Hello and welcome to this guided meditation for cultivating presence during the transition of a divorce,
Separation,
Or breakup.
My name is Julie Ilagrace,
And I am honored to be your meditation guide today.
In this practice,
We will focus on nurturing presence with gratitude,
And also on embracing each moment as it comes without judgment or resistance.
To begin,
Find a quiet,
Comfortable place to either sit or lie down.
Adjust your position with any props as needed so that you feel supported and at ease.
When you're ready,
Close your eyes and draw the awareness to your breath.
What can your breath tell you in this moment?
How does it land in your body?
Notice anything and everything without judgment,
And just be with whatever is.
Check in with your mind now.
What is the quality of the mind?
Is it open or closed?
Busy or quiet?
Are there any thoughts on repeat?
Again,
Simply notice without assigning any value or labels.
Practice being a non-judgmental witness.
Begin to check in with your feelings or your emotional body now.
Perhaps you perceive this at the heart,
Or just as a general awareness.
What is happening within your emotional sphere?
Again,
Practice being with what is,
Without resisting or avoiding.
Now take the awareness to the body,
And intuitively notice where the body is open and relaxed,
And also where the body may be storing stress,
Tension,
Or even injury.
Become aware of the interactions between your breath,
Mind,
Feelings,
And body.
How do they play off of each other?
Often,
If we are stressed,
The breath may become shallow,
And parts of the body may feel tight.
Likewise,
When we are more content,
The body may be looser,
And the breath deeper.
Remember,
We are only cultivating awareness right now.
There is absolutely no need to judge anything at all.
Recalling this relationship between your breath,
Body,
Feelings,
And thoughts,
Let's begin to deepen the breath now.
Place a hand on your tummy,
And bring the breath all the way down into your belly.
Feel the belly rise with each inhale,
And fall with each exhale.
Take a few of these deep belly breaths.
Now place the other hand above your heart,
And feel the inhale filling up the belly,
Ribs,
And chest,
And then feel the exhale allowing the belly,
Ribs,
And chest to fall.
Allow your mind to anchor in the tide of your breath,
Witnessing it rolling in and out,
And if at any point your mind wanders,
Just gently bring it back to your breath again.
Be with that wave of your breath for the next few moments.
Remember that your breath is always here for you as a tool to pause,
To reset,
And to drop into the present.
So without attaching any emotions now,
Become aware of any fears that may be regularly taking you out of the present moment.
Change can be scary,
Especially when it is sudden,
Or if we feel as if we have no map to guide us.
Pause right now,
And feel your breath as your baseline navigation system.
Before we even take steps forward,
We breathe.
So feel that stability in your breath right now.
Remind yourself,
I am breathing here and now.
My breath supports me through each and every moment.
Hear those words a few more times as you breathe.
I am breathing here and now.
My breath supports me through each and every moment.
I am breathing here and now.
My breath supports me through each and every moment.
Again,
Without attaching any emotions,
Notice if there are anxious tendencies that you are currently harboring.
For example,
Are you attempting to over-plan the future by trying to take 15 steps at a time instead of one at a time?
Or are you potentially under-planning and resisting the change?
Pause again,
And visualize your feet as part of your inbuilt navigation system.
Whether you are over-planning,
Under-planning,
Or completely in balance with moving through these changes,
Feel your feet as connected and rooted to this earth.
Remember,
Your feet have already taken you so many places in this life.
Imagine your feet offering your mind this support now.
Here to set a steady pace as you move forward,
One step at a time.
Visualize your anxiety dissipating as you are supported by your feet and by this earth.
Hear these words.
I am grounded and supported by this earth.
My feet keep me strong and balanced.
They help me remain calm as I take one step at a time.
I am grounded and supported by this earth.
My feet keep me strong and balanced.
They help me remain calm as I take one step at a time.
I am grounded and supported by this earth.
My feet keep me strong and balanced.
They help me remain calm as I take one step at a time.
Finally,
Notice if you are feeling a loss of identity as this relationship changes nature.
This can be very common after months,
Years,
Or even decades spent with another person.
And yet,
Here you are.
Pause and visualize yourself now as a newborn baby.
Your previous partner was not present or part of this scene.
You were new to the world.
And while you needed the support of your caregivers to survive,
You did survive.
You formed your own identity over time.
You formed your own preferences for everything from food to music to how you spend your time.
Sometimes,
When we are struggling with such loss,
We can lose sight of ourselves as well.
We may even believe that we are unworthy in some way of reclaiming our own vibrant light.
Visualize now a beautiful light shining down from the sky,
Full of healing energy.
And imagine your crown opening up to receive this light.
And feel as if that light moves all the way down your spine.
Imagine it cleansing you of feelings of unworthiness,
Failure,
Or any other narrative that may be keeping you from shining.
Feel that light growing brighter and expanding throughout your body,
Your mind,
Your heart,
And your essence.
Remember,
You have the ability to cultivate and share light in this world.
Feel as if this light is continually healing you and giving you the ability to reclaim your vibrant self,
Regardless of any relationships that you may encounter in this life.
Now hear these words… I have a beautiful,
Strong light,
And I choose to not only survive,
But to shine in this world so that I may help others to shine too.
I have a beautiful,
Strong light,
And I choose to not only survive,
But to shine in this world so that I may help others to shine too.
I have a beautiful,
Strong light,
And I choose to not only survive,
But to shine in this world so that I may help others to shine too.
Remember,
You are the narrator of your life,
And that this body gifted to you from birth,
From the millennia of ancestors that survived long enough so that you could be here right now,
Has the ability to support you and to ground you.
Take a few more deep breaths now,
And feel yourself joyfully receiving these deep breaths in body,
Mind,
And spirit.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes,
And with a soft gaze,
Take in this moment.
You are here right now.
Blessings for your day,
And blessings for your journey.
Namaste.
