Welcome.
This meditation is a type of gratitude meditation and its focus is on friendship.
In my world,
Friendship is one of my greatest gifts.
It's centering and joyful to have people in our life who meet us where we are and remind us that we're not alone and that we're loved unconditionally.
When everything is falling apart around us,
Our community,
Our friendships can be an anchor,
Can be our roots.
Friendships can also be our accountability and our mirror and our spiritual running buddies.
They can help us stay in our integrity by gently calling us in when we're drifting away from our values.
So take a moment to bring to mind a friend who means something to you.
Not just someone that you enjoy spending time with,
But somebody who really understands you.
They get you.
Picture them in your mind.
Maybe you can go to a specific moment together,
A moment of strong connection,
A vacation,
An important event,
Or maybe they were with you in a crisis and in a moment of despair and they were just with you in it.
They held you.
Imagine this friend and feel the connection between you.
How does this connection make you feel?
Do you feel grounded,
Safe,
Grateful?
And consider now the friend that you've been for them.
How have you shown up?
Friendships aren't just about receiving care.
They're about giving care,
Giving support,
Centering their needs when it's called for and asked.
What kind of friend have you been?
How could you be a better friend?
How can you lean into your friendships?
Just continue to breathe and settle.
Continue to take long intentional breaths that soften and ground us.
Coming back to the connection,
Consider how you can nurture this connection today.
Maybe you can send texts,
Call them,
Offer to hang out,
Considering the way that you can show up today.
Take another deep breath in.
Become aware of the room around you.
Start to move a bit in your chair,
Your cushion.
Return to the space,
Carrying the warmth and emotional balance of friendship.
And when it feels right,
You can open your eyes and I encourage you to reach out to that friend today if it feels right for you.
