Hi,
Welcome.
I'm Susan Guttridge and I'm so glad to have you here.
This guided practice weaves together principles from internal family systems and mindfulness to help you reconnect with your authentic self and gather the inner resources you need for your day today.
Before we begin,
I'd like to share a simple way of understanding the inner landscape we'll be moving through.
We see inside each of us are many parts.
Aspects of ourselves that hold our feelings,
Thoughts,
Reactions.
Some work hard to keep us safe.
Others to motivate,
To protect,
To comfort.
And at the center of it all is something deeper.
Your authentic self.
The calm,
Compassionate and steady core of who you are.
When you are connected with yourself,
You lead your internal system with wisdom and care.
That's called self-leadership.
It's how you can move through life's flows with greater ease,
No matter what arises.
A few weeks ago,
I saw a handwritten sign taped to a post in a park.
It read,
Take what you need.
And below the message were tear-off strips,
Each with a single word.
Love,
Peace,
Courage,
Gratitude,
Patience,
Strength,
Understanding,
Joy,
Freedom.
This practice is inspired by that sign,
That simple act of kindness.
Someone sitting down to write up a sign and paste it on a post in a park.
Reminding us that what we need is already available to us when we pause and reconnect with our deeper self.
As we get started,
Take a moment to notice your breath.
Take a nice deep breath in.
And an easy breath out when you're ready.
And imagine that this time together is your invitation to take what you need.
Alright,
Picture yourself sitting at the edge of a beautiful riverbank.
The water slow moving,
Flowing.
The air around you is fresh.
Filled with sounds of water moving over stone.
The song of birds.
The rustling wind softly in the grass.
And perhaps if you see yourself sitting there,
You can imagine feeling the soft ground beneath you or the tickle of grass on your fingertips.
The warmth of sun across your shoulders.
This is a place of stillness and flow,
Where you can rest,
Observe and simply be.
Notice the rhythm of your breathing,
Flowing in.
As the river also moves in its own time.
There's nothing you need to do right now.
Just sitting,
Imagining you are at the river's edge.
Noticing whatever arises with curiosity.
As you are comfortably sitting there at the riverbank,
Imagine that now and then something drifts by in the current.
A leaf.
A small twig.
Each one represents a part of you.
A thought.
A feeling.
An impulse.
A memory.
All moving,
Each with its own story,
Its own intention.
Maybe there's a part of you that carries worry or responsibility.
Perhaps another part carries longing.
Or a sense of tiredness.
There might be a part of you that's eager to do more.
And another that just wants to rest.
But it's okay just noticing them,
Floating by,
Carried by the flow of the river.
You don't need to change them or send them away.
You're just noticing.
With an open heart.
With gratitude.
With curiosity.
With kindness.
Noticing how each one shows up and then moves on along the flowing river.
You might even want to say to those parts of self,
I see you.
Thank you for how you've been trying to help.
And as you watch,
Notice that you are the one sitting here on the riverbank.
Steady.
Present.
Aware.
That's your self-energy.
The you that observes with compassion and calm.
The you that knows all these other parts and welcomes them with understanding.
Notice.
And bring your awareness now to your body.
To that rhythm of your breath.
Just flowing in and out with ease.
The ground supporting you.
The warmth of sunlight.
The steadiness of your presence here.
This is what it feels like to rest in yourself.
From this place,
Those qualities of your self-energy can begin to shine.
Resting here,
Consider which qualities you'd like to deepen.
Thinking back to that sign,
The inspiration for today's meditation,
I'll list the qualities and please take what you need.
Calm.
Curiosity.
Compassion.
Clarity.
Courage.
Confidence.
Connectedness.
Creativity.
These all already exist within you,
They always have.
Just letting the qualities you chose for today ripple through you,
Like a beam of sunlight reflecting across the water.
Let them fill you,
Flowing into every cell of your being.
Slow and steady,
Until you feel them radiate from the inside out.
Even repeating that quality to yourself,
Anchoring it into your heart,
Your body.
Now as you prepare to return to your day,
Picture yourself rising from the riverbank.
The sunlight still warm on your shoulders.
The sound of the water,
A musical serenade behind you.
You carry with you the qualities you've gathered,
And the awareness that your authentic self is always here,
Ready to lead with compassion and clarity.
When life moves quickly,
When parts of you feel stirred or pulled,
You can pause and return to this image,
The riverbank.
Your authentic self sitting at the edge of the water,
Watching with calm curiosity,
Noticing what stirred up,
Trusting the flow and anchoring back into those qualities of self.
And as you step forward into your day,
I wonder how would your self-energy like to express itself today?
Perhaps by leading with patience towards self and others,
Or with persistence,
Gently staying with what matters.
Maybe by anchoring into presence,
Grounded in each moment.
Or through playfulness,
Allowing lightness where your day invites it.
Or through a quiet purpose,
A sense of meaning guiding how you move through the world.
However your self-energy shows up today,
Let it be your companion,
A calm,
Compassionate leader within.
And just offering a word of thanks for the practice you did here today.
For all those parts of self that softened back so that you could do a little bit of work.
Take another breath in.
And out when it feels right.
Noticing where you might feel a bit of steadiness in your body.
And perhaps place a hand over your heart to anchor one more time into those qualities of self-energy you chose today.
You are connected.
You are resourced.
You are present.
Thank you for being here and thank you for listening today.
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