Hello,
And welcome to your guided meditation,
Meeting the Shadow.
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Grab some pillows,
Maybe a blanket,
And settle in.
Take your time.
When you're ready,
Only when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes and take a nice,
Deep breath in,
Filling your body with calm,
And then slowly exhaling,
Releasing any tension.
And again,
Inhale deeply,
Fully,
And exhale slowly,
Allowing your thoughts to slow,
Your body to relax,
And your heart to open.
And again,
Keep breathing in and letting the breath fall away.
You can breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Whatever feels comfortable to you.
One last full breath,
And sigh,
Breath out.
Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
This is a journey inward,
A journey to meet the part of you that often stays hidden,
A journey into your shadow.
The shadow holds the parts of yourself that you've ignored,
Denied,
Or pushed away,
Or that have been deemed unacceptable by the people in the world around you.
But today,
You are not going to turn away.
Today,
You're going to approach with curiosity,
With compassion,
And with courage.
Imagine yourself standing at the entrance of a vast,
Vast cave.
This cave represents your inner world,
The place where your shadow lives.
It is neither good nor bad,
Only unexplored.
And as you start to walk inside the cave,
Notice the air around you.
Notice the temperature,
The stillness,
The depth,
The darkness.
And with each step,
You move deeper and deeper into this space,
Your space.
Your breath is steady,
Your body relaxed.
You are safe here.
This is your cave.
Your mind may want to resist,
To turn back,
But you remind yourself the shadow is not your enemy.
It is simply the part of you that has been waited to be seen,
Waiting to be seen for years.
In the dim light ahead,
You notice a figure,
A familiar figure.
And as you approach,
You see that this figure is you,
But not the you that the world sees.
This is your shadow.
It may appear as a reflection,
As a presence,
Or simply as a feeling in your body.
Take some time to acknowledge how the shadow is showing itself to you.
Take a moment to observe how does your shadow feel?
Is it angry?
Is it sad?
Does it feel heavy?
Does it feel powerful?
How does your shadow feel?
Slowly,
Slowly approach your shadow.
And when you feel ready,
Ask,
What do you want me to know?
And listen.
Why have you been hiding?
And listen,
Listen.
And how,
How have you been trying to protect me?
There's no need to force an answer for any of the questions.
Just allow whatever comes to the surface,
Words,
Sensations,
Or emotions to arise naturally.
Welcome them all.
Listen.
Now reach out in your mind and offer your shadow a gesture of acceptance,
Of acknowledgement.
Maybe it's a nod,
Maybe a handshake.
Or maybe a warm embrace.
You're here to let it know that you are ready to acknowledge its presence and everything that's held within it.
That it is not something to fear,
But something to understand.
And your shadow now looks at you or feels to you.
They have a new energy,
A lighter,
An open,
A less hidden energy.
And you realise that by acknowledging it and facing it,
You have taken away its power to control you from the darkness.
You're making the subconscious conscious.
And the shadow wants to offer you something.
It's a gift,
A message of sorts to carry with you as you return to the present.
Maybe a symbol,
A word,
Or a feeling.
Accept it with gratitude.
Now slowly begin stepping out of the cave.
Walking towards the light.
Feeling lighter,
Feeling more whole.
More at peace.
The outside world awaits,
But something inside you has shifted.
You no longer fear your shadow.
You now walk beside it.
Bask in how that feels.
As you walk out into the sunlight.
And the warmth hits your skin.
Bring awareness back to your body by wriggling your fingers,
Wriggling your toes.
You might want to stretch.
You might want to turn your head from side to side,
Rock your knees.
Pull them into your chest.
Whatever works for you.
Take a lovely deep breath in.
And exhale gently with a sigh or with a sound.
And I invite you to place a hand over your heart and whisper,
I see you.
I accept you.
I am whole.
And when you're ready,
Gently,
Gently open your eyes.
Carrying this new,
Beautiful awareness with you.
Your shadow is no longer a stranger.
No longer something to be feared.
It is a part of you.
And you are stronger for knowing it.
Thank you for joining us.
