In this 10‑minute guided meditation, the facilitator leads listeners through a heart‑centered breathing practice, beginning with placing the right hand on the heart and the left hand on the abdomen. Participants are instructed to breathe slowly, optionally counting to five on each inhale and exhale, and to imagine breathing love into the heart. The meditation then shifts to a visualization where the listener meets a younger version of themselves—any age—from a toddler to a teen. The guide prompts gentle greetings, asks the inner child how they wish to be addressed, and invites the listener to inquire about the child’s feelings, needs, and desires. Throughout, the facilitator emphasizes unconditional love, acceptance, and emotional validation, encouraging physical gestures like self‑hugs or hand squeezes. The session concludes with a promise to revisit the inner child, a pinky‑swear commitment, and three grounding breaths that integrate the experience, ending with awareness of the body and opening the eyes.
Chapters
What I want you to do, I want you to place your right hand on your heart and your left hand on your womb or abdomen area. So go ahead and do that and gently allow yourself to be seated. If you're driving right now, I invite you to just pause or come back to this later when it's a convenient time. So putting your right hand on your heart and your left hand on your abdomen or womb area. Begin to focus your attention in the area of your heart or chest. Imagine that your breath is flowing in and out right through the center of your heart or chest. Breathing a little slower and a little deeper than usual. Finding an easy rhythm that's comfortable for you. As you continue slow, deep, heart-focused breaths in and out, begin to play with the breath and see if you can breathe in to the count of 5 and out to the count of 5, and finding the rhythm that works best for you. As you breathe in, imagine it's your heart itself that is doing the breathing and the inhaling. And as you breathe out, imagine you're inhaling and exhaling right through the center of your heart or chest. Now, on the next inhalation, I invite you to breathe in love. Imagine whether it's a love for an animal, a child, a place. I invite you to breathe in that love that you felt before and see if you can feel that love in your body as you breathe it into the center of your heart. And as you breathe out, imagine sending that love to anybody you're holding in your heart right now. Maybe it's yourself, maybe it's a loved one or a friend, family member, or animal. Let's do that a couple more times, allowing another slow, deep breath right through the center of your heart, feeling that love expand and light up every cell in your body. And once more, pulsing and sending that love to everything and everyone around you. Doing this one more time, allowing another slow, deep, conscious breath, feeling the love permeate every cell in your being. And once more, radiating that love to everything and everyone. Now, in this state of coherent love that we've co-created together, I invite you to envision in front of you a little boy, little girl, At whatever age they might be, perhaps they're 12, or maybe they're 4 or 5, or maybe even 2 or 3 years old. As you allow these slow, deep breaths in and out, visualize yourself at whatever age he or she or they come up to you at right now. I want you to observe and just notice with zero attachment where they are. Next to you. Maybe they want to sit next to you and cuddle. Maybe they're a little bit shy and they're hiding behind a tree or a bench. Or maybe they just don't even see you and they're playing with a set of trains. Just observe quietly, sending love just like we've been practicing to this little version of yourself, of he or she or they or them. Continuing to allow slow, deep, heart-focused breaths. As you do this, I now want you to imagine, depending on where they are in proximity to you, just kind of giving them a little wave or a little hello and just gently saying hi to them like you would to a little child or whatever age. Maybe they're your teenage self. There is no right or wrong age. And just imagine approaching them and saying, hey there, I'm the future version of you. I wanted to say hi and tell you That I'd love to get to know you and spend more time with you. Would that be okay? Just very gently, gently engage with them and see if they're open to it. And if they're not, it's okay. They're allowed to feel exactly how they're feeling, and it might not be the right time. So if they just want to kind of sit there and be present with you and not engage, that's okay too. Wherever they're at is whole and complete and perfect. Now, if they do want to play or engage or dialogue with you, I invite you to ask them how they want to be known. You might want to say, hey there, buddy, or hey there, little one, or my friend. I'm an older version of you. What would you like me to call you? Is it sweetie? Is it sweetheart? Is it buddy? Did you have a nickname as a child that was your favorite thing to be called? Just allow them to share with you how they would like you to develop this intimate, close relationship or whatever sort of relationship that they want with you. I'll give you a moment to go ahead and imagine doing that in your mind's eye. Maybe they want to hug you or hold your hand or sit next to you, and maybe they just want you to sit on the ground and play with some trains or cars with them. Wherever they're at is perfect. Just allow them to be exactly as they are, bathed in your unconditional love. Remembering on every inhalation to breathe in unconditional love for yourself, and on every exhalation radiating that love to whatever version of yourself has chosen to show up today. Now that you've gotten to know them and you know their name that they prefer to be called, I invite you to use that name to address them and say, hey there, sweetie, or buddy, or whatever they prefer to be called. Say, how are you doing today? How are you feeling? How or what are you feeling today? And maybe they're feeling a little scared. My little girl is actually surprisingly showing me she's a little frightened right now. I didn't even know she was scared. And then you just, you at this moment, if they tell you they're scared or happy or whatever they're feeling, and if they're open to touch and being engaged with, you can invite them in for a hug. So right now I can sense it, that my little girl is feeling really scared and she's kind of curled up next to me. So I'm just going to hold my hands. So I'm going I'm gonna take my hands off my abdomen and heart area, and I'm just gonna wrap my arms around myself. And if this feels right for your little boy or girl or they/them, go ahead and do that for yourself right now, wrapping your arms gently around yourself, maybe giving them a little squeeze. Maybe they're happy and joyful and excited, or maybe they're a little sad or scared. And wherever they are, I want you to tell them right now, I love you. I accept you. You are allowed to feel exactly how you're feeling right now. And if they're open to it, you can squeeze their hand or give yourself a little hug or squeeze and just let them know you're right here with them. And whatever sort of support they want, if they want you to just sit by their side, squeeze their hand, give them a hug, you're here. And I just want you to inquire a little deeper and say, is there anything you need today? Maybe they need a little fun. Maybe they want to dance or play with puppets or sing or eat ice cream, riding around on a Pegasus. There is no right or wrong answer. Wherever you are and wherever they are, just allow them to share with you whatever they need right now. Ask them if there's anything they need that you can give them. Maybe it's just a hug. Or that you're proud of them. Give you a moment or so to do so, continuing to breathe slowly and deeply in and out of the heart. On every inhalation, breathing in that deep love for yourself, and on every exhalation, surrounding and wrapping that version of you at whatever age they're at with this unconditional love you're generating from your own heart. I want you now just to squeeze them one more time if they're open to being touched or grabbing your hand and getting a little hand squeeze or even just a little wave. I just want you to tell them, I'm proud of you. I love you. You are cherished. I promise to keep you safe. Now give yourself a final hug if they were open to it, or a little hand squeeze, and go ahead and release your hands in whatever position they were in. If you want, you can put them back on your hand and your abdomen, or you can let them rest gently on your thighs. And right now I just want you to thank them. I want you to tell them, I promise to come visit you again, and see if they're open to it, just say, My love, my friend, buddy, sweetheart, would you like me to come visit again? My little girl's nodding her head yes. To see what— however yours responds, there is no right or wrong answer to this. And you can even pinky swear. You can imagine pinky swearing. Okay, I pinky swear I'll check in with you again whenever you promise. It might be tomorrow or a week from now or even later today. And now we're going to close with 3 slow, deep breaths, allowing breath in through the center of your heart, breathing in that love. And breathing it out, sending it to that younger version of you. Allowing another slow, deep breath in through the center of your heart or chest. And once more, bathing that younger version of you and all younger versions of you with unconditional love. And allowing one more slow, deep, conscious breath filled with love permeating every cell of your being. And once more, radiating and bathing that other version and all other versions, past, present, and future of yourself with unconditional love. Begin to feel your feet upon the floor, your back where it's rested against the chair, and wiggle your fingers and toes. And if your eyes were shut, you can go ahead and open them.
