Come Back To You

Connection begins where you live. Before we can show up honestly for anyone else, we have to know what it means to stay with ourselves, especially when staying is uncomfortable.

In this practice, Alex invites you to notice where you've been holding yourself together and where you've quietly chosen someone else over your own truth. Through gentle breath, body awareness, and journaling, you'll begin to soften the places you've been gripping. Remember: tending to yourself is not selfish. It's the foundation.

This is a writing practice as much as a meditation, so have a journal and pen at hand before you press play. Alex will guide you through honest questions to sit with on the page as you go. Greet them as small invitations to root deeper into your own becoming

Transcript

Hello everybody, My name is Alex L. Thank you so much for being here with me for this very special Insight Timer series about friendship, Connection, And redefining what it means to grow together. For those of you who are new to my work, I'm a writer, A restorative writing teacher, And someone who has spent many years doing some really intense but healing work on understanding relationships, Not just through what I've studied, But also through what I've lived. I've had to learn slowly and honestly what it means to stay connected to myself while being in connection with others, What it means to stop overgiving, What it means to stop calling self-abandonment love, And to stop shrinking just to be chosen. The work that I do in my writing, Teaching, And personal life is rooted in clarity, Self-trust, And understanding the company that we keep. Because who we surround ourselves with shapes how we feel, Shapes how we show up, And what we have come to believe that we deserve. Over the next seven days, I'll be guiding you through a series of practices that will help us all at the same time look at our relationships up close and with honesty. No blame, No shame, Just truth and curiosity. Each day we'll move through breathwork, Reflection, And body awareness. So you're not just going to be thinking about your relationships here with me, You're also going to be learning how to feel your way through them. Over the next week, I really hope that this series opens up your curiosity for self and others and invites you to look deeper at the alignment and misalignments in your life. During our time together, We will hopefully become more clear, Clear about needs, Patterns, And what kind of connection actually supports the life that you're building now. This work is deeply personal for me, And I am honored and excited to be a part of this practice with you all. This is day one, Coming back to you. This week's practice is all about you, Your awareness, Your honesty, And your return. We begin where all real connection happens, Within the self, First and foremost. To begin today's session, Take a slow breath in through your nose, Holding it for a moment, Then exhaling through your mouth. Again, But a little slower this time. Inhaling through the nose, Holding, And then exhaling through your mouth. Let your shoulders drop and your jaw unclench, Softening into this moment. You are not here to perform, You are here to return. Notice your body. Where are you feeling tense? What are you gripping onto so tightly? Where are you holding yourself together? Imagine slowly unfurling, Like a new blossom in spring. Most of us didn't just decide to abandon ourselves. We learned how to. We said yes when we meant no. We swallowed words to keep the peace. We stayed tucked in shells and spaces that did not belong to us, Or that we've outgrown. We've made ourselves smaller, So someone else could stay comfortable. And over time, Our petals fall, Because we have gotten so used to leaving ourselves behind in the soil. Take a deep breath in through the nose. Exhale, Sigh it out. Blooming and wilting is a part of the process. We know this. So the invitation here is to think about where you've been generous and where you've self-abandoned, Because those two things are not the same. I want you to think about the last time you overrode your own needs. Don't judge it, Just notice it. Where did it land in your body? Maybe it was your chest, Your stomach, Or your throat. Wherever it was, Place a hand there. Because the truth is, Just like nature, Just like our blooming in the spring, Your body remembers every time. Every time you choose to root deeper. Every time you choose to give yourself away. And every time you've chosen someone else over your own truth. Here's the invitation for today. Ask yourself what it would look like to stay. Stay in this present moment when it's uncomfortable to think about the ways you've abandoned yourself. When it's uncomfortable to think about the ways you've let go of what you wanted and needed to keep the peace. Stay in this moment, Even when you feel the urge to smooth things over and just forget about everything that's happened. I need you to understand that the relationship we have with ourselves will set the standard. So we cannot just smooth over things. We cannot just ignore and hope that it gets better. We must confront, Stay curious, And hold ourselves and our choices and our relationships with curiosity and compassion. A gentle reminder here, How you speak to yourself matters. How you protect your energy and your peace matters. How you honor your boundaries and your know matters. Breathe into this truth and exhale the need to have people understand. I want you to remember during this practice and always that you are not too much. You are not difficult. You are not selfish for tending to the garden of your own life. You are creating a safe space for you to root deeper into the healing and truth of your becoming. Inhale through the nose, Exhale, Sigh it out. I have some questions for you. How will you commit to not abandoning yourself? How will you commit to not abandoning yourself this week? What does staying with yourself actually look like in practice? Who, If anyone, Feels safe enough to hold you as you do this deeply sacred work? As you move through this week, I want you to keep this close. This practice is an invitation. It is not about fixing anything or anyone. It's simply about noticing with honesty what and who you've been carrying and tending to all this time and telling the truth about what still belongs and what may need to be pruned. Thank you so much for being here with me today. I'm looking forward to our next session. Until then, Take good care.

Reviews

Sweet and generous medicine. Beautiful pacing and vibe

I was surprised at the clarity that came to at the end. Thank you 💕

I truly love her clear, confident energy.

Alex, you speak to my soul! The 7 day series on connection was so meaningful to me that I am doing it over again this week. Thank you gor sharing your wise words!!

Thank you so much for this 7 day journey!!!