To begin,
Find a quiet and comfortable space without distraction.
Find a position that helps you stay alert but comfortable.
Your eyes can be opened with a soft gaze on one spot or closed.
Please take care of yourself during this guided practice if it becomes too intense for you.
If you move out of your challenge zone,
Try opening your eyes and looking around your space,
Listening to sounds in the room,
Or feeling how your body is supported by the chair or whatever surface you are sitting or lying on.
Take a moment to settle in and feel your breath,
Or listen to the sounds in your space.
If you choose the breath,
Pay attention to the part of your body where your breath feels most comfortable.
For you,
That could be at your nostrils,
Belly,
Or the rise and fall of your shoulders.
Pay attention to that one place and take a few slow breaths,
Feeling your breath.
Let any thoughts you have fade away.
If your mind wanders,
That's okay.
Gently bring yourself back to the present moment and put your attention on your breath or sounds.
Continue to breathe naturally.
Observe your breath where it's relatively comfortable.
What's your breath like in this moment?
Shallow or deep?
Choppy or smooth?
Slow or fast?
Let yourself experience your breath just as it is without judging it.
What emotions are here right now?
Emotions are clues to which inner family member is activated.
You may notice fear,
Anger,
Sadness,
Worry,
Or joy,
Or you might not know what you're feeling.
Allow yourself to feel any feelings you're aware of as best you can.
Notice any physical sensations you feel,
Such as warmth,
Coolness,
Pulsing,
Or tightness.
Whatever you notice,
See if it can be okay.
Your body's giving you information.
Who needs your loving parent's attention right now or in the recent past?
The inner child,
Inner teenager,
Or both?
Maybe you don't know.
What activated this part of you?
Was it people,
Places,
Or things?
Distorted thinking or the critical parent?
Maybe it's a culmination,
Or maybe you don't know.
Notice if you feel curious,
Compassionate,
Or interested in connecting with the part of you that needs attention.
If not,
How can you access these qualities to reparent?
If more than one inner family member needs your loving parent's attention,
You can connect with the one that seems to need your attention the most.
Let the other one know you'll connect with them afterward.
How can your inner loving parent tend to this part of you?
Let this part of you know that it's okay to feel whatever they're feeling.
Listen to them.
What do they need?
Maybe they need you to trust that your loving parent will protect them.
Maybe they need to know you love them just as they are.
If this part needs comfort,
Can you offer that right now in whatever way they need?
A hand on the heart,
A hug,
A gentle caress of the cheek,
Or a pat on the arm?
If other inner family members judge this process or try to fix the feelings that arise,
Let them know that this is not the time,
And you'll tend to them later.
As we close,
Notice how you're feeling.
You may feel calm,
Sad,
Or the same as when you started.
Let your inner child or inner teen,
Or both,
Know that you appreciate the time you spent together.
Thank them for telling you how they felt.
If you can uphold the promise,
Let them know you'll be checking in with them again soon.
You can open your eyes or lift your gaze and reconnect with your surroundings.
