An Invitation to Exhale | A Guided Meditation for Coming Home to Yourself

Hi, welcome back to Magic in the Muck, a soul's compass for change. I'm Jennifer Nagel, and I'm so glad that you're here with me today. Today's episode is a little bit different. Usually, I come with a story, a reflection, or something that I've been learning along the way, but over these past few weeks I found myself holding space in many different ways through teaching, supervision, my clients, conversations, and workshops. Yesterday I made a decision to just put everything aside and just be my husband and I spent the day hiking together, something we haven't done in such a long time. There was no agenda. I put aside all deadlines, they didn't matter. I just really wanted to make space to just be, and it was so beautiful, just fresh air and towering old growth trees. There were waterfalls and a bubbling creek, and it was just beautiful. Simple permission, permission to just be. I realized something, that sometimes the most nourishing thing that we can offer ourselves is a pause, a moment to remember ourselves. And today, that's what I'd like this episode to be. I would just like to simply offer you a pause, whether you're sitting quietly with a cup of tea, or resting comfortably, or walking, or driving, or just listening with your cup of coffee before you begin your day. I invite you to receive these next few minutes as a gift, simply an opportunity to exhale and pause and be the feels comfortable, allow yourself to settle into a position that feels supportive, and just see if you can give yourself permission to set aside these next few minutes just to be, just to pause, everything else can wait, maybe your feet are resting on the floor, or maybe just noticing the place beneath you, holding your weight, allowing yourself to be supported, and then as you're allowing yourself to be supported, just let your shoulders drop, recognizing that you don't need to hold yourself quite so tightly, and if it feels comfortable, just

gently close your eyes or lower your gaze, and let's take a slow breath in, and an even slower breath out, and let's take another breath in and in and out, allowing your body to relax, and one more gentle breath, not needing to change anything, just a way of arriving, a way of being here in this present moment. There's nowhere else you need to be in this moment. nothing you need to accomplish right now, just this breath and this moment, and as you're noticing your breath, just allow your awareness to rest on the gentle rhythm of the breathing in and breathing out, noticing your chest rising and falling, your belly expanding and contracting, and maybe noticing where you feel the breath most easily today. Noticing the coolness of the air as it enters and the warmth as it leaves, letting your breath become an anchor, bringing you gently home to this moment, and now slowly begin to notice your body, maybe starting with the top of your head, just bringing your awareness down through your forehead, your eyes, your jaw, your neck, your shoulders, your arms, your hands, just noticing your chest, your heart space, your belly, your hips, your legs, your feet simply noticing without needing to change anything, just becoming curious, maybe noticing the places that feel open, that feel relaxed, and at ease, and noticing places that are carrying tension or fatigue or pain, see if you can greet each part of yourself with the same kindness that you might offer someone you love, and if one part of your body seems to be asking for your attention. Just gently bring your breath there, not to make it different or to change it, but just as a way of letting that part know that you've noticed, breathing in. in, breathing out, quietly asking, What have you been holding for me, and then simply listening, no need to figure anything out, or no need to analyze, just listen to that part, to that tension, or that pain, or that heaviness, and and now I'd like to invite you to

imagine something, imagine that the same kindness and compassion and the same care that you so freely offer to others and could also be offered to you, not because you've earned it or because you've worked hard enough, but just because you are here. You are human.

You matter, allow yourself to receive that kindness in whatever form you're receiving it, whether it's as warmth and as softness or simply as a feeling of being gently held, there's nothing you need to do, just receive and. It, and now somewhere within you, just see if you can notice a place that feels just a little steadier, more calm, more peaceful. It doesn't need to be a big place, just the smallest sense of steadiness is enough, and bring your awareness there, allowing your breath to move gently through that place, that place of calm and peace, and with each breath, imagine that breath is making just a little more room for what is already there and maybe you begin to notice a gentle warmth, or a tingling, or maybe light, or color or spaciousness, you don't need to create it, only notice, just like a tree doesn't strive to become a tree, or the ocean doesn't try to become the ocean, they just are. There is something within you that already knows how to be you. The something has always been there within you long before you became so busy beneath the responsibilities and all of the roles you play beneath the uncertainty and the challenges in your life today. We're simply making a little bit more room to remember as you rest here. You might gently ask yourself if the wiser, steadier part of me wanted to offer me one gentle reminder today, what might it be, I Maybe there's some words that arise, or maybe an image, a picture, or maybe simply a feeling or nothing, whatever you're noticing is perfectly enough. So, just resting with that for a few moments, allowing it to settle not only into your mind but into your heart, your body, your soul, and your whole being. Notice that this steadiness is not something outside of you. It's not something that you have to achieve. It's been with you all along. Maybe it's been quiet at times, or covered over by the demands of life, but it's never disappeared, and it's never gone. Take another slow breath in, and a long,

gentle breath out, allowing yourself to rest here for just another moment and. And as we begin to return, notice the support beneath you once again, noticing the sounds around you, noticing your breath, your body, and this moment, maybe gently wiggling your fingers, wiggling your toes, rolling your shoulders. If that feels good, just allowing your body to move and to stretch in any way that it's wanting from you right now, and before you open your eyes or lift your gaze, remember this: you're not leaving this place of steadiness, you're taking it with you, begin because it's always been a part of you, and always will be. Whenever life begins to feel noisy, or hurried, or heavy, you can return to this place with one conscious breath, again and again, I want to thank you for allowing me to share this quiet space with you today. I hope you'll take some moments to be with yourself, maybe write some reflections in your journal for what came to you in this meditation, and may you move through the rest of your day with a little more gentleness, and I hope you'll have a deeper trust in the wisdom that already lives within you, that you can connect with over and over. Until next time, may you find moments of grace and glimmers of magic in your everyday. Thank you.