Hi dear one,
And welcome.
Thank you for taking a few moments for yourself today.
As we prepare to gather with family and friends,
It's natural to feel a mixture of anticipation,
Warmth,
And perhaps even a little activation or overwhelm.
Before stepping into those spaces,
We can offer ourselves this gentle pause to return to our center,
To soften into our breath,
And to cultivate compassion for ourselves and for others.
This moment is your grounding.
This is where you connect with your truth,
With steadiness,
With the part of you that knows how to move through the holidays with presence,
Honesty,
And care.
As we move through this meditation,
Allow yourself to create a little room inside.
Room to breathe,
Room to feel,
Room to meet each personality or conversation from a place that feels aligned with who you are.
You don't have to fix,
Perform,
Or hold on to anything.
You can simply return to yourself.
Let's take the next few moments to find a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Somewhere you can fully settle.
Take your time and feel your body arrive.
Feel the floor or chair holding you.
As your breath naturally begins to slow,
Let this practice wrap around you with warmth,
Ease,
And support.
Begin to allow your breath to become just a touch deeper than usual.
Breathing in a soft expansion and breathing out a gentle release.
With each inhale,
Feel yourself arriving more fully.
With each exhale,
Feel something soften,
A shoulder,
Your jaw,
The space around your heart.
Let the breath guide you home.
Take a slow,
Nourishing breath in through the nose.
Take a long exhale out through the mouth.
Two more just like that.
Letting the out-breath melt tension,
Expectation,
And any pressure you may be carrying with you.
Now,
Allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm and bring your awareness to the crown of the head,
The forehead,
The space between the eyebrows,
And let this space soften.
Soften the eyes,
The temples,
The cheeks,
Let the jaw unclench,
Allow the tongue to rest heavy in the mouth.
Feel your face relax into neutrality,
Into ease.
Gently scan down into the neck and throat,
An area that works so hard to hold your words,
Your truth,
Your expression.
Offer this space permission to loosen,
To feel spacious,
To be free.
Let your awareness drift into the shoulders.
So much is carried here,
Expectations,
Hopes,
Responsibilities.
Let the shoulders fall away from the ears,
Releasing even 1% more with each exhale.
Sense the arms,
Elbows,
Wrists,
Hands,
Fingertips.
Feel them grow heavy and relaxed.
And now bring your awareness to the center of your chest.
This tender,
Brave,
Open place.
Invite softness here.
As you breathe,
Imagine the heart space widening,
Glowing gently from within.
Let this warmth spill into the ribs,
The belly.
Feel the belly rise and fall naturally.
Allow this movement,
This exchange of energy,
Of life force to remind you that you are alive,
Supported.
And capable of returning to calm from within.
And bring your awareness into the low belly,
The pelvis,
Hips.
Allowing these heavier places to drop into the support beneath you.
Feel the legs,
The knees,
The calves,
The feet,
The toes.
All softening,
Settling,
Unwinding.
Your whole body held.
Your whole body supported.
And your whole body resting in safety.
Now gently bring your attention back to the breath.
And imagine the breath traveling in and out through the heart space.
With every inhale,
Invite steadiness.
With every exhale,
Invite release.
And we'll begin to imagine a warm,
Steady glow at the center of your chest.
Your inner light.
A light that stays with you no matter where you go or who you're with.
A light that holds your boundaries,
Your compassion,
Your truth.
A light that reminds you that you are more than the dynamics and the circumstances around you.
Watch this light gently grow.
Warming your chest,
Your arms,
Your belly,
Your whole torso.
Let it expand through the throat,
The face,
The crown.
Down the spine,
Into the hips,
The legs.
Until your entire body is wrapped in a soft,
Radiant glow.
This is your steadiness.
This is your protection.
This is your truth.
As you move through the holiday season,
Through conversations,
Personalities,
Surprises,
This light remains with you.
It is your quiet grounding.
Your reminder that you can pause,
That you can breathe.
That you can choose presence over reaction.
Love over tension.
Authenticity over old patterns.
Take a moment here to rest in this glow.
To breathe in your own safety.
To breathe out anything that is not yours to carry.
If you'd like,
You can bring in a soft intention.
I stay rooted in my truth with love.
I meet myself and others with compassion.
I am grounded,
Steady,
And supported.
Repeat any of these gently in your mind.
Let it land.
Let it integrate.
When you're ready,
Take a slow breath in.
Begin to bring small movements back into the body.
Wiggle the fingers and the toes.
Roll the shoulders.
Stretch in any way that feels natural,
That feels good.
Take your time.
As you gently return,
Carry this light with you.
Carry this intention with you into your day.
Into your gatherings.
Into every space you enter.
You are grounded.
You are supported.
You are whole.
Thank you for practicing.
Have a happy and healthy holiday season.
Return to this practice whenever you need to.
Thank you.
