Guided Check-In With A Tired Part: Christian IFS Meditation

Slow down for a few minutes with this gently paced guided meditation that invites you to envision and tend toward tired part(s) of yourself. This track is set to a background of snow gently falling and birds faintly chirping, a lovely soundscape from my own backyard. Find a cozy spot to sink in and feel full freedom to place your hand on your chest, or abdomen, or hold your legs, and pause the audio throughout if you would like more time to play with the guided imagery prompts.

If you would like, you can continue your reflections by drawing out imagery that depicts the tired part(s) of yourself, as well as the ways you would like to tend toward and care for what you are connecting with inside. The track closes with an opportunity to consider how you might move from guided imagery to tangible self-care and concludes with three deep breaths.

Please note, that this track, nor any other by this author, is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health services.

Transcript

In these few minutes that we'll spend together, We're going to slow down and check in with a part of ourselves that might feel especially tired. And maybe as you're listening to this, Your first thought is, Well, That would be all of me. All of me is really tired right now. And whether it is one part of you or it feels like it's the entirety of your being that's exhausted and would like to check in and take a breath, I invite you to start doing just that with me right now. Just being mindful of your inhales and exhales, Not forcing a certain rhythm or cadence of breath that doesn't feel natural or doesn't feel comfortable, But just sinking into the time and the space that we have here, Knowing that you have several minutes before you need to get up, Several minutes before you'll transition out of this space. You have the time in the room to take as deep of a breath as your body might want to take right now. And just noticing what that breath, What that natural cadence and rhythm of inhale and exhale is like. Noticing if you're yawning, Noticing if a really heavy sigh feels nice to let out. Maybe something like a loud cleansing breath. And as you continue breathing, I invite you to close your eyes if you haven't already and just see what happens as you start to imagine this tired part of you. And again, Maybe this doesn't feel like a part of you, Maybe this feels like the whole of your existence right now. Just letting your mind sketch how you see this tired part of you, How you see your tired, Exhausted self. What's naturally floating to the surface and coming to your mind? Is there any specific imagery or symbolism, Any specific posture, Movement, Lack of movement, Landscape? And if it feels difficult to imagine anything right now, I invite you to simply notice that. Maybe it feels like there's a disconnect or if it would be helpful to have more tracks to run on. You can be curious to consider if it would be helpful to imagine your tired self as an animal or a cartoon character. Maybe a character from a TV show or a movie, Maybe even a really specific scene from a TV show or a movie that depicts what the fatigue and exhaustion that you're carrying feels like right now. And as you continue to notice what's just naturally popping up inside, I invite you to be curious about what it might be like to tend to this fatigue, To care for your tired self. And we'll start with simply the mental imagery of this. So as you're envisioning your tired self, What do you feel like they most need right now? This might be something as simple as a pillow or a blanket. It might be something as concrete as a nap and a snack. You might imagine a safe and trusted caretaker who has cared for you previously that your tired self would feel really cared for by just even imagining that person tending to that exhaustion. Maybe what feels most helpful is to invite God to tend to that fatigue. Maybe there's a sense of Emmanuel, God with us, Meeting you in the heavy exhaustion, Meeting you in that tiredness, And being with you right there. Knowing and seeing every ounce, Every element of what that is like for you in a way that maybe no one else in your life really sees or really gets. Whatever is naturally coming to mind, Whatever naturally feels most safe, Most fitting, I encourage you to go with that. Just to be curious about the mental imagery that your mind is sketching out for you. And then noticing what is happening inside as you're imagining this. Does it feel relaxing? Does it feel as though your body is able to take a deeper breath and sink into that imagery? Does it produce almost more anxiety as another part of you is worried about the things that you maybe need to get done? Or thinking that you don't have time to take a break or time to rest? Maybe there's a critical voice inside telling you that you don't deserve to take a break. You don't deserve to get good rest. Whatever you're noticing, I invite you to continue to be curious about it. And if you'd like more time to play with this imagery, You can pause this audio now for as long as you would like. And if you'd like to bring our time to a close now, The last thing that we're going to do together is consider what a translation might be from this mental imagery to your actual tangible life. And so with a deep breath, I invite you to be curious about what your mind has sketched out. What might that look like later today or tomorrow, This weekend, Next week? Thinking about any pocket of time, Any pocket of space that you might have to tend to your tired self in a very real and tangible way. How might you translate that imagery into an act of kindness and care for your embodied being? And if it feels difficult to imagine caring for yourself in this way, I invite you to consider if this were another person and you are caring for them and their fatigue and their exhaustion, Their tired body, What are ways that you might enter in to care for them if they were inviting you or asking you to help them? And do any of those ideas feel fitting as a way that you might care for your tired body, Your tired self? Before we close, I want to invite you to thank this part of you or thank your whole self for engaging and playing with this mental imagery, You know, Brainstorming, Okay, What might this look like outside of this space? This could be vulnerable spaces to enter into, So it can be really important and significant to let our internal world know that we acknowledge and honor that we're kind of poking around when we do that. It can also be important to let those parts of us, To let our internal world know ways that we intend to follow up. So any way that you can imagine translating what you're envisioning into a real-life act of care for your tired body, I invite you to let yourself know, Let this part of you know, Hey, I want to try this, You know, Whether it's later this weekend or next week, That there's this intention to come back and to offer that care. You can see how that sits with you. If you feel like you need more time to work with this part of you or work with what's coming up inside right now, I encourage you to take the time that you need. Otherwise, We're just going to end with some slow-moving breaths, Again, Not forcing a certain cadence or rhythm, Just noticing what feels right for your body right now. Drawing in and inhale, Feeling that breath as it enters your body, Fills your lungs. If you'd like, Holding that breath for a moment before you start to exhale, Feeling that breath leaving your body. And we'll end with an option of three heavy sighs. I'll do these breaths with you. So inhaling and exhaling with a sigh. Two more just like that. Last one. Thank you for joining me, And I encourage you to take the time that you need to gently re-engage with the rest of your day.