Returning Home To Yourself - Return To Self Day 4

Returning Home to Yourself

Return to Self - A Gentle Path Back to You

When life is full of responsibilities and the needs of others, it can be easy to lose touch with the parts of yourself that bring joy, meaning and a sense of aliveness.

Returning Home to Yourself invites you to reconnect with who you are beneath the many roles you hold. Through a short teaching segment, guided reflection, journalling and gentle visualisation, you'll explore what makes you feel most like you and what may have quietly been pushed aside.

You'll identify one small, compassionate step towards bringing more of that nourishment back into your life. This isn't about adding another task to your list. It's about remembering what already supports your sense of self and making a little space for it.

This is the fourth of five short practices in the Return to Self collection for busy women feeling stretched, depleted or disconnected.

Music By Chris Collins

Transcript

Welcome to lesson 4, Returning home to yourself. Today's session's a little different. Alongside some gentle reflection and visualisation. We'll also be doing a short journaling exercise. So if you have a journal, A pad, A pen, You could grab nearby. Take a moment to have those ready. Even just a piece of paper and a pen will be great. There's nothing you need to prepare or write perfectly. Just somewhere where you can capture a few thoughts as they arise. So far we've explored the importance of pausing, Softening the overwhelm and experiencing what it feels like to be supported. Today we're taking that pause a little deeper. Because when life gets busy, It's not always just our energy that gets depleted. Sometimes without really noticing, We can lose touch with ourselves. We become the mom, The partner, The daughter, The carer. The worker, The organizer, The person everyone relies on. And somewhere along all those roles, The things that make us feel most like us can quietly slip to the bottom of the list. Today is an invitation to remember them. So take a moment to get comfortable, Have that journal nearby. And we can begin. So there's a difference between resting and reconnecting. When we rest it gives us an opportunity to recover from what we've been doing. But Reconnection asks us for a slightly different inquiry. What actually nourishes me. It's easy to think of self-care needs to be just another thing we need to organize or schedule, Achieve. But often returning to ourselves isn't about adding something new. It's about remembering what we've forgotten. Perhaps there was a time when you loved painting, Reading, Dancing, Walking, Gardening. Being creative, Being in nature. Listening to music, Seeing your friends, Traveling, Cooking, Learning something new. Maybe it was something very simple. And perhaps it isn't that you don't love those things anymore. Life simply became full and they became less important than everything else that needed doing. This is where reflective awareness can be useful. So instead of immediately asking, What should I do? We can pause and ask, What makes me feel more like myself? And there's an important distinction here. We're not trying to recreate our old life. Or squeeze another commitment into an already full schedule. We're looking for one small thread of nourishment that we can gently bring back into our lives. Something realistic. Something that feels good. Something that belongs to you. So by the end of this practice you'll have identified something that genuinely nourishes you. Notice what may have been getting in the way of it. And chosen one small compassionate step to reconnect with it. Not another thing on our to-do list, But a small way of coming home to yourself. So take a moment to find that comfortable position. You're most welcome to close down your eyes or a soft gaze. And we'll take a slow breath in. And a long easy breath out. Let those shoulders soften, Let the jaw relax. And for the next few moments there is nothing you need to organise or achieve, Just notice. And ask yourself this. When in my life have I felt most like myself? Perhaps a particular place comes to mind, A person, An activity. A season of your life. Even just a feeling. Don't search too hard and just allow something to arise. Now ask, What was it about that experience that made me feel alive, Connected or nourished? Was it creativity? Freedom. We miss that. Connection. Nature Maybe movement or learning? Play? Maybe it's just being quiet. Being sane. Being completely alone. There's no right answer, Just see what comes up. So when in my life have I felt most like myself? And what was it about that experience that made me feel alive, Connected or nourished? If you have your journal, Let's just take a moment to note that down. You can simply write a dot point or a few words. So jotting down that when. I felt most myself. And what was it about that that made me feel alive? Connected or nourished. And then we'll come to a couple more prompts. What makes me feel most like myself. Don't overthink these, Just write, Let it flow out whatever comes to mind first. What makes me feel most like myself? And next. What has been missing lately that I know nourishes me? What have I been missing lately that I know nourishes me? And the next one, What tends to get in the way? Is it perhaps time? Energy. Responsibility, Guilt. The belief that everyone else needs you first, Perhaps. Or maybe you've simply forgotten how important this part of you is. And finally. . . What is one small thing I could bring back into my life this week? And I did emphasis small. It might be 10 minutes with a book. A walk somewhere beautiful, Calling a friend, Perhaps playing music while you cook, That's a bit of a fave for me. Sitting outside with a coffee. Returning to something creative. Taking yourself somewhere you love. It doesn't have to be impressive, It just needs to nourish you. Now close that journal and settle back for a minute. Take a breath. Imagine yourself doing this small thing that you've chosen. See yourself making space for it and notice how it feels in your body. Perhaps there's a little bit more ease, Energy or lightness when you think about that small thing to bring back. And take a slow breath in. And a soft, Easy breath out. Returning to yourself doesn't need to be dramatic, Doesn't require a complete life overhaul. Sometimes it's simply noticing. This makes me feel good, This feels like me, Or I want a little bit more of this. And then giving yourself permission to have it. And as you move through the weight, Notice the difference between doing something because you should, And doing something because it nourishes you. Your intention doesn't need to be another task to complete. Let it be a gentle reminder. I am allowed to make space for the things that make me feel like myself. So let's take one final conscious breath together. And perhaps place a hand somewhere on your body that feels comforting. Remember. You are more than the roles you hold. More than the things you accomplish. More than what other people need from you. There is a part of you beneath all of that. Quietly waiting to be remembered. This is what it means to return home to yourself. And perhaps this week you can take one small step towards her. So thanks for joining me again. And I'll see you for Lesson 5, Blossom from Within, Where we'll invite all these key elements of the return to self journey together. See you then.