Find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Allow your eyes to gently close.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Again,
Breathing in and out.
One more time,
In.
Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
There's nothing you need to do right now,
Except be present and breathe.
Today,
We're going to explore an emotion that many of us carry in silence.
Shame.
Shame is different from guilt.
While guilt says,
I did something bad,
Shame whispers,
I am bad.
It's that heavy feeling that tells us we're flawed,
Unworthy,
Or not enough.
Shame makes us want to hide,
To shrink,
To disappear.
Have you ever felt this before?
That tight contraction in your chest?
The heat in your face?
The desire to make yourself feel smaller?
If you are feeling shame right now,
Or if memories of shame are rising,
Know that you're not alone,
And know that you are brave for being here now.
Let's gently turn our attention inward.
Without judgment,
Without trying to change anything,
Simply notice,
Where do you feel shame in your body?
Maybe it's a tightness in your throat,
A heaviness in your chest,
A sinking feeling in your stomach,
Tension in your shoulders,
Or perhaps a heat rising in your face.
There's no right or wrong answer,
Just notice.
Place one hand on this part of your body,
If you'd like.
Let your hand rest there,
With gentleness,
With compassion.
Breathe into this space.
Imagine your breath flowing directly to where the shame resides.
Now,
I want you to try something that might feel counterintuitive.
Instead of pushing the shame away,
Instead of trying to fix it or fight it,
What if you could simply acknowledge it?
Silently or out loud,
If you're comfortable,
You might say,
I see your shame,
I feel you here.
This doesn't mean the feeling of shame is being validated.
It doesn't mean you deserve it.
It simply means you're willing to be present with what is.
Shame thrives in hiding.
It grows stronger in darkness.
But when we bring it to the light of our awareness,
With gentleness and compassion,
Something begins to shift.
Breathe.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Let each breath serve as an act of love for yourself.
You are not your shame.
You are the vast,
Compassionate awareness that can learn and grow from this feeling.
Now,
Imagine a warm,
Golden light beginning to glow in the center of your chest,
Right where your heart is.
This is the light of compassion,
Of understanding,
Of love.
With each inhale,
Imagine this light growing brighter,
Warmer,
More radiant.
With each exhale,
Imagine the light gently flowing toward the place where the shame resides in your body.
The light doesn't attack the shame.
It doesn't judge it.
It simply surrounds it,
Softens it,
And holds it.
You might imagine the shame beginning to dissolve,
Like ice melting in warm water.
Or perhaps it simply becomes lighter,
Less solid,
Less defining.
Breathe this compassion into every cell of your body.
You are worthy of love.
You have always been worthy.
Your worth is not something you earn or you lose.
It simply is.
You are worthy.
As you sit with your breath in deep compassion for yourself,
Take this moment to imagine releasing what no longer serves you.
With your next exhale,
Imagine yourself breathing out the shame,
Letting it flow away from you like smoke dispersing in the wind.
Now inhale love.
And exhale anything that feels heavy or stuck.
Now place both hands over your heart.
Feel the nurturing of your own touch.
Feel your heartbeat,
The proof that you're alive,
That you matter,
That you belong.
Silently or aloud,
Offer yourself these words of affirmation.
I am enough exactly as I am.
I am worthy of love and belonging.
I release what no longer serves me.
I choose compassion for myself.
Take one more deep breath in.
And exhale out.
And slowly begin to wiggle your toes and fingers and roll your shoulders.
Know that you can return to this practice whenever shame arises.
You have the tools within you to meet it with compassion,
To process it,
And to remember your inherent worth.
Thank you for showing up for yourself today.
