And welcome to this meditation to connect with your authentic self.
So I invite you to begin by getting comfortable.
You may want to sit or lie down,
Whatever is more comfortable for you.
And gently close your eyes.
Take a deep cleansing breath in and exhale.
Take another deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
One more deep breath in and exhale.
And start to relax your body,
Beginning with your feet,
To allow a feeling of relaxation to fill your feet,
Feeling heavy,
Loose and relaxed.
Relax your ankles,
Lower legs and knees and allow the relaxation to continue,
Relaxing your upper legs.
Let the muscles of your legs completely let go,
Feeling very heavy and relaxed.
Next,
Relax your hips and pelvis and all the surrounding muscles.
Feel your stomach and lower back relaxing,
The muscles giving up their hold.
Feel the relaxation in your chest,
Back and sides,
Feeling very relaxed,
Very heavy.
Let your hands relax all the way from your fingertips to your wrists,
Feel your lower arms relaxing,
Letting go.
Relax your elbows and upper arms,
Loose and heavy.
Next,
Relax your shoulders,
Feeling them lowering slightly,
Finding a comfortable,
Relaxed position,
Free from tension.
Allow the muscles of your neck to relax,
Letting go and relax your face and head.
Feel your entire body relaxing even more deeply,
Becoming completely relaxed,
Heavy,
Comfortable.
Now turn your attention inward,
Even more deeply inside,
To find your authentic self.
Begin by reflecting on your values.
What is the most important thing in your life?
What is the most important thing you want to do in your life?
What do you value?
Where does your sense of right and wrong come from?
So just spend the next few moments thinking about your values.
The values you've been thinking of make up part of the core of who you are.
If you're being true to your values,
These core beliefs will drive your behavior.
And it feels good to behave in ways that are consistent with your values.
If honesty,
For example,
Is something you value,
This could be reflected in your life by being truthful.
If you value your family,
Perhaps your life reflects this in the time you spend with family members.
So just think about how your values can be a part of your day-to-day life.
And now consider what else makes you who you are.
Finding your authentic selves involves learning who you truly are.
Your authentic self is the real you,
The person you're truly meant to be.
Your authentic self is the person you are at the core,
The person you can be if nothing holds you back.
So imagine the person you believe yourself to be right now.
It's okay if you aren't quite sure who you are.
Just picture yourself going about the things you usually do in a typical day.
Imagine that you're watching yourself,
You know,
Observing yourself,
Going about your usual activities.
See yourself getting up in the morning,
Going about your day.
Imagine the things that you do in a typical day and just see yourself doing these activities.
So now just picture this person,
You,
Standing in an empty room.
And imagine watching this person.
Just observe.
And imagine now that you could strip away all the things that hold you back from your full potential.
So imagine self-doubt dissolving and being replaced with confidence and self-assurance.
Just picture this person before you.
And imagine all the things that get in the way of success,
Such as circumstances,
Your lack of resources,
Lack of forgiveness,
Illness,
Any baggage from the past.
Just anything that is holding this person back in any way at all.
And then see these problems dissolving,
Disappearing,
Just going away.
So now imagine this person standing in the empty room and what's left?
Who is this person when all those barriers are stripped away?
This person is you.
So imagine who you are at the core,
The pure character that's left when there's nothing to get in the way of complete self-expression.
So right now you might only have a vague picture in your mind,
But just allow that picture to come into focus,
Becoming clearer.
And think of your motivations.
What motivates you?
What drives your behavior?
What catches your interest or what has caught your interest in the past?
What propels you to action?
Think about your personality and character traits and the characteristics that are left when all barriers are removed and all fears have gone away.
At your fullest potential,
Your simplest form with no fears,
What traits do you have?
Think about your energy.
Are you laid back and calm or are you energetic?
And think about other characteristics.
Are you introverted or extroverted,
Quiet or talkative?
Are you creative?
Are you practical?
What sort of things do you appreciate?
What do you admire?
What do you like?
Imagine something that makes you feel happy.
What is it?
Think of some things you enjoy,
Things you like to do.
Think about all the characteristics of the person who's left when all barriers and fears are removed.
Now picture yourself as a child.
See the world through your younger self's eyes.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What hopes did you have for your future self?
What dreams did you have as a child?
The hopes and dreams you had as a child were probably related in some way to your authentic self.
Something about your dreams was connected to a part of your true self.
What do these aspirations say about who you are?
What personal characteristics of yours are related to your childhood dreams?
For example,
If as a child you dreamed about becoming an astronaut,
You probably have some personality traits that relate to this dream,
Such as being adventurous or curious,
Analytical.
Just think about your own childhood dreams and see what these dreams say about who you are.
So now create one final picture in your mind.
Imagine in as much detail as you can the person you want to be.
Imagine your ideal self.
So how would this person behave?
What does this person,
Your authentic self,
Value?
What motivates this ideal self?
What personal characteristics are present in this ideal version of you?
Just imagine all the details of the person you most want to be.
The image in your mind right now of this ideal person is you.
This is your authentic self.
This is who you are.
At the core,
Beneath all of life's getting in the way,
This is you.
Just spend a few moments with this image of your authentic self.
Now allow yourself to step inside this image and fully become this person,
Become who you are.
So for this moment,
Just be,
Just simply be your authentic self and feel a sense of calm and serenity,
Secure in who you are,
Knowing who you are.
This is you,
Your authentic self.
You can take this authentic self with you,
Allowing this true essence of you to shine through in every day.
Allow your values,
Personality and motivations to shine through,
To guide your behavior,
To make up who you are.
So know that you've always been this person.
You always will be your authentic self,
A positive,
Confident person,
A person you like and appreciate.
With the challenges,
The baggage,
The demands of living life,
This is the real you that will always be with you.
So it's time now to conclude this relaxation exercise.
Keep the image of your authentic self with you as you go about the rest of your day.
Express this true self and allow you to be simply you.
You can start to wiggle your fingers,
Waking up your hands and arms and move your toes,
Allowing your feet and legs to wake up and feel your muscles reawakening and your whole body filling with energy.
Open your eyes and sit quietly just for a moment while you reorient yourself to your surroundings.
When you're completely awake and alert,
You can return to your usual activities,
Feeling confident and calm,
In touch with your authentic self.
