We have all experienced those times in which we wanted to say no,
But for whatever reason,
We didn't.
It could be a moment where someone acted towards us physically.
It could be a moment where we didn't want to have that drink,
Or we didn't want to go to that place.
Or we didn't want to spend time with that person.
It could go back so far as to when we were little kids.
And we were forced to do many things we didn't want to do.
For those with trauma,
This could be especially the case.
Perhaps you were locked in rooms,
Kept by people you didn't like,
You didn't trust.
There are many ways that this can manifest.
What we're going to do today is say those no's that we never got to say.
We're going to go back in time to those moments,
And we're going to stand our ground.
We're going to make it known that we did not want to be there.
We did not want to do that.
We will let our strength show.
Take a moment to sit down.
Cross your legs and pull your spine straight.
Imagine a marionette string coming out from the base of your spine to the top of your head,
Aligning your vertebra.
Place your hands on each knee.
And begin to breathe.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Focus your mind on a particular moment from the past where you wanted to say no.
I want you to bring back all the details of that moment.
Your age,
The location,
All the emotion associated with this moment.
I want you to embody yourself in that moment.
If you were seven,
Go into that little seven year old body.
If you were 15,
Go into that 15 year old body.
I want you to recall the helplessness,
The fear,
The pain,
The confusion associated with that moment.
Now imagine taking your left hand and putting it on your heart.
And I want you to feel a warmth growing in the chest of that past self.
This is the strength from today.
This is your strength in this moment,
Being passed to that past self.
Through your hand on your chest.
I want you to imagine that strength filling your past self.
Imagine it washing away the fear,
The confusion,
The uncertainty.
And as that strength fills your body,
It resonates as a no.
This is your moment to say what you need to say.
Speak out loud to this moment from the past.
Say your no's.
Say what that child,
With that teenager,
With that young adult needed to say.
Speak it out loud into the air around you.
Speak through that child,
That teen,
That young adult.
And now,
I want you to imagine that everything is pulling away from that present self.
I want you to imagine that everything is pulling away from that past self.
That everything falls to the side.
And that person is standing in a room of light.
Feel the strength in your body.
Feel the triumph of having spoken your truth.
And rest in this room of light.
Come back into your breath.
Feel the rhythm of your body.
The rhythm of your chest.
Remember this feeling of strength and power.
Remember how speaking your truth makes you feel.
Remember you can go back to any moment and say what needed to be said.
You can go back and stand up for the rights that you let slip.
You can go back and take care of that past self.
Use this tool as often as you need.
And more importantly,
Hold that feeling of strength for those moments in the future in which you need to say no.
Thank you.
