Welcome.
Begin by finding a comfortable position.
You may be seated,
Lying down,
Or simply resting somewhere where you can be undisturbed for the next few minutes.
Allow your hands to soften.
Let your shoulders drop away from your ears.
And if it feels comfortable,
Allow your eyes to close.
Take a slow,
Gentle breath in.
And exhale completely.
Again,
Breathing in.
I'm letting go.
One more time,
Inhale.
And exhale.
For the next few minutes,
There's nowhere else you need to be.
Nothing you need to accomplish.
Nothing you need to fix.
You don't need to be the mother.
The partner,
The caregiver,
The worker,
The teacher or the friend.
You don't need to hold everything together.
Right now,
You can simply be.
Bring your attention to the feeling of your body being supported.
Notice the surface beneath you.
Feel your feet.
Your legs.
Your hips,
Your back.
Your shoulders.
And allow yourself to feel held.
Take another slow,
Deep breath in.
And as you breathe in,
Imagine creating a little more space within yourself.
As you breathe out,
Release something you no longer need to carry.
Perhaps that's a responsibility,
An expectation.
Worry.
Or simply the feeling that you always have something that you need to have figured out.
There are seasons in our lives when we feel certain of who we are,
And there are seasons when we feel that certainty begin to shift.
The things that once defined us may change.
Our relationships may change.
Our bodies change.
Our priorities change.
The way we see ourselves changes,
And sometimes we can mistake that change for being lost.
But perhaps you are not lost.
Perhaps you are becoming.
In your mind's eye,
See yourself standing at the edge of a quiet forest.
The air is gentle.
The light filters softly through the trees and beneath your feet the earth feels steady and strong.
The path behind you represents everything you have lived through.
The choices you have made.
The lessons you have learned.
The people you have loved.
Challenges you have faced.
And all the different versions of yourself that you have been.
Take a moment to honor that woman.
She has carried you here.
She has done the best she could with what she knew.
She has grown,
She has learned,
She has loved,
And she deserves your gratitude.
Gently place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.
Turn your attention to the path ahead.
You don't need to see the entire journey.
You don't need to know exactly where it leads.
You only need to trust that there is room for you to grow.
Room for you to change your mind.
Room to discover something new,
And room for you to choose yourself.
One breath.
One choice.
One moment at a time.
Feel the warmth of your hand over your heart.
And remember.
.
.
That you are still here.
You are still growing.
You are worthy of love and care.
Tenderness.
There is so much life within you.
Silently repeat to yourself.
I am allowed to change.
I am allowed to grow.
I am allowed to let go of who I thought I had to be.
I am allowed to become someone new.
And finally,
I am coming home to myself.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in.
Next,
You exhale,
Soften your forehead.
Soften your jaw.
Unclench your teeth and let your tongue fall from the roof of your mouth.
Relax your shoulders and settle into this moment.
Remember,
You don't have to return to the world as the woman you were before.
You can return as the woman you're becoming.
There is no rush.
There is no finish line,
Just the beautiful unfolding of your own life.
Take one final beautiful breath in.
Slowly exhale.
When you feel ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Bring awareness back to your body.
Slowly open your eyes Take your time.
There is no rush.
Welcome home.
