright.

Allow your body to receive those words,

Not as ideas,

But truths.

I want you to imagine a space where you feel completely safe and supported.

It could be a quiet room,

A warm bed,

A peaceful forest,

Or somewhere you've never been before.

In this space,

You see all the things you've been carrying.

The responsibilities,

The worries,

The expectations.

They might look like heavy bags,

Stones,

Or boxes.

One by one,

Imagine placing them down.

As each one leaves your hand,

Feel your body become lighter.

Notice how your breath deepens.

In this space,

There is nothing you need to fix,

Nothing you need to hold,

Just you and rest.

As we close,

Let these words anchor you.

I am worthy of safety and peace.

I am allowed to pause.

I can return to this place anytime.

When you're ready,

Take a few deeper breaths.

Wiggle your fingers and toes.

Slowly open your eyes if they were closed.

Remember,

Strength without safety is survival.

You were made for more than just surviving.

Have a beautiful day,

And thank you for joining me.