A warm welcome to you.
My name is Fleur Chambers and as always it's my pleasure to spend this time with you.
Whilst it's natural to want to do things well,
To get things right and to achieve,
For many of us this focus on being perfect,
On not making mistakes,
On reaching these self-imposed high expectations is detracting from our enjoyment of life.
Every now and then it pays to get curious about our habits of perfection.
For when we do we realize that there is a price to pay and that when we strive for perfection we miss the moments of connection,
Satisfaction,
Joy and belonging that are right in front of us.
So beginning as always by settling in and closing down your eyes if you like and greeting your breath with a warm-hearted sense of curiosity.
Really noticing the feel of the air as it enters your body.
Really noticing the feel of the air as it leaves your body.
So noticing how actually each inhale is perfect just as it is.
Each exhale perfect as it is.
Each inhale offering you the gift of fresh oxygen,
Of beginnings,
Hope and possibility.
Each exhale offering you the gift of fresh oxygen,
Of beginnings,
Hope and possibility.
Each exhale offering you the gift of release,
Of letting go of what no longer serves you.
Each breath perfect.
We don't need to try too hard to breathe.
We don't need to strive for the perfect breath in order to be filled.
Our breath a beautiful teacher opening us up to the idea that life can be perfect without any effort or struggle.
Easy breath flowing in,
Easy breath flowing out.
Easy breath flowing out.
Its natural rhythm acting like a soothing balm for your busy mind and tender heart.
Each breath inviting you to drop a little deeper into awareness.
Deeper into a moment of truth.
And now with a sense of warm-hearted curiosity.
Calling to mind some of your habits of perfection.
Do you strive for perfection at home,
At work,
In your relationships?
And spending a moment now really bringing to mind a time or situation where you aim for perfection.
Or hold unrealistically high expectations of yourself.
Or you're just trying to find a way to find your way.
Noticing who's there in this moment.
Noticing what you're doing.
Getting curious about your body language.
Noticing who's there in this moment.
Getting curious about your body language.
Perhaps bringing to mind some of the thoughts you have as you strive to be perfect.
How does this striving for perfection feel in your body?
How does it feel in your heart?
How does it feel in your heart?
Opening your awareness now to how you respond to yourself when you don't reach those high expectations.
When you make a mistake,
When you aren't perfect.
What does your inner critic say to you?
Really allowing yourself this moment of truth.
Bravely shining a light of awareness onto the ways you speak to yourself when your ideas of perfection aren't reached.
Bravely shining a light of awareness onto the ways you speak to yourself when your ideas of perfection aren't reached.
If these thoughts had a texture,
Would they feel smooth or abrasive?
Gentle or harsh?
If these thoughts had a texture,
Would they feel smooth or abrasive?
Gentle or harsh?
If these thoughts had a personality,
Would they be kind or unkind?
Kind or unkind?
Awareness deepening with each moment.
Courage building within you.
And noticing where this inner critic sits in your body.
Breathing into these places.
Each breath soothing these parts of you.
Each breath softening the inner voice of criticism.
And opening your awareness to what you miss out on when you're striving to be perfect.
When you get consumed by the voice of your inner critic.
Does all the talk that you should have done better reduce your sense of satisfaction?
Does all the talk that you should have done better reduce your sense of satisfaction?
Do you miss the moments of laughter or connection with your family and friends as you strive to keep a perfect house or be a perfect person?
Do you sacrifice rest by trying to meet these high expectations?
Long smooth inhale.
Long smooth exhale.
Really opening up to noticing that there's a price to perfection.
Feeling grateful for this moment to see your habits of perfection with greater perspective.
Repeating silently in your mind after me.
It's okay to make mistakes.
I don't need to be perfect in order to be loved,
Accepted and safe.
I am enough.
Really breathing life into these words.
Allowing them to land on your nervous system to create a new baseline of safety and enoughness within you.
And noticing what opens up.
What's possible for you when you believe that you are enough.
That you are safe to be who you really are.
How does this version of you move through their days?
How do they respond to their inner critic?
Breathing deep into this sense of possibility.
Really feeling this energy build within you.
Teaching your mind,
Body and heart a new way of being.
A new way of moving through the world.
Moment by moment we release the grip of perfection.
Breath by breath we learn to forgive ourselves.
Heartbeat by heartbeat we respond to our inner critic with compassion.
Offering your body any gentle movement it desires.
Opening your eyes.
Ready to move through your day feeling less pulled in by the need to be perfect.
And more open to the quiet sense that you are enough.
