Self-Judgement

The cruelest of all of our inner critics is that of self-judgement. For some, the internal dialogue is loud and harsh, for others, the voice is a mere whisper. As long as we carry self judgement we hold ourselves back, we settle. In this guided visualization you will take a journey coming face to face with your inner judge, and then, you will let your judge go. You will embrace the messy and imperfect and beautiful you.

Transcript

This is Marion. For the next few minutes, We're going to take a journey together. We're going to go back and then forward. We are going to touch that amazing and wonderful part of you deep inside. The unique and special signature that makes you, You. There's no one else in the universe quite like you and this is something to be celebrated. With your eyes open, Sitting up straight, Feel your feet on the floor. Align your head, Your shoulders and your belly so that you're sitting up straight, Tall and confident. And now let your shoulders drop and just try to relax. We are going to take three really deep breaths. I'll walk you through. As you breathe in deeply, You'll notice your body expanding. As you breathe out, You'll notice your body relaxing. So take a really deep breath, Breathing in as deeply as you can. And now a slow, Gentle release out. Again, A deep energizing breath in. Feel yourself expanding. And now slowly breathe out. Let it go. Whatever you're holding on to right now, Just let it go. Let it all go. One more deep breath in. And now a slow release out. Breathe it all out. Any tension, Anxiety, Frustration, Distraction, Just let it go. And if your eyes are open, Gently close your eyes. And just breathe. That's it. Just breathe. Soften your eyes. And all those tiny little muscles around your eyes, Let them soften. Smile. And for a minute here, Just let your breath find its natural flow. Just breathe. Your body knows exactly what to do. Just relax and breathe. It may help to find an anchor, A place where you really feel your breath. Anchor yourself here. You'll hear my voice in the background. And just allow this to be there. Let the words flow over you as you just breathe. These next few minutes, This is your time. See if you can relax into this and just be here with this and see what happens. Today we're going to be talking about self-judgment and really about self-acceptance. Just breathe. Often we develop habits, Harmful habits that hold us back, That keep us small. We set such high standards for ourselves, This idealized image of who we're supposed to be, How we're supposed to be. This is our ego. Ironically, Our ego is trying to protect us. It's the ego's way of keeping us locked into the space of presumed safety. Self-judgment is a trap. It keeps us small. It holds us back. Breathe. Just breathe. Self-judgment wraps itself around us. Tight. Restrictive. It keeps the dark out and it keeps the light out. Does not allow us to grow. Over the next few minutes, We're going to use your imagination. If you notice that your mind is telling you that you don't have an imagination, Note that this is simply a form of self-judgment. You do have an imagination. We tap into this by letting go. Letting go of criticism, Of self-doubt, Of skepticism. Just try to allow yourself to be with this and see what unfolds. Just breathe. How do you self-judge? Maybe in terms of physical appearance, Maybe in relation to arbitrary goals you've set for yourself, In terms of career, Relationships, Possessions. Self-judgment is about comparison. It lies to us. Tells us that if we're not always comparing, We get lazy. We get left behind. It is a darkness that we wrap around ourselves. It keeps us from connecting, From contributing, From belonging. Think about one way in which you self-judge. One way in which your inner critic tells you that you do not measure up. Think about how you self-judge. Take a deep breath and picture this. See yourself wrapped in self-judgment. What does self-judgment look like on you? What does it feel like against your skin? This judgment, Is it lightweight or heavy? How is it restricting you? Feel the judgment wrapped around you, Keeping you small. Notice what it feels like inside your body. Where do you feel it? What are the physical sensations? Is there sharpness, Tension, Pain? What is the movement of this judgment in your body? Do you feel loose or tight, Relaxed or tense? Do you feel internal movement or perhaps there is no movement at all? What is your breathing like, Deep or shallow? Stay with these sensations for a moment, Just noticing. Sense this feeling of judgment. Without going deep into the sensations, Notice them. Be an observer of what you see, Of what you reveal. Stay with this, Just breathe, Just notice and just breathe. Noticing self-judgment is the first step to letting it go. We are going to do this now, We are going to let it go, We are going to let the self-judgment go. Let any tension or anxiety break free. The image of you self-judging, Let it go, Let it go and just breathe, Just breathe. Notice there, In the center of your chest, There is a very small pinprick of light. It is comfortably warm and sparkling. This light, This warmth, Breathe it in. The light is expanding now. You feel it radiating. Your chest is glowing in the warmth of the light, Now expanding throughout your torso. Pull back your shoulders. Notice the spine extending, Stretching up as you breathe in. Feel the warmth and the safety. The light is moving down your legs and to your thighs, Your calves, Your shins. The warm tingling, You feel it now in your feet. The light, The warmth, It is in your shoulders. Now radiating down your arms into your hands, Palms of your hands, Your fingers. You feel the glow rising up your neck, Softening your face. Allow the warmth to caress your face. Smile. Notice the tingling of your scalp. Your entire body is illuminated now. You are glowing, Lighting up everything, Everyone around you. There is no fear here, No darkness, No judgment. Breathe in energy and self-confidence, Courage and self-acceptance. You are amazing just as you are. Fingers back, Breathe in energy, Breathe out anything restricting you, Holding you back. Lift up your chin, Feel the confidence, The courage. In this place where there is no fear, No judgment, You can allow yourself to be vulnerable, To accept your imperfections, Embrace your imperfections. They are part of what is special about you. Accept all of you, Love all of you. Self-judgment does not belong here. Self-judgment lives in the place of fear. There is no fear here. Feel the warmth, The energy, The confidence. Feel the courage. Accept and embrace your beautiful and imperfect self. Let any self-judging go. It keeps you small. Feel the warmth, The energy. This is you. The beautiful and amazing and imperfect you. Breathe this in. Know that this is always here. This space is your space. It lives within you, The beautiful and amazing you. Feel the warmth, The confidence, The courage. Breathe this in. You can always come back here. Stay here just for a minute longer. Just breathe this in. Breathe this in. Whenever you're ready, You can start to come back into the physical space. Try to do this slowly as it will allow you to bring more of this back with you. Breathe this in.