Inspired by the tragic events in Ukraine, this meditation focusses on togetherness and how it makes us stronger and more resilient.

This 30 minute meditation by Spotlight’s Mental Health and Wellbeing manager, Bea Grist, is inspired by the idea of togetherness and what gets created when we come together. It’s designed to calm and soothe the nervous system and can be helpful to listen to when things in our lives (and the world) are feeling out of control.

We recommend listening to this meditation with headphones.

30 minute meditation.

This guided meditation was written for one of our Powerful Pause meditation sessions, where we come together to meditate every few weeks. If you’re a Performer Spotlight member you can take advantage of these free sessions by booking a spot via our emails. Please ensure you’re opted in to receive our emails for upcoming dates and booking information.

Listen to more Powerful Pause meditations.

Meditation Transcript

Hello, my name is Bea and I’m the Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager at Spotlight.

This mediation was written for a Powerful session at the beginning of March 2022 and it was inspired by the events that were happening in Ukraine at the time, and continue to happen as I’m recording this. It’s this idea of togetherness, being human and walking this path together. It’s about getting curious about what gets created when we come together and how does togetherness make us stronger and more resilient.

So let’s begin by finding that comfortable position

A place that allows you to feel supported and relaxed

You may like to have a cushion behind your back

Just helping you to sit up straight

Or if you prefer you can lie down

Maybe having a pillow or cushion underneath your head

We can often cool down during meditation

Making sure your warm enough so perhaps having a blanket over you

Just allowing your arms to rest softly wherever is comfortable

Maybe in your lap or by the sides of your body

You may prefer to rest the hands softly on your stomach

This can really help to connect to the breath

And let’s take a nice deep breath in here

And let it go

Breathing in

And releasing

Just arriving into this time

Time for you

When things in the world and our lives can feel out of control

We can remember that the breath is a place we can always come back to

By taking this time

We’re prioritising ourselves

It can feel hard to do that sometimes

Especially with everything going on in our lives

But we can always choose to stop

To maybe put down our phone or our to do list

And switch off the distractions from the outside world

In doing so we allow ourselves to step back for a moment.

Powerful Pause is about
putting our oxygen mask on first

And in doing this we can be there for others

Because that is what togetherness is all about

And in being together with your fellow performers

We are creating a community of likeminded people

A place where you can come and be held

It’s a reminder that we don’t have to hold the heaviness by ourselves

And that we’re all connected in this big beautiful web of life.

We can often spend time in our heads

Making up stories and narratives about what happened / or may happen

Maybe about the past or the future

But stories are just that – stories

And they’re more fun when we get to share them with an audience.

So let’s use this time to give the mind a rest

This is story time for the nervous system

Taking this time to be with all parts of you that need to be heard

Allowing yourself to step back

To let go for these 45 minutes

And just be

We’re so used to doing
This is your time

Time to rest and reset

To come back home to you

Together with all parts of you

Welcoming them like an old friend.

Feeling those points where the body is in contact with whatever is underneath you

That sense of support from the earth beneath you

Feeling your clothes against your skin

So let’s soften into the shoulders

Maybe taking a few shoulder

Bringing the shoulders up to the ears, back and down

Just allowing them to melt down and let go

Relaxing your jaw

And it may feel nice to gently massage the jaw for a few breaths

Just giving it permission to release and let go

This can often be a place where we hold a lot of tension and tightness

Often without realising

And let’s take a nice deep breath here

Breathing in

And letting go

Just taking a moment to arrive into this moment

Switching gears

Slowing down

Knowing that there is nothing you need to do

And nowhere you need to be

Just closing the eyes now

Or softening the focus

If you haven’t already

Take a deep breath

and this time breathing gently into the belly

Feeling your sitting bones on the ground or on your seat

Feel your feet on the floor or in contact with whatever is beneath you

Just bringing you back to your centre

Taking this time to turn towards all parts of yourself

And greeting whatever is there

Knowing it all welcome

And we may find that certain external energies can pull us in

And perhaps make us feel heavy, or out of sorts

It happens at work, it happens with friends, it happens with loved ones, it happens with strangers, it happens when we read the news.

So today we’re going to take some time to come back to just being

Back to centre

Back to a peaceful space

Being with ourselves

Being with the breath

Together and welcoming all parts of us.

Becoming aware of your breathing

Placing your attention on the fact that you are breathing

And just noticing that

How does it feel to breathe today?

Becoming aware of your inhale and your exhale

Just noticing how the breath is moving in and out

Following it as it enters and leaves the tips of your nostrils

Just following the inhale and the exhale.

Breathing in from the belly

Feeling that sense of expansion as you breathe in

And feeling the belly drop back down as you breathe out

Allowing yourself to sink into, just this
All you need to do is notice the breath

Flowing in and flowing out.

Just allowing it to be

Allowing it to flow naturally.

And now just allow your attention to locate a place in your body where maybe you’re experiencing some tension

Maybe there’s something that has been weighing down on your mind

Where can you feel that in your body?

Just notice.

So often we might feel sensations in our chest for example

Or the jaw can get really tight

Especially when we’re holding on to some suppressed emotions such as anger

Maybe you can feel it in lower back

It can be anywhere

So just tune in and find yours

And then just simply breathe and be with that place in your body.

So we’re not trying to change it

We’re just cradling that space

With loving, kind awareness

Breathing in

And out.

Breathing in

And out.

Putting one hand on your chest

One hand on your belly now

And just breathing into this space.

Just staying with it

Letting go of the story of whatever it is that’s coming up
Keep staying with your breath

Knowing that any feelings or emotions are really welcome here

It’s safe to express who you are

It’s ok to relax and let go

Trusting your breath to take care of you
And trusting in the process we’re all in right now.

By diving back into your body

We’re really coming back to this place of wholeness

Coming back home to you

Connecting to all that wisdom within you

That deep sense of knowing that comes from being together with all parts of you.

With each breath I am feeling calmer and more peaceful

With each breath I am coming back into my power.

Maybe there’s something that needs closure or forgiveness

Keep staying with the breath

Moving away from the mind and following the breath

Not worrying about the words right now or what the mind wants to make up

We’re just curious about the sensation

And as we go into these sensations we’re no longer in the movie or story

We’re just in the feeling

These are the parts of us that are longing for attention.

Keep breathing into there

Instead of framing these parts as bad

Or right or wrong, or perhaps ‘negative’

Just coming back to the sensation.

What wants to be met right now?

What wants to be held?

Keep giving that attention

Breathing in to those tight places

And just responding to them like you would to a child that needs your attention

Gentle loving kindness

As your breathing into that you can feel that space
becoming clearer

Becoming lighter

Becoming free-er

Just noticing how the breath can flow more easily

As you continue to be with your breath.

I am safe

It is ok to relax and let go

Breathing and releasing tension

Like a lullaby for the nervous system

Gently and lovingly taking this time for you

Being together with all parts of you

Accepting all parts of you

Letting it all be here with you

Because it is all welcome here.

You are giving yourself space
Space to breathe
Space to grow
Space to feel

Space to care

Space to love

Take a deep breath in through the nose

Feeling a sense of taking in fresh new air

The lungs expanding

The body expanding

Breathing in calmness

Breathing in peace

And allowing it to nourish every part of your body

Breathing into your heart space now

Letting the breath fill your heart right up

Almost like the breath is giving the heart a hug
Breathing in and feeling a sense of gratitude and love for your heart

that beats for you every day and every night.

Taking a deep breath in

And then sighing it out

Telling yourself:
I am stopping.
In this moment I am stopping
I am slowing down
In this moment I am slowing down

I am breathing
In this moment I am breathing
I am this breath
I am alive.
I am supported
In this moment I am supported.

I am okay
In this moment I am okay.

I am releasing resistance.
In this moment I am releasing resistance.

I am calming my nervous system.
In this moment I am calming my nervous system

I am renewed.
In this moment I am renewed.
I am powerful.
In this moment I am powerful.

I accept all parts of myself
In this moment I accept all parts of myself.

Following the flow of new air

As it goes in
and comes outInviting a gentle current of softness into the body

Welcoming any sensations of peace and heaviness that may be in your body

Breathing in

And taking a long deep exhale out

This is your time

To be with yourself.

Another deep breath in

Exhale out.

We can always switch from doing to being
And find the gift in the present moment

And know that this place
is always available to you.

And let’s give the mind plenty of space now
Just for a few breaths
So if the mind wants to think, let it think
Giving the mind lots of space to think and do whatever it wants

Soon we’ll bring this exercise to a close

So let’s inhale for 3
1, 2, 3,
And then just sighing it out

Inhaling again for
1, 2, 3
And let it go
Noticing how you feel
Staying present
Keep observing
Noticing what thoughts come up
Just letting it unfold as it is

Another deep in breath now
returning to this space and this time
And wherever you are just begin to find some
soft, gentle, easy movements
So maybe starting with the fingers and toes

And just trusting that the body knows what it needs to wake up

Maybe taking a few shoulder rolls

Maybe a nice wake-up stretch
Just easing out any kinks or tightness

We’ll take a big inhale here
And sigh it out
One more time
Inhaling
And then when you’re ready
slowly open your eyes.

Image by Chang Duong via Unsplash.