Welcome to this practice to feel safe now,
Bringing yourself into this moment and taking some deep calming breaths,
Intentionally breathing slowly in and out.
You are safe right here,
Right now.
You're safe.
Drawing your breath in steadily and then seeing if you can slow your out-breath.
As you do this you'll be sending a message to your nervous system that you are safe.
Gently saying to yourself,
Right here,
Right now,
I am safe.
Breathe in with purpose and breathe out with presence,
Slowing that out-breath down.
When your out-breath is longer than your in-breath,
Your parasympathetic nervous system is activated,
Calming your body down,
Reminding you that you are safe.
Deep inhale,
Long slow exhale.
No matter what was happening before you chose to do this practice,
Congratulating yourself for doing it,
Remembering that you are powerful and that you make choices to support your well-being,
You are safe.
Even if your body feels stressed,
Anxious,
Fearful or overwhelmed,
Slowing down your breath,
Listening to my voice and bringing yourself into this moment.
As you focus on the present as it unfolds,
You tell your body that you're safe,
Allowing yourself to let go of anything that isn't happening right now.
Your breath,
This meditation practice,
Sensations in your body,
Sounds around you,
There's nothing else to worry about except being right here,
Right now.
Noticing what your thoughts are doing,
Perhaps you've been thinking about something stressful that just happened,
Or you've been stuck in a memory,
Or have been preoccupied with something that might happen in the future.
If thoughts continue to pop up,
See if you can visualize them floating away,
Letting them go.
Anytime an unhelpful thought,
Worry,
Plan or memory arises,
Just seeing it drift out of your mind and float away.
Your goal is to feel safe now,
So you can mindfully step away from these thoughts for a moment.
Let them go,
Saying to yourself,
I softly let go of my unhelpful thoughts,
Reminding yourself that you are safe now.
Focusing again on your breath,
Deep inhale and a long,
Slow,
Gentle exhale.
Let your extended out-breath send a clear message to your body that you are safe.
If you'd like to,
Placing both or one of your hands onto your heart,
Imagine that you're tending to a scared animal or child as you tend to yourself.
See your arms cradling an animal or a young child that represents you.
As you cradle this being in your arms,
Feel your heart growing and overflowing with love and compassion.
You want nothing more than for this little being to be loved,
To be held,
Supported and cared for.
Sending this animal or child all the love and compassion that you possess within you.
The feelings of love and kindness help to regulate your system,
To bring your body back to safety.
Offering some supportive words to this child or animal,
I'll keep you safe.
There's nothing to fear.
Nothing can harm you while I'm holding you.
You know what to do.
It is safe to be yourself.
Absorbing all this care,
Compassion and kindness that you're offering to yourself.
Feeling supported,
Understood,
Connected and worthy of love.
Continuing to send compassion towards yourself and to receive it unconditionally.
Continuing to breathe slowly and calmly.
And you can stay in this feeling of safety and self-compassion as long as you like.
But if you have a challenge ahead of you,
Something you're scared of,
A situation in the future or some circumstances that are causing you stress,
Spending some time now thinking about a safe,
Calm plan of action to assist you in the future.
Who can you call on for support?
What's the first step?
What will you need to accomplish?
How can you ensure that you will feel safe along the way?
From this space of already feeling safe,
Bringing that sense of safety with you as you create your plan.
Saying to yourself,
I am safe.
Regardless of what I need to face next,
I feel safe now.
Remembering to breathe slowly,
Exhale gently and hold yourself through it.
As you think about the action you'd like to take,
Considering if you are actually in a situation that is genuinely unsafe.
If you think you might be at risk of harm,
Please seek support immediately.
Feeling safe now and knowing that you can feel safe again in the future.
Even if this feeling is new to you,
Know that you will be able to access it again when you need it and start to teach your body and your brain that you are okay.
Feeling held,
Supported,
Loved and safe.
Knowing what you need to do and using your plan to get started.
Knowing that you are worthy,
You are safe and if you ever feel unsafe,
You can return to this feeling of safety.
