The Journey To Peace

This guided meditation will take you on a journey towards self-acceptance and peace - balancing the work between body and personality. This is challenging work, requiring vulnerability, honesty, and courage. That said, the journey is so very worthwhile.
Music: Piano Dreams 1 - 6 by Gotama

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Kara and I'm going to be leading you on this guided meditation today.

I'd like to invite you to find a comfortable position that allows you to feel supported and nurtured.

There is no right or wrong here,

Only what feels good in your body in this moment.

Once you find yourself there,

If it feels safe to do so,

Allow your eyes to drift closed or allow your gaze to soften so that you're able to turn your attention inward.

I want to invite you to take a journey with me today.

On this journey,

We will be moving towards finding a sense of peace and acceptance towards our bodies and ourselves.

This may not be the most comfortable journey and I want you to know that that is okay.

We will begin with a centering that will ground us in our breath and as we move through,

This is a tool you can use whenever you need it.

So if it brings up difficult memories or emotions,

Take a moment to pause and offer yourself that grounding,

Knowing that you can move back into the work as you are ready.

So taking our first steps on this journey,

I want to invite you to guide your attention into your breath.

Notice how your breath is feeling as it moves in and out of your body in this moment.

Take the time to notice where you're naturally experiencing your breath.

This could be in the expansion and contraction of your lungs,

The rise and fall of your belly,

Or even the gentle tickle of the air moving in and out of your nose.

Know that in this moment,

That is exactly where you need to be experiencing your breath.

It is exactly right for you.

As you continue to be in your breath,

Allow your attention to move into the places where your body is connected downwards.

This could be through your feet and your bum if you're seated.

It could be along the entire length of your body if you're laying down.

Any part of you that is connected downwards towards the earth.

Now allow yourself the opportunity to really sink into that connection.

Feel the stability of the earth beneath you.

Feel the way that your body is held and supported.

And allow yourself the chance to soften into that support.

Come back into your breath,

Into your exhale.

And with each exhale,

Invite a little more softness,

A little more connection into the earth.

Allow each breath to ground you into the present moment and into your body and into the earth.

From this place of connection,

We're going to move into the realm of our bodies.

For so many of us,

Our bodies have become battlegrounds.

We've been trained to value our bodies based on the way they look.

And if our size or our skin or our shape doesn't fit a certain standard,

Then we are somehow less.

This programming isn't something we can undo quickly.

It is a practice.

So as you continue to breathe,

I want to invite you to allow yourself to think of a part of your body that you have been taught to dislike because of the way it looks.

If this is your first time doing something like this,

Don't dive into the deep end.

Start with a spot that maybe you struggle with,

But it isn't your greatest trigger.

Once you've brought this place into your awareness,

Take a moment to breathe.

Notice the emotions that might be coming up for you.

Try not to engage with those emotions.

Just allow yourself to be aware of them.

Then think about the purpose of the body part you have chosen.

Consider how this part of your body works or doesn't work for you.

As you're moving through these thoughts,

Take the opportunity to revisit any emotions that are coming up for you.

Still choosing not to engage with the emotions,

Just to be aware of them.

This may be a moment where you would like to stop and return to your breath.

Allow your breath to ground you.

Allow your exhales to soften you.

Now return to the body part you have chosen and consider what it would be like to simply accept it for what it is and what it isn't.

Offering that part of your body a peaceful coexistence.

Now allow that thought,

That peace to permeate that part of your body.

Imagine that peace as a glowing golden orb and let it encircle and comfort.

Now return to that grounding breath.

Letting your exhales soften you as you continue to bring peace into your body.

Gently allow your attention to slide away from your chosen body part and return wholly into your breath.

Perhaps offer yourself a deep cleansing breath.

Inhale in through the nose and then sigh the breath out through the mouth.

If it feels good to you,

Take another breath just like that and maybe even another.

As you are ready,

Allow your breath to return into its normal rhythm and find your connection down into the earth again.

Connect down to the support of the ground beneath you.

Allow your exhales to soften you in to that support.

As you continue to breathe and connect into the feeling of being grounded,

Our journey continues.

Now I invite you to bring forward something about your personality that you really like.

This could be your kindness,

Your sense of humor,

Your resilience,

Your creativity,

Anything you genuinely like about who you are as a person.

Again,

Take a moment to observe if any emotions are coming up for you.

Acknowledging things we like about ourselves can actually be more difficult than the things we dislike.

So just take a moment and sit with whatever is coming up for you without engaging it.

Just observing.

Just acknowledging.

Come back into your breath.

Come back into the support of the earth beneath you.

I want to invite you to imagine that personality trait now as a gemstone.

It can be any color,

Any size that you like.

Just imagine it as something truly beautiful to you.

And now I want you to imagine that you're wearing that gemstone every single place you go,

Every day,

Every moment.

Sometimes that gemstone is visible for everyone to see.

Sometimes it isn't.

But it is always,

Always with you.

It is always a source of light within you and for those around you,

Even when they can't see it.

Sit with your beautiful gemstone now.

And as you do,

Connect in with that sense of peace that you began to cultivate earlier.

Invite them together.

Imbue that gemstone that is made entirely of a beautiful part of your being with that peace.

Allow that golden light to shine on and through your beautiful gemstone.

Lock your glowing gemstone into your heart.

Allow it to infuse your whole body with light and with peace.

Inviting your whole being to soften now with your breath guiding the way.

That peace that you're offering to your body and yourself,

Moving from two small parts to encompass the whole.

As you are ready,

Allow all of your focus and effort to simply drift back into your breath.

Come back into your connection with your breath.

Come back into your connection with the earth.

Feel that you are still supported,

Still grounded,

Still held.

Notice the feeling of being in your body in this moment.

As you are continuing to return into your body and into your space,

Perhaps invite a little movement in.

Wiggling your fingers or your toes,

Rocking your head gently side to side,

Or some completely different movement that just feels right in your body in this moment.

When you're ready,

Allow your eyes to flutter open gently,

Or perhaps simply allowing your gaze to come back in focus.

The journey of making peace with our bodies and ourselves is challenging.

Do yourself the honor of giving yourself time to adjust back into the world.

Move with care,

Offering yourself gentleness and kindness as you return to your day.

Thank you for joining me today.

Thank you for doing this brave work.

With love and with gratitude,

I wish you peace.

Reviews

Very nicely done.