Welcome,
And thank you for being here.
Today's meditation is an invitation to come home to yourself.
To reclaim your space.
To remember that it's not selfish to protect your energy.
It's sacred.
If you've ever felt like you oscillate between hiding from the world and then feeling completely overwhelmed when you reemerge,
You're not alone.
This practice will help you anchor into yourself so that you can stay present and connected without getting drowned out,
Pulled in,
Or energetically depleted.
You don't need to fix anything right now.
Just arrive exactly as you are.
And let's begin.
So finding a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down,
Take a few moments to adjust your body so that you can feel fully supported.
Let your hands rest softly on your lap,
Your belly,
Or by your sides.
And when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Bring your awareness to your breath.
No need to force or change anything.
Just notice the gentle rise and fall.
Inhale and exhale.
Let yourself land.
Let this be a space that belongs fully to you.
And start to scan your body.
Noticing the parts that feel settled and the parts that might feel tense,
Braced,
Or even a little far away.
And there's no right or wrong here.
Just awareness.
Begin at the top of your head.
And slowly move your attention down through your face and jaw,
Your neck and shoulders,
Your arms,
Chest,
Belly,
Hips,
Legs.
As you breathe,
Soften just 1% more.
Let your body know it's safe to be here.
Now bring your awareness to the parts of you touching the ground.
Your sit bones,
Your back,
Your feet,
Wherever you're supported.
Imagine roots growing down from your body into the earth.
They reach deep below you,
Steady,
Wide,
Grounding.
With each breath out,
Imagine these roots anchoring even more.
Like the earth is saying,
I've got you.
Feel your body being held.
Let yourself exhale fully.
And let the ground hold the weight of the world for a moment.
There's nothing to carry right now.
There is nothing you need to do.
You are held.
And you are enough.
Now from this grounded place,
Begin to visualize a soft,
Shimmering bubble.
A bubble around you.
It expands just a couple of feet in all directions.
In front,
Behind,
Above,
Below.
And this bubble is not rigid.
It's breathable.
It's alive.
It moves with you.
It's not a wall that disconnects you.
It's a sacred membrane that defines your space.
This is your energetic boundary.
It protects you.
It filters what comes in.
It reminds you where you end and where the world begins.
Now feel yourself inhabiting this space.
Not shrinking back.
Not pushing out.
Just fully being here.
Taking up your natural space.
Feel your breath expanding inside the bubble.
Allow yourself grow a little taller.
A little wider.
A little more you.
Now let's bring the breath in as an anchor for your presence.
Breathe in through the nose.
Feel the breath rise into your chest,
Your ribs,
Your belly.
Breathe out and settle even more deeply into your body.
Inhale.
I take up space.
Exhale.
I'm allowed to be here.
Inhale.
This is my energy.
Exhale.
I return to myself.
And let yourself feel what it's like to occupy your own space.
To not abandon it when others arrive.
To not rush to fill the silence.
To not shrink out of habit.
Now imagine someone approaching you.
Maybe it's someone you know.
Or maybe it's just a presence that represents others in general.
See them walking towards your bubble.
As they come near,
Notice how your body reacts.
What's your instinct?
To brace?
To retreat?
To overextend?
This time,
Gently stay in your space.
Let your feet stay rooted.
Let your breath stay soft.
They can be there outside the bubble.
But they don't have to enter it.
Unless you invite them in.
You are not responsible for managing their experience.
You are not required to absorb their energy.
You get to choose how close they come.
You get to decide what belongs inside this space.
Maybe whisper gently to yourself.
I can stay connected to others.
Without losing connection to myself.
I don't have to withdraw to feel safe.
I can stay rooted.
My boundaries are loving.
They are not a rejection.
They are an honoring.
And breathe into this.
Letting yourself feel the strength in softness.
The clarity in compassion.
The person begins to fade now.
And you remain here,
Grounded in your own presence.
Nothing to fix.
Nothing to force.
Just here,
Alive in your own energy.
Now slowly return to the feeling of the room around you.
Notice the air on your skin.
The surface beneath you.
Take one more deep breath.
Inhale,
I return to myself.
Exhale,
I carry this presence with me.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Maybe gently roll your shoulders or stretch if that feels good.
And when you're ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Let this grounded clarity stay with you.
As you move through the rest of your day.
Let this bubble,
This sacred boundary remind you.
That you can stay open without being overwhelmed.
You are allowed to take up space.
You are allowed to protect your energy.
You are allowed to belong first to yourself.
Thank you for practicing.
