Welcome.
This meditation is an invitation to explore what it feels like to be safe,
Not just within yourself but with someone else.
For many of us,
Connection has not always felt steady.
It may have felt unpredictable,
Overwhelming,
Distant or conditional.
And so parts of you learn to guard your heart,
To stay independent,
To overgive,
To pull back,
To scan for signs of rejection or disconnection.
Those parts aren't wrong.
They are protective.
But beneath them,
There is a deeper longing,
A longing to soften,
To be seen,
To be met,
To stay open without losing yourself.
In this meditation,
You will gently teach your nervous system that connection does not have to mean danger.
That closeness can feel grounding and that being with another does not require for you to abandon who you are.
There's nothing you need to perform,
Nothing you need to prove.
This is just a slow remembering that it is safe to be here.
And it is safe to be with yourself and it can be safe to be with someone.
Take a moment here to settle into the body,
Feel the weight of your body on the surface beneath you.
Notice the points of contact,
The energy around you,
Carrying you.
Even when the mind feels restless,
Let the shoulders soften,
The jaw,
Your face,
Your chest and allow your hands to soften and to rest.
Close your eyes if you haven't already and tune into your breath.
Just noticing it's natural flow,
Soft and steady,
In,
In.
Each inhale is an invitation to presence.
Each exhale is an opportunity to release tension,
Even just a little.
Let the rhythm of the breath anchor you here in this moment,
In your body.
Even when life feels uncertain,
Even when love feels unpredictable,
You always have your breath to return to and this body,
This body is your home.
Now allow awareness to expand to the heart space.
Notice any tension,
Flutter,
Hesitation or restlessness that appears when thinking about connection,
Intimacy or love.
It might feel like a tightening in the chest,
A flutter in the stomach or a subtle sense of nervousness lingering in the shoulders or throat.
This is not a problem,
It is not a flaw,
It's protection,
A part of you trying to keep you safe,
Trying to prevent heartbreak or harm.
Even when it feels heavy,
Uncomfortable or confusing,
It's intentions are good or kind.
Let yourself simply notice it.
Allow a moment of silence to sense it fully,
Without trying to fix it,
Push it away or understand it.
Just listen and recognize the care embedded in it.
Now imagine approaching this presence of fear,
Anxiety or protection gently,
Lovingly.
Picture it in front of you as a part of yourself and invite compassion.
In your mind,
Say to this part softly,
I see you.
I know you've been trying so hard to keep me safe,
I feel you.
I honor what you've been doing and let your attention rest there.
Allow warmth to flow into this part of yourself,
Just like sunlight on your face.
Let it know it can relax.
Let it know it is safe to soften.
Now expand that compassion to past relationships,
Heartbreaks or moments of emotional pain.
Meet those memories with understanding.
Tell yourself you did the best you could with what you knew at the time.
The choices you made,
The ways you protected yourself,
They were valid.
You were learning,
Growing,
Surviving.
Some lessons could only come with time.
Notice how your body responds to this.
Maybe you can sense a subtle softening in the chest,
A warmth in the heart,
A gentle release in the shoulders.
Let your heart open.
Visualize it.
Slowly.
Gently.
Slowly.
Just enough to feel the possibility of trust and love again.
Acknowledge the lessons of connection.
Some healing happens only in the presence of others.
Some understanding only comes with time.
And some trust can only be rebuilt through gentle steps of openness.
Feel gratitude for your own resilience.
For every time you felt hurt and survived.
For every time that you protected yourself.
For every step toward opening again.
Let this gratitude mingle with compassion and warmth.
Now,
I invite you to bring back awareness to your breath.
Deepen your breaths.
See how much you can slow down your breath.
Let each inhale remind you of presence.
Let each exhale remind you of ease.
Think of small ways to remind yourself of safety and trust in connection.
Like that one time someone showed up for you,
The love of a friend,
Where you felt held and safe in connection.
These small memories,
Those feelings,
Anchor the heart and create a soft foundation to return to whenever you feel uncertain or you might feel a little dysregulated.
You can always come back to yourself.
Allow the body to soften fully.
Feel the steadiness in your heart,
The warmth in your chest,
The strength in your spine.
Even amidst uncertainty,
Even amidst old fears,
Trust that you are capable of connection.
Capable of love and capable of receiving love and care.
Take a few more nourishing breaths and let this sense of safety,
Compassion and openness settle deeply inside.
And when you're ready,
Come back to the room.
Gently open your eyes.
Before you go about your day,
Place a hand on your heart and really feel the sense of calm and trust and openness that you just created.
Feel your heart pumping it into your cells.
You're safe.
You're more than capable than holding yourself.
You're so worthy to receive all the love in the world that you desire.
Carry all of this with you into the rest of your day,
Week,
Month.
Keep it with you always.
Because you're worthy,
You're deserving and so much love goes out to you.
