Hey,
It's me,
Sasha Marie,
And I want to welcome you to today's practice.
I am so grateful to be practicing with you today.
So today,
This is a space of healing and empowerment,
Where we embrace the journey of recovering and finding our strength after experiencing setbacks.
So if it feels comfortable for you,
I invite you to gently close your eyes or find a nice soft downward gaze and begin to turn your focus inward,
Slowly distancing yourself from the outer world to connect with a place of inner peace.
Feel the earth beneath you,
Grounding you into this present moment.
Feel yourself starting to let go of the external world as you land safely in this present moment.
Gently allow your forehead to smooth out as if each thought was melting away.
Invite your cheeks to release and let go,
Feeling a sense of ease spreading across your face and unclench your jaw,
Allowing just a small space between your teeth,
Releasing any tension hidden within,
And gently remove your tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Let's take a deep breath in,
Filling your lungs with a sense of calm,
And as you exhale through your mouth,
Release any tension or heaviness that you might be carrying right now.
Keep breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Allowing your breath to soften your body and your mind,
Shifting your awareness from the clutter of thoughts to the peaceful whispers of your heart.
Uncover a comfortable position,
Having full permission to make any adjustments to feel fully at ease.
Exhale into the stillness,
Noticing your true essence right here,
Right now.
So let's deepen our breath by doing the box breath.
It's super simple.
It's four counts in,
Hold for four counts,
Release for four counts,
And hold again for four counts.
So let's do it together.
Let's breathe in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Again,
Breathe in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
One more time,
Breathe in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Release for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
So good,
So good.
So just bring your breath back to a normal pace,
And in these moments of setbacks,
It's natural to encounter feelings of doubt and discouragement,
Yet within us lies an unyielding strength,
Ready to guide us through the other side of this adversity.
As we explore our inner landscape,
Remember the words from Maya Angelou,
You may encounter defeats,
But you must not be defeated.
In fact,
It may be necessary to encounter the defeats so that you can know who you are,
What you can rise from,
And how you can still come out of it.
Let's breathe that in for just a moment,
Deep breath in through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
Recognize one setback that you faced,
And allow yourself to feel this and accept the setback without judgment.
Recognize that this challenge is part of your story,
Not the entirety of it.
I'll pause as you reflect,
And now embrace the vulnerability that comes with setbacks.
In vulnerability,
There is a strength and the opportunity for growth.
Brene Brown teaches us,
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation,
Creativity,
And change.
Let's take a deep breath in through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
In through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
And in this moment,
Connect with your inner resilience.
That part of you that has overcome so many challenges before and will do so again.
Can you remember those moments of triumph and how they felt?
Can you recognize that in this moment,
You possess that same strength now?
I'll pause as you reflect.
And so important that we plant seeds of hope in our hearts,
That we envision a path forward illuminated by the lessons learned and the strength gained from our experiences.
Consider this affirmation and repeat it to yourself.
What if I'm stronger than my challenges?
And what if my setbacks are a stepping stone to my success?
Let's take a deep breath in through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
And one more time,
In through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
Aji Lord writes,
I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.
Even if you can't believe it yet,
Let this quote serve as a reminder of your innate strength and resilience.
Setbacks are not endpoints,
But moments of learning and growth.
Each one shaping you into a more compassionate version of yourself.
As we prepare to gently conclude this meditation,
Return to the rhythm of your breath.
With each inhale,
Draw resilience and hope.
And with each exhale,
Release any remnants of doubt or fear.
Allow the breath to anchor you back into a state of calm and centeredness,
Reinforcing this foundation of inner strength.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
And sigh it out through your mouth.
Notice any shift within you,
Maybe a sense of renewed courage and determination.
Become aware of the you that is present now,
More resilient and empowered.
If your heart could speak,
What would it say about your capacity to rise above and find strength even in adversity?
Notice how your body feels,
Maybe recognizing a newfound lightness or a sense of readiness to really move forward.
As you gently open your eyes and come back to the room around you,
Take within you the strength that you've connected with today.
Remember the journey through setback is also a path to discovering your true potential and your incredible power.
To place your hands together in a prayer-like fashion,
And I'll leave you with this.
May you remember to navigate this journey moment by moment,
Bit by bit,
Cherishing each step along the way.
And so it is.
Love you,
Mama.
