I Cannot Stay Who I Was

This standing somatic meditation guides you through the gentle process of releasing the versions of yourself you’ve outgrown. You’ll use breath, grounding, and subtle movement to sense where old identities still live in the body and allow them to naturally soften and dissolve. This practice supports the moment of inner truth when you recognize you cannot stay who you were and are ready to step toward who you’re becoming. It’s a tender, embodied threshold crossing that helps you feel safe, present, and aligned as you let the past fall away.

Transcript

This is a somatic threshold meditation for releasing and becoming.

Beloved,

Come into standing.

Feel your feet on the ground and the earth rising up to meet you.

Allow your breath to hold you,

To witness you.

Allow your body to soften.

Allow your knees to soften.

Let your jaw unclench.

Let your belly breathe you.

Take a breath in,

And on the exhale drop your shoulders completely.

You don't have to be in any kind of effort or forcing.

Just arrive.

Bring your awareness into your chest.

Notice the faint echo of an old identity still sitting behind the ribs.

It's not painful,

But it just lingers even after you've long outgrown its meaning.

And you've held on to this version of you for so long.

And now your body is whispering the truth.

You cannot stay who you were.

Take a slow breath in and let your rib cage expand with the breath.

Exhale gently and let your shoulders drop as if the old self is sliding off your back like a cloak you no longer need to wear.

Again,

Inhale.

Exhale.

And now let your body sway just a little.

Side to side.

Forward and back.

As if you're loosening old stories from the muscle memory they've been living in.

Feel yourself move as gently as kelp on the floor of the sea in a gentle current.

And let your breath move you like warm wind.

Let your bones respond with soft surrender.

Bring one hand to your heart and feel the warmth there.

I am not who I was.

I already am who I am becoming.

Let it vibrate through your cells.

Let it land.

I'm not who I was.

I already am who I am becoming.

Now imagine,

Not with your mind,

But with your body,

That you are standing in a doorway.

Behind you is every identity you've ever worn.

And ahead of you is the woman rising from your own fire.

You stand at this threshold,

And you don't have to step through.

You don't have to rush.

You simply allow the old self to unhook from your field.

Let her go with gratitude.

Let her dissolve with softness.

Let her fall away with grace.

Take one more deep breath,

Inhale,

And feel your entire spine awaken.

Exhale,

Release the last remnants of who you no longer choose to be.

Still standing if you so choose.

Take a conscious step forward.

You are crossing a threshold without force.

You are becoming without effort.

You are remembering who you truly are,

Even through the fear.

Place your hand on your heart,

And tell yourself thank you for letting go.

Thank you for standing in your becoming.

Thank you for walking this fire.

For great wisdom,

Great compassion is forged in the fire.

Take a deep breath in.

Fully exhale.

Letting your hum drop lower and lower,

Deep into your body.

One more deep breath with a deep dropped hum.

Feel your body relax in the letting go.

Know that you are so held in this moment by your soul that loves you so much.

Stay here as long as you like until the song ends.

Sending yourself so much love and gratitude for the strength it takes to say yes to your becoming without force.

I'm Joya,

And I'll meet you in the next flame.