Welcome,
I'm Teresa,
And I'm really glad you're here.
If you've chosen this meditation,
There's a good chance something feels like a lot right now.
Maybe something in your life,
Or something in the world,
Or simply the accumulation of many small things.
Before we try to shift anything,
Let's just arrive together.
If it feels okay,
I invite you to start noticing your body.
Not all at once,
Just choose one place.
Where do you feel the most contact with what's supporting you?
Maybe a chair,
The floor,
The space beneath you.
And let your awareness settle there for a moment.
You don't have to hold yourself up alone right now.
Take a slow breath in,
And a soft exhale.
No need to deepen it,
Just allowing the breath to move.
Sometimes,
When things feel intense,
The nervous system tries to solve it.
It may sometimes pull away,
Or it may lean in too far.
It may shut down,
Or become completely overwhelmed.
But I invite you to imagine another possibility.
You can stay without collapsing,
Without carrying everything.
And we're going to explore that together,
Gently.
Begin by noticing the breath again,
And out.
Now,
Noticing the body,
The chest,
The belly,
The shoulders.
No need to change anything,
Just noticing what is here in this moment.
If something is feeling heavy for you right now,
See if you can acknowledge it without moving toward it.
And at the same time,
Notice if there is anything in your body that feels neutral,
Or steady,
Or simply not overwhelmed.
This might feel subtle,
And that's okay.
Let's allow both to exist.
Now,
Notice if there is anything in your body that feels heavy for you right now,
See if you can acknowledge it without moving toward it.
And at the same time,
Notice if there is anything in your body that feels neutral,
Or simply not overwhelmed.
And at the same time,
Notice if there is anything in your body that feels heavy for you right now,
See if you can acknowledge it without moving toward it.
Feeling deeply,
There is nothing wrong with your system for responding to what matters,
And you are not required to carry all of it at once.
You are allowed to stay connected without disappearing.
This is what it means to stay with yourself,
To allow grief without being consumed by it,
To allow beauty without pushing it away,
And to remain in belonging without leaving your body.
Stay here for a few moments,
Nothing to solve,
Nothing to change,
Just noticing what it feels like to remain.
Take a slow breath in,
And a soft exhale.
Notice what's here now,
Perhaps something feels slightly more spacious,
Or slightly more manageable.
Even small shifts matter,
Gently begin to notice the space around you again,
The sounds,
The air,
The steady presence of your body,
You don't have to shut down to feel safe,
You don't have to take everything in to stay connected.
You can stay with yourself.
You are always welcome to return here.
And as you return to your day,
Remember as always,
You are loved,
You are whole,
You are enough.
