Hey,
It's Davin.
Thanks for joining me for this practice.
You know,
If you're anything like me,
You may have grown up feeling like there was something different about you.
And you might not have interpreted that as a good thing.
Maybe there was a way in which you knew yourself to be,
Or a part of you that you wanted to explore that felt like it was outside of the norm of your family,
Your social circles,
Or even society as a whole.
While this is a fairly common part of the human experience,
It can be particularly acute for those of us who fall under the big,
Colorful,
LGBTQ plus umbrella.
As queer people,
We receive the message from a very early age that there is something fundamentally wrong,
Broken,
Or even bad about who we are.
And of course,
That's simply not true,
But that conditioning,
It can be strong,
And those messages they keep on coming.
And so ultimately,
We're left with the choice.
We either believe the story that keeps us small,
The story that says there's something wrong,
That something needs to be fixed,
That something needs to be changed,
Or we work to rediscover and remember our essential goodness.
My friend,
Do you know that you are good?
Do you know that the queerest parts about you are the parts that are most beautiful?
Do you know that all that is unique about you is what connects you most to the mystery of the universe?
It's actually what makes you most human and most fabulous.
Personally,
I've grown to believe that being queer is sort of like my spiritual superpower.
It's certainly been a fast track toward compassion,
Both for myself and for others.
But there are days when those old stories,
That conditioning,
Those messages,
They take hold and I need a reminder of that which is most true about me,
That I am good.
So with that in mind,
I'd like to introduce you to this practice that I hope will remind you of that truth as well.
I've created the accompanying soundscape that you hear only with the sounds of my voice to support this guided visualization,
This practice in music and the healing powers of sound.
So if you're ready,
Let's begin.
Go ahead and find a posture that you'd like to sustain here just for a bit.
There's no right or wrong way to be,
But consider how you might set yourself up to be both wakeful and at ease.
Once you've begun to settle in,
I'd like to invite you to visually take in the space that you're in.
Look to your right and to your left,
In front of you and behind you,
And specifically note the entrances and the exits of the space.
We'll utilize this information later in the practice,
But this also helps calm your nervous system.
It helps remind you that you have chosen this space,
That there's no need to protect or be on guard,
That you have set yourself up for safety and you can let go.
You can be fully here now.
Bring your attention internal.
This might mean closing your eyes or finding a low gaze on the horizon,
But start to invite softness within.
Look for ease in your body and in your breath,
Following the natural pattern of your inhale and your exhale.
Now that you've begun to settle in,
Call to mind someone who has been a support to you,
Someone who has loved you or loves you because of all of the ways in which you are unique and different and wonderfully you.
They could be living or past.
There's no right or wrong person here,
Just whoever comes to mind when you consider someone who knows your goodness.
Once you have that person in mind,
Recall to your mind's eye the space that you're in and bring your attention to the entrance.
Visualize that person,
The one who has been such great support to you standing there at the entrance,
Happy to see you.
You exchange knowing glances and so they enter the space,
Moving gently toward you until you find yourself seated comfortably face to face.
Their presence alone calms you.
It softens your breath.
And as you examine their gaze,
As you look into their face,
You receive nothing but care and warmth and love.
How wonderful that this person's presence can make you feel seen,
Can make you feel known,
Can make you feel like you.
Rest.
Rest in that knowing.
In that state,
The ultimate ceremony.
Now,
The time for your visit has come to an end,
But before this person leaves,
They reach out with their hand,
Place it upon your heart or on your cheek,
And with absolute certainty,
They say to you,
You are good.
You are so,
So good.
There is nothing,
Nothing that can take away this essential truth about who you are.
And with that,
They offer one final knowing glance,
Stand up,
And leave.
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Again,
Noticing your inhale and exhale.
Taking just a moment to enjoy the residue of this practice.
And when you're ready,
Release the meditation altogether.
Open your eyes,
Expand your gaze,
Take in the space around you.
How do you feel?
What do you know?
How will this impact how you move through the remainder of your day?
My friend,
Lest you forget,
Let me be the final reminder,
You are good.
