Acknowledging Invisible Growth: Insight Timer Live Talk

Join me in this Insight Timer Live recording from 1/3/2026 on the topic of acknowledging invisible growth. We often only pay attention to what we need to fix or change or modify in ourselves, rather than the little victories of invisible growth that are small and often imperceptible. This progress is not something we can post on social media... rather, we can tend and grow it by noticing it often.

Perhaps your inner critic is leaning back a bit, or maybe you are slowing down and taking deeper breaths more often. These are such profound moments. The beginning of this Live is talking about this concept, then I will guide you through a practice of recognizing a moment of invisible growth.

Looking forward to having you listen to this!

Transcript

Welcome to today's Insight Timer Live on Acknowledging Invisible Growth.

This was a recording from January 3rd,

2026.

For many of us it's really hard to see our growth unless there's some big markers of I have done this or I set a boundary with this person or something that you could take a picture of or is objectified in some way.

And personal growth,

Inner growth,

Our own evolution,

Our own deepening into our own wisdom is not a photograph.

This is a process.

And this process is invisible,

It is slow,

Sometimes it goes in bigger leaps and sometimes it feels like nothing is happening and nothing and nothing and nothing and then when we've sort of all but given up then something begins to emerge.

In this culture,

Especially with all the social media,

You know,

We want to share pictures of the beautiful pie we baked and that's great,

I love baking pies and they're very yummy and this is different than our own growth.

Growth happens in the rest in the soil.

So there's a quote,

I'll read it again when we do our practice,

But Rumi's quote of don't think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter,

It is quiet but the roots down there are riotous.

So there's a lot going that we can't see and so we're going to focus on that today just to see if we can begin to acknowledge because,

You know,

We have this negativity bias that's hardwired in us and we tend to look at what we haven't done,

What is still wrong,

What needs to change,

What needs to be fixed.

It's a protective function for sure but it's not helpful when all that we do is focus on what still needs to be changed or altered or fixed or modified.

If we can shift that vision,

Right,

That awareness to,

You know,

What invisible growth have I seen today or what have I noticed in the last week,

What have I,

You know,

Maybe it's maybe it's a sense of a little less resistance,

Right,

Instead of pushing against it,

Maybe it's a little bit less resistance.

That's pretty invisible for the most part.

I mean,

If you're the kind of person that gets really grouchy when you're resisting,

Then that's visible to other people but when you just say,

Okay,

This is the way things are,

That's a huge win and it's often invisible.

When we all survive hard things,

When we notice a pattern,

When we take two extra deep breaths,

No one's gonna see that.

No one may be able to see that,

Oh,

I've noticed that this is how I always spin this kind of interaction,

Like,

Ah,

That's a pattern I have.

No one's gonna see that but it's huge,

Huge growth and it's that invisible growth that is so important to help keep us curious,

To help keep us,

You know,

Motivated that to do that kind of reflection and,

You know,

We don't want to abandon ourselves when we only look at what's wrong and not what's right.

Then,

You know,

We lose parts of ourselves and that's sad,

That's a tragedy.

We don't want to do that and we live in this culture that celebrates transformations that you can see and measure,

A new relationship,

A new job,

But that is,

That's just external.

So,

Noticing this beautiful growth inside is really powerful.

So,

Let's practice together.

Land in a posture where you can be present,

Where your body can relax.

And I will just share that right now,

I am starting my sixth year of doing Insight Timer Lives.

It was January of 2021,

So I'm just completing five years,

Starting my sixth year of lives and I have seen your growth.

So many of you have been with me this whole time and come almost every week.

I'm so touched and I have seen your growth in how you pose your questions,

How you pay attention to your body,

How you are able to notice your sensations,

Your nervous system states.

So,

You've all gotten so skilled at this and that may be something that you haven't noticed.

As we land and arrive in our practice,

And I'm taking in all your wonderful congratulations,

As we arrive,

Just notice how accessible your body has become.

And if you're new here and,

You know,

Thinking and feeling into your body is difficult or new,

You're here and you're curious and that is the most important thing.

So,

Acknowledge your body as you sit here,

As you are present,

As you land in your body.

Is there a comfortable place inside that you can land in?

That you can take refuge in,

That you can,

You know,

Maybe it's your feet,

Maybe it's your sits bones and your pelvis,

Maybe it's your back,

If you have to be reclining for this practice.

But finding a place to land and taking time to relax,

Slow down enough to land.

And I'll read that Rumi quote again.

Don't think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter.

It's quiet,

But the roots down there are riotous.

Sensing this internal landscape of your body,

Of your heart,

And even your mind.

And there's a lot happening down there,

Even though the surface may appear quiet.

And I'd like you to reflect now on maybe one or two things that you can notice that have been invisible growth this year,

Or this week,

Just recent,

Recent growth that may not be apparent to many people or any other people.

Maybe not even apparent to yourself because you haven't been looking for it.

And so as you open the space inside for you to let some invisible growth acknowledgement percolate up,

I'll just share some possible examples because it might nudge you into,

Oh,

Yeah,

Into remembering something.

Perhaps you were kinder to yourself.

Maybe your inner critic leaned back a little bit.

And remember,

I'm not saying all the time.

I have not eliminated my inner critic,

But oh,

She is so much quieter now.

So it may be that you're more aware of your breath.

Maybe you did something that you haven't done before.

This could be a fun thing.

It could be a challenging thing where you stretched yourself.

Maybe you let go of your agenda with someone.

Perhaps you were able to just sit with another person and be present for a few moments.

I'm hoping that you can begin to acknowledge as these micro moments of growth that you have.

It's like,

Oh,

I didn't beat myself up so much for that mistake.

Oh,

Even though I woke up kind of sad,

I named that and I was kind to myself.

Perhaps I opened a door for someone so they could walk through.

There's so many possibilities of this invisible growth.

And if you have ever done any gardening or transplanting seedlings,

You'll know that those little root hairs that are in the soil,

They are so delicate,

They are so fine,

And sometimes they're so short.

Even an oak tree starts with a little sprout.

And so by taking the time to acknowledge these little moments of progress,

Of shift,

Of pausing,

Of attending to ourselves in a different way,

Is profound.

As you've identified one or two of these experiences,

Feel what this acknowledgement feels like in your body that you've noticed that,

Oh my goodness,

I was kinder to myself.

In this situation.

Or I had this health scan that I had to do,

A medical scan,

And I I could still sleep.

I didn't go into deep anxiety.

That's huge,

Right?

That's huge.

Or maybe I was anxious but I caught that and I was kind to myself and I did it anyway.

They seem small,

But these are monumental.

Another image,

If this one resonates with you,

Is that of an iceberg.

Often the part of the iceberg that you can see is so small compared to the size of the iceberg under the water.

Right?

All of this growth has occurred under the water and there's just a little bit exposed.

So what sensations do you feel as you notice and name and acknowledge these small invisible shifts?

Perhaps it's a little swelling in your chest.

That's where I'm feeling it.

Your heart expanding a little bit.

Perhaps it's a more upright,

Like I can stand a little taller within myself,

Like I'm growing capacity for whatever.

Speaking up,

Being kind,

Holding on to what I feel is true,

Listening to my intuition.

Maybe you followed some of those very quiet nudges of your intuition this year.

When you had a thought go through your mind that said,

Oh call this friend and you did it and they said,

Oh I was thinking of calling you,

Right?

And feeling that synchronicity.

So maybe you're feeling that,

This sense of flow,

This sense of connection,

This sense of being present.

And of course,

It's not going to be there all the time.

It's not going to be there most of the time.

Sharon Salzberg had a great quote that says,

The quality of your life depends on where you place your attention.

And so if we can remember periodically to place our attention on the invisible moments,

These little tiny victories,

And they can go past us so easily.

So for example,

Maybe it took you only three days to realize you've been hard on yourself,

But it used to take seven days that you didn't notice until you'd been hard on yourself for a whole week.

So you've cut that time in half.

That is a huge victory.

These,

The sense of progress is not arriving,

Right?

It's not arriving.

It is the process.

It's entitled Unresolution by Rosemary Watola Traumer.

Because after all these years of focusing on the goal as if happiness is a thing I attain or a place I might finally reach,

Now I thrill when I see through the myth of arrivals.

I see where I have grasped and clutched and clawed and scrabbled to be somewhere not where I am.

Not that I regret it.

The memory of grabbing helps me feel how beautiful it is each time the hand opens like a morning to see what is here.

Opens as if the opening itself is what I am here to do.

So in essence,

This is this acknowledging invisible growth.

It's opening your hand,

Opening your awareness to like a morning to what is here.

Opens as if the opening itself is what I am here to do.

And so it's about presence.

It's about attention.

It's about noticing these micro moments of shift and change and modulation.

And even if you're having difficulty finding or remembering one,

I'll invite this reflection.

Often we're not familiar with looking for the good.

It's like doing a body scan and turning your attention to your body and only feeling the pain and not noticing that your nose might be neutral or that there might be places of comfort in your body.

Sometimes remembering a time when you felt most like yourself or a moment when you felt most like yourself,

This can open up this remembered felt sense experience of your essence.

And it might be again this moment of when you felt most like yourself.

Maybe it was on a walk or looking at the sunset or smiling when you see a beautiful bird at the bird feeder and tapping into that presence of yourself.

That may open up your ability to notice moments of this somewhat invisible growth that we all experience.

If you're liking affirmations,

One that I read was a particularly nice one.

I can trust that meaningful growth happens beneath the surface in ways I can't always see or measure.

The most essential transformations are often invisible.

The most essential transformations are often invisible.

And it's slow and sometimes imperceptible and then all of a sudden we might notice it.

This is a lifelong process.

Like Rosemary shared in the poem,

It's not a place to arrive.

It is a daily process of opening to our experience in in this present moment.

And the benefits of that can be that we feel more alive,

That we feel a little bit more joy as we attend to these micro moments of growth,

Of beauty,

Of connection,

Of awe,

Of gratitude,

Of kindness.

I see this acknowledging invisible growth as a deep loving kindness practice for ourselves.

And so if nothing else,

Honor yourself,

Have gratitude for yourself and all the effort that you put into your practice.

You're on this app,

You're coming to these lives,

You are listening,

You're reflecting.

That is progress,

Right?

You're showing up for yourself.

You're not abandoning yourself.

And that is a huge,

Huge gift.

I will close with one more poem.

I have a very dear friend from the 70s.

So we're quite a few decades in in our friendship,

Even though there have been gaps.

And she has committed to writing a poem a day,

Which is very honorable.

I'm not,

I'm not there,

But this is one for today that I found in my inbox.

And it was,

Again,

Very apropos to this topic.

So the title is,

If There Is a Story to Be Told by Charlotte Nestle.

If there is a story to be told,

It will be a story with layers.

Not layers like a cake.

Not layers like a trifle,

Which I've never eaten.

Layers like an onion.

Thank you,

Donkey and Shrek.

And yes,

Onions stink.

But when you saute them for a long time,

Such sweetness comes out.

It's almost not the same bulb that went into the pan.

The story to be told needs to be told with sweetness.

It won't look like the story that began raw,

Bitter,

And made my eyes tear.

This one will be delicious and make my belly full.

And it will make me strong,

And I'll hardly know it as my own.

Thank you all.

Reviews

I am so happy that you recorded this session. To notice the small shifts, and to see that they are not at all small, feels like a profound practice and so perfect for mid winter. Thank you, I will come back to this one again and again.

What a lovely reminder that the transformations do not need to be big and bold to matter…a lot. Rumi and Rosemerry were the fertilizer to my little seeds of growth. Thank you. 🙏🏻