Welcome.
Today we will enter into a space of reflection,
Where you can meet and understand a part of yourself.
A part that perhaps protects,
Manages,
Or oversees aspects of your life.
As we journey inward,
There will be moments of silence to allow you to listen deeply to your intuition.
In this practice,
Intuition and bodily awareness are our guides,
Rather than logical reasoning.
Before we begin,
Check in with yourself.
If you feel hesitation or discomfort,
Honor that.
Your inner systems know what is best for you.
And if it feels right to proceed,
Then let's begin.
Settling into presence,
Find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed.
And for this meditation,
I ask you to sit so that we don't have the temptation to drift to sleep.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in.
Feel the air filling your lungs.
And exhale slowly,
Letting the tension melt away.
Allow yourself to settle into stillness,
Just noticing the rhythm of your breath.
Let it be natural,
Effortless.
And if thoughts arise,
Gently acknowledge them and then return to the breath.
Each inhale brings calm and exhale releases tension.
And I want you to bring awareness to a protective part of you.
So when you feel ready,
Invite forward a part of yourself that you would like to get to know better.
A part that works hard to protect you or manages aspects of your life.
This may be the inner critic,
The part that pushes you to work tirelessly.
The part that takes care of others before yourself.
The part that seeks perfection.
The part that feels anxious or any other protector that feels like it would like to come forward to be worked with today.
Let this part surface naturally and welcome whatever arises.
So as you invite this part forward,
I want you to notice its voice.
Whether it has a movement,
A thought pattern,
Or a sensation within you.
And asking yourself,
Where does this part seem to reside in or around your body?
Do you feel it in your chest,
Your stomach,
Your shoulders,
Or somewhere else?
Does it have a texture or presence?
And if no location arises,
That is okay.
Simply observe.
And as we observe this part more,
We're going to bring curiosity to this part.
How do you feel towards it?
Do you dislike it?
Fear it?
Depend on it maybe?
Or do you wish it would just go away?
And if resistance or judgment emerges,
Acknowledge that these feelings come perhaps from other parts of ourselves.
Parts within parts that have managed or controlled this protector.
And that is natural.
So if you feel other parts come forward,
Ask them if they might just step back for a moment to allow us to truly meet the part that we started with without interference.
Let any other parts know that you have their best interest at heart,
That you are safe,
And that it is safe to examine this.
And if they are not ready to step back,
We will honor that as well.
There is no forcing in this practice.
But if we were allowed to have those other parts quiet down,
We can invite the initial part forward with openness,
Inviting understanding.
I want you to ask this part,
What do you want me to know?
And without overthinking the answer,
Just listen.
Let it come naturally.
Whether it's words,
Images,
Or feelings.
What do you want me to know?
And when something arises,
Accept it as it is.
No judgment,
Only curiosity and understanding.
And if it wants us to know of a fear or how it protects us or how it needs gratitude,
We're going to go a And asking this part,
What are you afraid would happen if you stopped protecting me in this way?
What is this part's deepest fear?
What danger does it believe it is preventing?
If an answer comes,
Recognize that this part has been trying to keep you safe,
Even if its methods don't always serve you.
And if possible,
Take a moment to extend gratitude to this part.
Acknowledge how hard it has been working.
Let it know that you see its efforts.
And notice how this part responds to being appreciated.
Does it soften?
Does it argue back?
Does it change at all?
And if this part was no longer needed in this role,
Could we liberate it?
What might it like to do instead of working so hard?
What would it enjoy?
And just allow any responses to surface.
And now asking this part a very unique question.
How old do you think I am now?
Not how old the part is,
But how old it thinks that you are.
Sometimes protective parts hold outdated beliefs.
They may still think that you are a child needing their protection.
And if this is the case,
And this part does not know that you are an adult,
Then gently let it know that you have grown,
That you are capable,
That you know more now than you did then.
And allowing that part to just recognize this new information.
And going forward,
Ask your part,
What do you need from me now?
What do you need from me going forward?
And listening to its answer,
Does it need reassurance?
Comfort?
A new role?
More playfulness?
More understanding,
Perhaps?
Whatever it asks of you,
Going forward,
We are going to honor that.
And once again,
Extending gratitude and compassion,
Comfort and care to this part that perhaps can go forward and not have to protect us so much in the old strategies.
And so as we come to a close,
I want you to thank your part for their willingness to show up.
Thank them for all they have done in the past.
And reassure them that we are going to honor them and their needs going forward.
But in a more grown up,
Mature,
Balanced way.
And taking a deep breath in,
Feeling the air expanding in your chest.
Exhaling slowly,
Let gratitude settle within for yourself and all the parts that have showed up today.
Bringing awareness back to your body,
Feeling the ground beneath you,
The space around you.
Honor that you have done meaningful,
Deep work today.
And that we can carry this awareness going forward.
May you be gentle in your spirit.
May you be gentle in your mind.
May you be gentle in your body.
And may you be gentle with your parts.
Taking in one more integration breath.
And whenever you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes.
