This meditation is best done seated in a comfortable position or lying down.
So make yourself comfortable and establish your awareness and breathing.
Starting to feel the gentle rise and fall of the abdomen or chest.
And noticing that you're aware.
Aware of a body breathing.
This awareness being your true self.
A self that is awake,
Open and compassionate.
An awareness that doesn't have an agenda but is curious,
Calm,
Kind.
And as you breathe,
Establishing this awareness as you.
Seeing this presence in your heart,
In your belly,
In your whole body.
And now as you breathe,
Begin to notice thinking.
And as a thought comes into your mind,
Notice the quality of the thought and what aspect of your personality is thinking that thought.
This thought does not arise out of this true self,
But we can know it.
Perhaps you're thinking about the future and it's a part of you that really likes to plan.
What would this planning part look like?
Perhaps it's a worried thought that is going through many possible scenarios of future outcomes.
What would this worried part look like?
Perhaps it's a sad part.
Perhaps it's an angry part.
Perhaps it's a part that's restless and just wants to have fun.
Let your awareness rest in your breathing.
As you notice any parts of you that are here now,
Honoring the fact that our mind is multifaceted and no part is bad or wrong.
But creating a separation between the true self,
Your awareness,
And these aspects of our personality.
Not taking on any one of these parts views,
But seeing them for what they are and who they are.
And now imagine a trailhead.
It could be a trail that you've been to before.
Perhaps in the city you live or in nature,
In the mountains or on a beach.
You might see the trailhead sign or parking lot.
Imagine being there and your true self arriving there with all of these aspects of your personality.
You might imagine your part standing there,
The planning part,
The worried part,
The angry part.
And so it's not just you,
But it's a group.
Imagine looking at your parts and asking them if they wouldn't mind staying at the trailhead while you went walking.
You being this full,
Present,
Awake self.
And notice what they say to you when you ask them,
Can I walk along this path alone?
And if they agree,
You can begin to walk down this trail,
Noticing what it feels like to be in the grace of your own presence.
If your parts or one part or many parts don't want you to walk,
Ask them what they would be afraid of if you left them here.
Ask them what would you need from me to feel safe?
Creating a dialogue with one or more aspects of your personality without judgment or anger.
You might stay at the trailhead dialoguing with these parts or you might be walking.
And if you're walking,
Being aware of the scenery,
Knowing that you don't want to see yourself in the frame of this image because if you see yourself,
That's a part.
So send it back.
You might find that along your walk that a part catches up with you.
If you're stuck in thinking,
That's a part.
What part is it?
What does it need?
Send it back.
In order to integrate the aspects of ourself,
We need to create a separation.
So letting your parts know that.
We gather more presence when we're away from them temporarily.
And if you are walking alone in presence,
What does that feel like?
Vivid images of trees,
Your feet on the ground,
The sun.
If you have a part that won't go back to the trailhead,
Perhaps it needs to walk beside you.
Perhaps more conversation is needed with it.
Get to know its fears,
Its hopes,
Its needs.
Like you would listen to a small child.
Let it teach you rather than push it away.
Without taking on its view.
And when it's time,
You can start walking back.
Perhaps this trail is a loop or perhaps you turn around.
Without rushing back to your parts,
Enjoying the space.
Enjoying the clarity of presence.
Really walking.
And once you arrive back at the trailhead,
You can meet your parts again.
And thanking them,
Those parts that let you go,
Thanking them for giving you space.
Perhaps you gathered insight on what some of them need from you.
Understanding that the parts of our personality we find challenging have developed in order to keep us safe.
All of your parts here have a role and a purpose and a message.
So honoring them and perhaps they will let you take this walk again.
Notice how you feel in your body as you let this image fade.
Feel your breath in your body here and now in the space.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes and return back.
