Hello,
This is Itzel.
Welcome.
This meditation is an invitation to meet self-judgment and difficult emotions with awareness and care.
Not to make them go away,
Not to fix them,
But to relate to them with curiosity and compassion.
Let's begin.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently lower or close the eyes.
Take a moment to arrive,
Just as you are.
Notice the support beneath the body,
The floor,
The chair,
The surface holding you.
Let the weight settle and allow yourself to be supported.
Bring the attention to the breath,
Not changing it,
Just noticing the simple action of breathing in and breathing out.
Without necessarily trying to call anything up,
Just notice if you're aware what tends to visit you when things feel hard.
It might be a familiar voice,
Sensation,
Or emotional presence,
Fear,
Anxiety,
Heaviness,
Doubt.
Something that shows up again and again.
You don't need to label it clearly,
You might not use words at all.
For now,
Let go of the labels or the story about it and imagine it as a guest.
A guest who's come to sit with you for a moment.
You don't have to agree with it,
You don't have to send it away.
Just let it sit across from you.
Notice how the body responds in its presence.
Maybe there's a tightening in the chest,
A sinking feeling in the belly,
A subtle bracing somewhere inside.
Whatever's here,
Simply notice that sensation in the body.
Let those sensations be known,
Be recognized and seen.
If it feels supportive,
You might place a hand on the chest or the belly.
Not to fix anything,
But as a simple gesture of presence.
Guests like this often arrive with something they want to convey.
You can hold it as a messenger.
Without forcing an answer,
You might gently wonder,
What is this wanting right now?
What does it need?
What,
If anything,
Is it asking for?
You don't need to respond or act.
You're simply listening.
You may notice some basic human longings to be safe,
To connect,
To belong.
You don't need to identify these clearly.
Just notice what's here,
What's present.
Perhaps simply as sensation.
As you stay with this visitor,
You might notice that another guest is waiting nearby.
That's okay.
As you notice these guests coming and going,
See if you can also notice that there's something here,
Something aware of all the guests as they come and go.
Notice this sense of being the one who is aware.
A quiet presence that's witnessing whatever comes and whatever goes.
You're not one of the guests.
You're the space,
The awareness the guests move through.
For the next few moments,
Rest here as this noticing itself.
Now gently come back to the breath,
Back to the room or space you're in,
The air on the skin,
The space around you.
And if you'd like,
You can bring the palms of the hands together in front of the heart.
And we'll close this practice with a silent wish that all beings everywhere know peace,
Peace and only peace.
And when you're ready,
Gently lift or open the eyes.
And thank you for taking this time with me today.
