Season 1, Ep. 7: Held
In this week's dream, we focus on what it is that gives us (well, you) a sense of grounding and security in our lives. The meditation begins around the 4:45 mark. Accompanying Yin poses: Child's Pose, Happy Baby, Legs up the Wall, and Crocodile.
Transcript
Welcome to The Weekly Dream,
A repository of guided meditative journeys that aim to uplift,
Inspire,
And relax you.
Our themes revolve around astrology,
Mythology,
The seasons,
And more.
I'm your host,
Brittany Bryan,
And I invite you to sit back,
Get comfortable,
Grab a blanket,
Some tea,
Or a cat or two.
Dream and Drive,
Let's begin.
Welcome to The Weekly Dream.
Welcome to June,
At least at the original airing of this episode,
It is June.
And I'm excited to be prepping for a longer,
Somewhat more involved episode for Midsummer later this month,
When we'll get back into some history and some mythology surrounding one of my favorite times of the year.
So be sure to tune in towards the end of the month.
But today,
I want to focus on what it is in our lives,
Well in your life specifically,
That gives you a sense of security.
Not just physical security,
Like I'm not going to experience bodily harm,
But emotional security.
I'm asking you to consider what it is in your life that makes you feel held,
Or what has given you that experience in the past.
Maybe you've seen or heard about the diagram of a pyramid,
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs,
Which was developed originally in the 1940s by psychologist Abraham Maslow.
It describes five levels of human needs in ascending order,
With physiological needs such as food and oxygen,
Shelter,
Etc.
At the bottom.
So we need those things first,
Right,
To continue to be alive in the world.
And then once those needs are met,
We come to safety and security,
Which is characterized by employment,
Health,
And property.
So not just having shelter,
But owning or having a permanent home.
And these are not exhaustive lists,
By the way.
Then we have love and belonging,
So family,
Friends,
Intimacy,
A sense of community and connection.
Then we arrive at self-esteem in the form of confidence,
The respect of others,
And the need to be a unique individual and stand out.
Finally,
We arrive at self-actualization,
Which is described broadly as morality,
Creativity,
Spontaneity,
Meaning,
And inner purpose.
So lower levels need to be met first.
I think one can argue that the lowest level,
At least,
Must precede the others.
But the order of other levels is not completely fixed.
And this has to do with our unique values.
Maybe you prioritize self-actualization over financial stability.
Or maybe self-esteem or the need to be a unique individual outweigh having friends.
So this system of understanding or categorizing our needs is unique to each of us.
And I guess what I'm really curious about is something more towards the top of the pyramid.
Something in the realm of creativity and self-expression.
So I'll come back to the question,
What makes you feel held?
Can you pinpoint the thing or things that,
When you wake up in the morning,
Give you the sense that it is safe to express yourself as a unique individual,
To create things,
To move about in the world,
To feel your feelings,
And to interact with others?
And maybe you've had the experience before or are having the experience now of it not being safe to do those things,
Which makes this even more important.
Maybe you need to Google Maslow's hierarchy and look at the pyramid.
Or maybe you just need to give yourself the time and space to reflect on what it is that will help you to find or restore a sense of safety.
I say a sense of being held,
But what might seem contradictory is that if we really are anchored by something that we feel is providing us with security,
That gives us freedom.
We have the confidence to go out and explore the world and interact with others because there's some sort of safety net in place.
Maybe this confidence comes from knowing yourself really well and trusting and valuing yourself,
Knowing that you are your safety net.
For a lot of people,
It might be spirituality or religious beliefs.
But if you aren't religious or spiritual,
What is it?
Because I've dealt with,
At times,
Pretty intense existential anxiety.
So I'm curious,
For the atheists in the room,
What makes you feel safe without the concept of a divine presence or an afterlife?
And that was a specific question,
But I'm not asking everyone to focus on that.
We're not just talking about death.
We're talking about existing in the world with a sense of joy and levity.
So let's unpack that a little in this week's stream.
Start by getting into a more comfortable position.
Stretch out your legs,
Maybe lie back.
Try to give some length to the spine so you can practice deep breathing into your belly.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
And hold 2,
3,
4.
And release 2,
3,
4.
Let's do that one more time.
Take a deep breath in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
And hold 2,
3,
4.
And release 2,
3,
4.
In this stillness,
I invite you to imagine yourself on a beach at sunset.
It can be any beach you choose.
Maybe it's something very tropical with groves of palm trees providing ample shade and a vast expanse of turquoise water.
Maybe it's somewhere further north in America,
A New England beach where it's a little cooler with beautiful rock outcroppings and picturesque lighthouses.
Maybe it's a secluded volcanic black sand beach or a green one with glittering sand that you traveled a long and winding road to get to.
And what sea creatures do you observe?
Are there dolphins or whales,
Maybe seals,
Little fish?
Hold this place in your mind.
Regardless of where it is or what time of year,
The sun is setting,
Casting a vibrant crimson glow over you and your surroundings.
And as you take in the beauty of this scene,
You feel very secure.
There's nowhere to be,
No need to rush.
You take a moment to ground yourself in your body.
Taking a deep breath in,
You imagine inhaling the rosy glow of the sun and watch its light traveling the length of your body,
Easing any pain or tension you might have.
As you exhale,
You breathe out that discomfort or pain,
Whether physical or emotional,
Visualizing it leaving your body as a sort of muddy gray color.
You repeat that process a couple of times,
Inhaling the crimson wisps of clouds above you and letting it cleanse any feelings of dis-ease through forceful exhalation.
Just let it go.
When you feel cleansed,
You take note of the surface on which you're sitting or lying.
If it's sand,
Does it feel cool to your skin?
Are you sitting on a jetty,
Your weight supported by the solid structure of smooth rock?
Whatever it is,
Note what parts of your body are in contact with the earth and how it holds you.
Notice how good it feels to your body to be aware of nothing more than this moment in which there's no danger,
No immediate threat to your mental,
Emotional,
Or physical well-being.
As you enjoy that feeling,
Ask yourself what other times in your life have felt like this?
When else have you felt completely at ease?
And what were the circumstances surrounding it?
Were you alone or with friends and family?
Were you at home or somewhere far away?
As you think of some of the tangible things that have given you a feeling of grounding in your life,
A new sense of peace comes over you.
One tinged with a little excitement or anticipation.
As you realize that,
Armed with this awareness of what makes you feel held,
You'll always be able to get back to that place.
And this place,
This mystical beach,
Will remain in your mind's eye as the place that paved the way for you to find your way back to yourself,
To the sense of safety that is available to you whenever you need it.
That thought brings a smile to your lips as the sound of the waves and the seabirds lulls you into a gentle,
Happy sleep.
A few moments or hours or days later,
You stir from your dream,
Safe in the waking world.
You begin to bring movement to your fingers and your toes,
Going slowly.
You open your eyes,
Maybe give your whole body a big stretch,
And then take a deep breath in for 1,
2,
3,
4,
And hold,
2,
3,
4,
And exhale,
2,
3,
4.
Thank you so much for joining me in this dream.
Until next time.
