Welcome to Joy Lab!: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Joy Lab podcast, where we help you uncover and foster your most joyful self. Your hosts, Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek, bring you the ideal mix of soulful and scientifically sound tools to spark your joy, even when it feels dark. When you're ready to experiment with more joy, combine this podcast with the full Joy Lab program over at JoyLab.coach.
Aimee: Greetings, Aimee here. I'm here to welcome you to this healing the rejected self meditation. Carolyn Denton will guide you through it. This meditation is powerful. If you need to back off or pause during it, please do come back to the sensations of your body that feel good. You can always come back to this meditation.
It's always here for you. This meditation is a bit of a taste of how we work in the Joy Lab program. Taking these elements of joy, applying them, creating new paths [00:01:00] with them so we can uncover our most joyful, resilient, supported, accepted self. I really hope you join us over there for the program and I hope you feel nourished and loved with this meditation.
Carolyn: For this guided meditation, select one of the parts of yourself that has been rejected and that you feel ready to open to. Something like your physical appearance, your emotional sensitivity, or a habit that you are critical of. For your first experience with this meditation, [00:02:00] avoid selecting the part of yourself that is the most rejected.
Seat yourself comfortably in a relaxed but alert position. Focus on your breath, inviting the mind to settle. Let go with each exhalation.
[00:03:00] Be aware of the sensations in your body as they are now without judging. Invite any tense parts of your body to relax, to soften. Be aware of your thoughts as they drift through and your emotional state at this moment.
[00:04:00] Invite into your awareness, into this [00:05:00] space. Someone you trust, who cares for you, who completely accepts you as you are. This could be someone you know, a teacher, a mentor, or a friend. It might be a loving pet. It could even be someone you know only of such as a spiritual teacher. It is some being who gives you a sense that you are completely acceptable and lovable just as you are. Sense this other being right here close by, looking at you with carrying eyes.
[00:06:00] Create an intention to let that caring in, even if you feel resistance. Open your heart as widely as you can to this loving energy. You might wish to put your hand over your heart, gently warming and inviting it to soften.
[00:07:00] When you are ready, invite an image into your mind of this rejected part of yourself that is in need of [00:08:00] healing. Create this image in as much detail as possible, including a visual appearance, emotions, and thoughts you have about it. Perhaps you can see the situations in which it appears, what you believe about that part of yourself, or the way you think others see it.
Spend a few moments with this image. If your attention wanders, simply bring it back to the breath and the image.
[00:09:00] In this moment, set an intention in your heart and mind to open to this part of yourself that is in need of your compassionate attention. Seek to befriend it.
[00:10:00] As you focus on this rejected part of yourself, notice any sensations in your body that are triggered. Where do you notice the sensations? What type of sensations are they aching, tingling, heavy, cold, hot, dull, or sharp? Are they moving or staying in one place? Are there names for these sensations? Sadness, disgust, grief, fear, repulsion, shame, anger, or something else.
Naming and noticing are powerful ways to connect with what you have rejected.
[00:11:00] As you notice, [00:12:00] any resistance, any tendency to shut down or push away these sensations, recall the spirit of mindfulness, non-judging, open and friendly curiosity. Open your mind and your heart to yourself, allowing any and all of these sensations to unfold exactly as they do. Continue to open and soften as you explore the painful places in need of your attention and compassion.
[00:13:00] You may find that the inner critic shows up. In that case, know that it's possible to open it in a non judging way, even to that part of yourself, which also carries pain.
If the suffering becomes too intense, simply return to the place of safety and invite the loving presence of the compassionate other to be here with you right now. If this is difficult, take your time and continue to [00:14:00] invite that loving presence to appear. See those eyes looking at you with acceptance and love.
Let this caring surround you and fill the space around you. Breathe it in, and let it touch you in the place of deepest pain flowing around and through, in a soothing way.[00:15:00]
Continue breathing and allow whatever is unfolding in you to be held in this space of loving presence and compassion that is flowing around and through you.
[00:16:00] As you do this, listen carefully to this suffering part of yourself. What might it need from you in order to heal? Is there a kindness you can offer? A word, an affirmation? If so, offer it in the spirit of compassion and healing.
[00:17:00] Spend as much time as you need, connecting in this loving way with the self you have rejected. Know that this process may need to be repeated again and again. That's perfectly normal. This source of compassion is available to you at any time. It only requires you to mindfully open your heart to yourself.[00:18:00]
