Sitting beside your younger self is about offering kindness across time to yourself.
So let's begin.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Whether that's lying down,
Sitting down,
Or even standing,
And just allowing the body to be fully supported by the surface that's beneath you.
And taking a moment to make any small adjustments.
You could be maybe shifting the hips or rolling the shoulders,
Or placing a blanket across your body,
Grabbing pillows,
Putting them underneath your knees,
Or anything at all that makes you comfortable.
And if you choose to,
You might rest one hand on the heart or on the belly,
Or you can simply let the arms rest wherever they feel most at ease.
And you may choose to close your eyes or keep them open or something in between.
And if it feels comfortable for you,
You may take a slow breath in through the nose and let it out through the mouth.
If that's not comfortable for you,
You might choose instead to focus on the sensation of the belly rising and the belly falling as you breathe.
Or you may focus on other sensations that you feel in the body,
Or focus on an anchor that's external,
A point of focus that's external,
Like a sound in the distance.
There's nothing to change here and nothing to control.
Just focusing and observing.
And perhaps begin to notice the places where your body meets the ground.
You may feel it at the back of the heels,
The soles of the foot,
Or the feet,
The calves,
The thighs.
It could be the weight of the hips and the pelvis,
The ribcage or the shoulders,
The arms,
Perhaps the back of the head.
Wherever it is,
Feel how the surface beneath you is holding you up.
There's no need for you to do that.
You do not need to hold yourself up.
You can let go even just a little.
Just allowing the body to settle,
To be supported,
To rest.
And as we move into this practice,
Remember that everything is optional.
You are always in choice.
If something feels too much,
You can return to paying attention to your breath or the sensations in your body or your point of focus that's external to you.
You can return to the feeling of the body resting.
You can also choose how close or far away anything appears in your awareness.
You're in control of the distance.
You're not going back into the past.
You're simply meeting it from the present,
From a place of safety.
And to ground ourselves,
Let's go through the rotation of consciousness.
Begin by bringing attention to the right hand,
Right thumb,
Index,
Middle,
Ring,
And little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right side of the chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
And little toe.
Feeling the whole of the right side.
And now bringing your awareness to the left hand,
Beginning with the thumb,
Index,
Middle,
Ring,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
And little toe.
And feeling the whole of the left side.
And feeling the whole body together.
The entire body resting here.
Supported and still.
And let's bring the focus back to your point of focus,
Whether that's the inhales and exhales of your breath,
The sensation of the breath,
Other sensations in your body,
Or something external.
Just still noticing with nothing to change.
And if thoughts arise,
That's okay.
The mind has a job.
It's to think and thoughts will occur.
And gently returning to your point of focus.
Just returning to your focus again and again.
And next,
We'll imagine a place that feels calm,
Safe,
Or neutral.
It could be a real place,
Or it could be an imagined place.
It could be anything from a quiet forest,
A warm room,
A place near water,
Or a soft open space.
There's no need to see that place clearly,
Just sensing the feeling of it.
This is a place where you can rest.
A place where nothing is demanded of you.
And take a few moments here.
Let the body feel what it's like to be in the space.
And from this safe place,
Imagine that a younger version of you is somewhere nearby.
You don't need to choose a specific age.
Whatever feels natural will arise.
And if nothing appears clearly,
That's okay too.
You might simply sense their presence.
You're not stepping into their experience.
You're meeting them from where you are now.
Gently,
From a distance if that's needed.
Notice where they are.
Are they close or farther away?
And if you need to,
You can adjust the distance if that feels more comfortable.
And take a moment to simply observe,
Without judgment.
What is this younger version of you like?
What's their posture?
Their energy?
Their expression?
Without analyzing or needing to fix anything,
Just noticing.
And as you observe,
Maybe you notice your own presence here.
The adult self.
The one who has lived,
Learned,
And grown.
And only if it feels comfortable,
You might imagine moving a little closer.
Or perhaps sitting down somewhere nearby.
Not rushing.
Not overwhelming.
Just being present.
And you might see a younger version of yourself.
Sit beside them.
Or simply share the same space.
And allow your body to feel what it's like to be here together.
And often what a younger self needs most is not words,
But presence.
So for a few moments,
Simply sit beside them.
With no expectations.
No pressure to say the right thing.
Just being there.
A steady presence.
A calm presence.
Just being available.
And again,
Only if it feels comfortable.
You might imagine the small gesture of connection.
Sitting a little closer perhaps.
Offering a hand.
Or simply letting them know that you are there.
And you might silently communicate,
I'm here.
You're not alone.
I'm with you.
Notice how the body responds.
And once more,
If it feels comfortable,
You might offer a few gentle words.
Just simple phrases,
Nothing complicated.
It could be,
You didn't deserve to carry that alone.
You were doing the best you could.
I see you.
I'm here with you now.
And may those words be soft.
Let them come to you.
Come from a place of care.
And if words don't fit the situation,
If they don't feel right,
Your presence is enough.
Notice if there is anything that this younger self wants to express.
With no need to force anything.
Maybe there are no words.
Maybe it's just a feeling.
Or a sense of being seen.
And whatever arises or doesn't arise,
Just allow that to be.
Everything is okay.
Now imagine that this younger version of you is not separate.
But part of you.
You might imagine them resting beside you.
Or coming in a little closer.
Or simply knowing that they are held within you.
There's no need to merge fully if that doesn't feel right.
Just a sense of connection.
Of continuity.
Of care across time.
And only if that still feels comfortable,
You might bring to mind a simple intention.
A phrase that reflects this connection.
It could be,
I am here for myself.
Or,
I offer myself kindness.
Or,
I can hold all parts of me with care.
And whichever sentence resonates with you,
Repeat it simply inwardly to yourself.
Let it settle gently.
And now if it feels okay,
You may release all effort.
No need to imagine anything or do anything.
Just rest.
The body is supported.
The breath is moving naturally.
And maybe there's a quiet sense of connection that's still present.
And if you wish to remain resting,
Please feel free to do so.
And if you'd like to bring your awareness back to the room or the environment in which you are,
You may do so as well.
Now just bringing the awareness back to the breath,
The body,
The room.
Feeling the support beneath you.
And perhaps starting to invite small movements.
Maybe in the fingers and the toes.
And perhaps stretching the limbs.
And keeping your eyes soft if you like.
Opening them if that feels comfortable.
And remember that you can return to this connection at any time.
You can sit beside yourself again and again.
With patience.
With care.
And with kindness.
And if anything at all in this practice felt unsettling,
Please reach out to a trusted person or do something that feels grounding for you.
And I would like to thank you for taking the time to take care of yourself today.
Namaste.
