I am Stephen Webb and welcome to a gentle morning meditation for that voice inside that says it was your fault.
And if you woke up this morning replaying something you said or did,
Or you tend to go to bed doing that,
This is for you.
You don't need to do anything with your body or your breath,
Just become aware.
So now your body just sit comfortably.
You can gently close your eyes.
And just become aware of your breath.
Your body knows how to breathe.
And also your body knows how to relax.
We just allow these things to happen.
And while you're just settling in I just want to.
.
.
Say a few things.
I'll talk about self-blame.
I just mean that voice inside that points to you and says that it was your fault,
Or you should not have done that,
Or you could have done something better,
Or with hindsight you could have done it a different way.
All these different ways in which we just replay these situations.
And we think that we could have done it better.
So as you continue to invite your body to relax.
Your head and your forehead.
Your jaw and shoulders.
Arms and fingers and your belly,
Even your legs and toes.
And even your eyebrows and.
.
.
Every part of your body just allow it to relax in this moment.
Breathe in calm,
Breathe out relaxed.
And let the moment be what it is.
Allow your breath to be what it is.
You may notice your mind has gone a little quieter.
If you're anything like me,
You wake up in the morning and your mind is already busy.
And not so much with today,
But with yesterday.
That thing we said.
That thing we didn't do.
The mind plays it again and again.
Like it's hoping for some kind of different ending.
The words that came out wrong,
The message,
The moment you snap,
The thing you forgot.
And there's a voice standing over all of it saying,
You knew better.
And the strange part is that the voice thinks it's helping.
It believes that if it blames you first.
And blamed you hardest.
No one else can hurt you with it.
No one else can use it.
Is like a guard that shouts at you to keep you safe.
Terrible manners.
But it's a good heart.
So this morning we just don't fight the voice.
We don't correct it,
We don't argue,
We just.
.
.
Allow it to be what it is.
Allow that voice to be there.
Notice it in the same way that we notice the rain on the window.
And we say quietly,
I hear you.
Thank you for trying to keep me safe.
And now let's find where the blame sits in the body.
Most of the time for me it just lands in the chest.
Or low in the belly.
And rest your attention there just gently for a moment And each time you breathe out,
Just allow that place to soften a little.
Nothing to fix.
Just softer than it was.
And the Buddha said something really lovely about this.
He said you could search the whole world for someone who deserves your kindness more than you.
And you would not find them.
Nowhere.
Not one person.
You made a mistake.
It may not have even been a mistake,
But someone may think you did.
And that's repeating in your head.
And that's not the same as being a mistake.
Lane keeps looking backwards.
Kindness looks at you and says,
Kindness is here with you this morning.
Now we're going to do three affirmations.
Just slowly.
May I be kind to myself today.
May I put down what I cannot change.
May I know I am enough,
Even on the days I get it wrong.
May I be kind to myself today.
May I put down what I cannot change.
May I know I am enough,
Even on the days I get it wrong.
The voice of blame is one of hundreds inside of you.
So is the voice that forgives.
So is the one that starts again.
Every one of them is trying to look after you in their own clumsy way.
You are allowed to begin the day forgiven.
In a moment I'll guide you back.
And will take this softness with us through the day.
Ready to meet the voice of blame with also the voice of forgiveness.
And then smile and go,
I'm human.
It's what we do.
So five,
Just become aware of the room you're in.
Four,
Just gently open your eyes.
Three,
Shake out your arms and maybe shake out your fingers and toes.
Two,
Just look around slightly.
And just one just take a deeper breath and Just feel a little bit of gratitude for your voices inside.
They're all there to protect you in their own small way.
They don't always get it right.
Thank you for sitting with me today,
And if you don't follow,
Please do.
So you'll know when I release a new meditation.
And I always deeply appreciate your support.
