Transform Your Inner Critic Meditation (Metal Element)

Alchemize your relationship with your inner critic through your inner champion and transform your inner self-talk through a short guided meditation. You can practice this mindfulness meditation as many times as you wish. It is recommended to practice this at least once this week, and if possible, once daily. This comes from the course Transform Your Inner Critic Into Your Wise Advisor: Metal Element Mastery.

Transcript

Welcome back. This week, We alchemize your relationship with your inner critic through your inner champion and transform your inner self-talk through a short guided meditation. You can practice this meditation as many times as you wish. It is recommended to practice this at least once this week and if possible once a day. To get ready to enter into this meditation, Please allow yourself to sit comfortably. Relax your shoulders down and let the back of your head, The crown of your head, Lengthen to the sky. Allow your legs and feet to be in whatever position feels supportive for you. You might sit cross-legged, You might have your legs outstretched or you might be seated on a chair with your feet connected to the earth. If it feels good for you, Let your eyes gently close. If you prefer to keep your eyes open, Hold a soft gaze and guide your awareness inwards. Notice the rise and fall of your inhale and your exhale. Later, At any point of time, If it feels too overwhelming, Create safety for yourself by massaging the Nei Guan, Inner crossing acupressure point on the inside of your forearm close to your wrist. Or you can do anything that gives you a sense of safety and grounding so that you can create a buffer and boundary between yourself and your inner critic. Inhale deeply and exhale fully. One last time, Inhale deeply and exhale fully. With your next inhale, Feel your heart expand. This expansive energy is the energy of your inner champion, The fire element, The part of you that affirms, Appreciates and supports yourself in all of your endeavors. And as you exhale, Feel your lungs embracing your heart. This contracting energy is the energy of your inner critic, The metal element, The part of you that wants to keep you safe from trauma, From hurt, Disappointment or failure. As you inhale, Connect with your inner champion. As you exhale, Feel the presence of your inner critic. Inhaling, Connecting with your inner champion. Exhaling, Feeling your inner critic. Inhaling, Connecting with your inner champion. And exhaling, Feeling your inner critic. Now, Please bring to mind a memory of the last time you noticed your inner critic speaking to you. Bring to mind this memory as vividly as possible. Recall what situation it was in, What triggers caused your inner critic to surface. See, Hear, Feel and sense it clearly in your mind's eye. Do you recall if it was outside or at home? Was it in the presence of someone else or were you alone? And what words, Phrases, What did your inner critic say to you about your behavior, Your response or how you were in that specific situation? As you see, Hear and feel the words of your inner critic clearly, Guide your awareness to the sensations in your body. Where do you feel the presence of your inner critic? Is it located in your head, Somewhere in your body or perhaps in more than one location? And how about the voice of your inner critic? Is it loud? Is it harsh? Is it gentle? Allow yourself to be with the experience of the inner critic and notice it inside of your body. How does it look? What color, If any, Is the presence of your inner critic within your body? And does it feel or sound different from the rest of your inner landscape? As you observe the presence of your inner critic, Begin to notice how you respond to it. Ask yourself what you feel like doing when your inner critic appears. Do you feel like you have to listen to your inner critic or perhaps argue back? How would it feel to accept and recognize that your inner critic is a part of your conditioning from your past experiences? For the next five breaths, Allow your inner critic to be present. If your inner critic tries to take control, Say to it, I see you. I hear you. I am here with you. The critic may be a part of you, But you are so much more. You have autonomy. You have power. And you have freedom over your inner critic. Now, Ask yourself, What is the inner critic trying to teach you in this situation? How is it trying to protect you? Consider what lies beneath the harsh words of your inner critic. Perhaps your inner critic wants you to be safe, To be free from fear, From failure, From suffering, And to achieve wonderful things even though it might go about doing so in an unhelpful way. Now, Guide your awareness back to your breath and notice how you feel. We now call upon the expansive energy of your inner champion to balance and alchemize your inner critic. Guide your awareness to the ebb and flow of your breath, Paying extra attention to the inhalation and the rise and expansion of your breath. With every inhale, Feel your heart expand. Inhaling, Your heart expands. Inhaling, Your heart expands even more. Inhaling, Your heart expands to its fullest. And now, As you continue to follow the ebb and flow of your breath, Connecting with the fullest expansion of your inner champion, Your heart, Feel your inner champion's warm tone a voice speak to your inner critic in a caring way, Saying may you be well, May you be happy, May you be free of suffering. Feel this warmth, Kindness, And understanding flowing from your inner champion to your inner critic. If you find this challenging, Focus your awareness and intention on being compassionate towards your inner critic. Notice what it feels like to offer this part of yourself warmth and kindness and to soak up these sensations. Now, We teach your inner critic how you would like to be treated. We allow your inner critic to learn how you want to speak to yourself. Ask yourself, Ask your inner critic, What would I say to someone I love in the same situation? What if I showed myself the same compassion I would show others? What words of appreciation, Affirmation, And encouragement would I like to hear? How would I like to feel? How would I like to be held? Allow yourself to be patient. Let any words, Phrases, Feelings, Images, Anything that would like to come to surface to reveal itself to you. Hear and feel the words of appreciation, Affirmation, And encouragement that you would like to hear from yourself. Feel held and loved and appreciated by yourself. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish, Connecting with this feeling, With these words. If and when you feel you would like to bring this practice to a close, Harvest this warm feeling of self-compassion. These words, This feeling, Let it saturate your consciousness. And with your next exhale, Let's let out a great big sigh, Releasing anything that no longer serves you. And with your next inhale, Let this feeling spread through the whole of you, Every nook and cranny, Every tiny little space. Let these words and feelings go there. And now, Feel your feet resting on the floor. Feel the security and safety of the ground beneath you. And feel your body resting on the ground of the chair that is beneath you. If and when you feel ready, Gently and slowly, If your eyes are closed, Let them blink open. And bring these words and these feelings with you into the rest of your day.