Working Though Endings And Closures

This guided practice is an excerpt from a live session on Insight Timer. Beginning with centering and a brief body scan, this practice guides you through a breath-centered reflection of release and acceptance, creating space for new beginnings to emerge.

Transcript

So we want to shift with just a little bit of curiosity to say what's happening and we can start asking really simple questions Like what happened?

But being objective instead of falling into the story just stating like oh These are the events How is my body responding and then thinking in adjectives again descriptions?

Oh,

My body is feeling tight.

It's feeling small It's trembling.

Oh,

It feels heavy.

What is my contribution to this?

Am I holding my breath?

Can I exhale it might be that simple?

Can I exhale right now?

What aspects of this do I have control over and how can I grow through this?

And most importantly How might I be kind to myself as I move through this change through this closure?

So What i'd like to do is invite us to go into practice and we're going to work with this idea of closures and endings and inviting in Curiosity and some kindness into our experiences So what i'd love to invite you to do is go ahead and get comfortable Please go ahead and get as comfortable as you possibly can you can do this seated you can do this lying down Listen to your body You know your body better than anybody else.

So let your body tell you what you need right now.

Do you want to sit?

Do you want to lie down?

If you want to sit i'd invite you to have something behind the back just to support the spine It doesn't have to be too too rigid,

But just comfortable And if you're lying down it might feel good to have something beneath the knees and beneath the head That takes pressure off the low back and off the neck So you want your body to feel fully supported whether you're seated or lying down I would invite you to take a blanket or a shawl and wrap the body or cover the body So we wrap the body and cover the body for a couple of reasons And we do that one to invite the nervous system to feel safe and protected That covering just that little layer says oh i'm okay The wrap around the shoulders the same thing and then it also helps regulate our body temperature So when we practice our body temperature drops,

So we have a blanket or a shawl it helps us Stay consistent in the body temperature.

So we feel more at ease through the practice So going ahead and making any final adjustments to your posture and your blankets or shawls or wraps And then once you're there and you feel cozy Going ahead and closing the eyes if that feels welcome for you And if it doesn't feel good to close the eyes,

That's okay,

Too You can just find a soft distance a soft gaze and blur your vision just a little bit Just find something to focus on Two to three feet in front of you and then taking a full breath In through the nose pause at the very top of that breath and then open the mouth and sighing out loud Softly releasing and softening through the muscles in the face jaw And drawing in another full breath in through the nose feeling the rib cage and the heart expand Hold for just a moment again opening the mouth and sighing out loud softening through the whole upper body The abdomen the length of the arm The abdomen the length of the arms and the hands and the fingers And then again drawing in a full breath in through the nose.

You might feel the diaphragm lift as the belly expands Hold there for just a moment and one more time sighing out loud allowing the whole body to soften And sink into the support beneath and behind you a whole body softening into the support beneath and behind you as the breath Finds a natural rhythm each breath flowing fluidly In and out through the nose soft and steady and then gently scanning the body from head to toe and toe to head And just noticing if there are any areas of tension or discomfort in the body And allowing the breath to travel into those places And you might just acknowledge each part of the body that's calling for your attention and saying I see you It's okay that you're here.

Thank you for communicating.

You might say oh hello shoulder Thank you for letting me know that you're a little sore today.

Thank you heart.

Just moving through the body in this way allowing the breath to come in and perhaps wrap around The space of calling your attention and then softly exhaling and you might gently scan your heart Notice if there are any emotions present with you here today And again welcoming them all emotions all experiences are welcome here Now bringing your awareness to the very top of the head and softening through the crown of the head forehead Both eyebrows both eyelids allowing the eyes to sink a little deeper into the sockets as you soften through the eyes the cheeks Temples and the jaw you might feel the teeth separate just a little bit as you soften through the tongue and the neck and the throat softening through both shoulders Shoulder blades melting down the back as you soften through the upper back mid back and low back softening through the whole back upper arms elbows forearms Wrists tops of the hands backs of the hands and all ten fingers softening softening through the upper chest The abdomen both hips softening the buttocks upper legs knees shins and calves softening softening through both ankles tops of the feet bottoms of the feet and all ten toes both legs softening both arms Soft a whole body a whole body softening and sinking into the support beneath and behind you just the whole body held as you bring your awareness now to the flow of the breath and envisioning the breath traveling in through the crown of the head down into the heart and Exhaling from the heart and down through the base of the spine and then inhaling from the base of the spine into the heart Exhaling from the heart through to the crown of the head just continuing to breathe in this way alternating crown to root and root to crown Transitioning through the space in the heart Inhaling and exhaling through the space in the heart center and here in the space of the heart draw an awareness invite Reflection of the endings that are currently moving through your life just noticing if any one particular ending Or closure is calling for your attention You might notice a sensation in the heart or the abdomen the jaw muscles in the face or even a shift in the flow of the breath as you Hold your awareness on this one particular Closure or ending that's moving through your life all is welcome simply noticing Returning to the soft flow of the breath while holding awareness of this ending might breathe into these Spaces in which the body is communicating to you say.

Oh,

Thank you as you soften into these expressions allowing the body's communication to ride the waves of your breath as you inhale and Exhale through the heart you might notice at the end of the exhale But there is an emptiness there a spaciousness And opening that the end of each breath.

There's a void Expansiveness and you might notice how the next in breath flows easily into the spacious emptiness created by the release at the end of the exhale in the space at the end of the exhale visualize your ending Resting there the ending that is calling your attention Allowing it to fill the space at the end of the exhale thing that is ending in your life right now Resting in the end of the breath you might gently Soften the muscles in the heart and say what is ending?

What is releasing?

What is releasing becoming aware of any thoughts?

Sensations images or feeling tones that arise as you rest with this Curiosity what is ending?

What is releasing?

What journey or experience is?

Coming to a close What journey or experience is coming to a close?

What is asking to be grieved?

What is asking to be grieved and what is asking?

To be celebrated.

What is asking to be celebrated coming aware of any thoughts?

Sensations images Feeling tones or emotions that arise within the space of the heart all the emotions and sensations in relation to this closure You might notice that all the emotions and sensations can Co-exist here here in the spaciousness of your heart now sensing and And seeing perhaps yourself resting here in the space of your heart and softly directing these words gently offering These words to you right now.

It's like this right now It's like this right now.

It's like this.

Let what needs to go Go go allow what needs to go to go and allow what needs to come To come let what needs to go Let what needs to come come all is well all is Well,

I trust I trust in my ability to move Through I trust I trust all is well right now It's like this right now.

It's like this let what needs to go Go let what needs to come come I trust I trust I trust all is well all is well all is well Right now it's like this what needs to go go what needs to come come I trust all is well gently calling your name to yourself calling your name to yourself I see you.

I'm here for you.

You're not alone.

I love you calling your name to yourself I See you I hear you.

I'm here for you.

You're not alone.

I love you Calling your name to yourself.

I see you here for you.

You're not I love you all is well All is well all is well right now.

It's like this What what needs to go go what needs to come come all is well all is well Calling your name to yourself.

I See you.

I'm here for you.

You're not alone.

I love you all is well all is well all is well allowing the words to echo and Flow through the body on the waves of the breath all is well all is well But what needs to go go on the waves of the breath what needs to come come?

Drawing in on the waves of the breath It's only deepening the breath allowing each breath to draw into the heart and expand and radiate Outward filling the whole body a whole body Echoing with the vibration of these words You are not alone all is well with each in breath.

You might feel The points of contact between the body and the support beneath and behind you strengthen the heels the hips Shoulder blades backs of the hand whole body supported and held by the earth the whole body supported Beneath and behind you all is well the body held Breath is soft and long fluid and steady the vast spaciousness at the end of the exhale Allowing the effortless in breath of the next Inhale cycle flows next inhale and I draw the fingers closed into a fist Feeling the muscles contract as the hands close On the exhale opening the hands filling the release in the end of that Gathering inhale gather the fingers close into a fist Close into a fist exhale open and release just continue to breathe in this way noticing this rhythmic contraction this rhythmic movement in the hands Gathering as the fist comes to a close Open and release the feet might join in this movement gathering the toes on the inhale and exhale Splaying the fingers and toes out wide inviting soft movements into the whole body the whole body gently Rhythmically moving with the breath might feel a desire to reach the arms up overhead reaching into a tall long stretch pointing the fingers and the toes Exhale release bring the arms back to the sides of the body If you're lying down you might draw the knees into the chest Might feel good to rock side to side I feel good to stay perfectly still you're seated.

You might just gently begin to roll the shoulders bring the shoulders forward and back forward just again inviting soft movements into the body we transition from one state of being to another You're lying down.

You might roll over to one side Take the hand closest to the sky and placing it onto the earth in front of the heart and allowing that to help you Return to a seated position where we all meet and gather eyes gently closed if that feels welcome in the body And bring the hands together In front of a heart and rubbing them together generating some heat and once the hands are nice and warm I need to just simply place the hands palms face up Thrusting them on your lap and just feeling the sensation in the hands and noticing the sensation in the shoulders and the soft open posture that says I'm open to release and receive feeling the warmth emanating from the hands The openness in the shoulders and the heart let go what I need to let go And I let come what needs to come all is well Bring the hands together one more time rubbing them together getting some nice heat and placing one hand on the heart And the other either on top of that or around the belly Whichever feels most welcome in the body Hand on heart hand on belly or two hands on the heart just breathing into the warmth of your own embrace You might feel a desire to rock back and forth or side to side ever so slightly As you gently offer the soft question of how might I be kind to myself in this moment?

How might I be kind?

To myself in this moment and taking a full breath in through the nose open the mouth exhale sighing out loud Letting go as you tuck chin to chest and pause On the bottom of that breath inviting a soft grin to form on the lips one that says yes I'm here for me.

I'm okay.

I got this.

I've got this.

I'm gently opening your eyes You bring your gaze and your grin Back to our community here where you are welcomed seen Valued you are welcome and pausing for a moment At the end of any practice is a great opportunity to just pause and notice What you're sensing what you're feeling Anything came up for you in that practice and to make a note of that either in a journal or here in our chat Thank you,

Carrie And a great time to also have some water and hydrate

Reviews

Thank you for helping me on my path as a mother separated from her children. I am working hard on getting closure and this meditation really helped. Thank you 🙏✨🙏

A helpful and supportive practice. I would have liked more silence between each question for reflection. The affirmations were very helpful to begin to reframe the ending.

Very effective for releasing and welcome. Very peaceful