Breakup Meditation

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The same meditation on YouTube, with a breathing circle to follow.

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The full words of the meditation. Tap a line to listen from there.

1. Hi. I'm Anna. If you're here, something ended, and it still hurts. You don't have to fix that in the next few minutes. We're just going to make a little room for it.
2. Find a way to sit or lie down that your body doesn't have to work at. If you want to, close your eyes. If you'd rather keep them open, let your gaze rest somewhere low and soft.
3. Let's start with the breath, just as it is. Breathe in through your nose... and let it go, slowly, through your mouth.
4. Again. In... and a long breath out.
5. One more. And this time, as you breathe out, let your shoulders drop a little lower than they were.
6. Now notice where the breakup lives in your body right now. It might be a tightness in your chest. A weight in your stomach. A lump in your throat. Or just tiredness, everywhere.
7. You don't need to change it. Just find it, the way you'd find a sore spot with your hand.
8. If thoughts come, a message you didn't send, a moment you keep replaying, let them come. Notice them, and then come back to that place in your body.
9. Put a hand there if it helps. On your chest, or your stomach. Feel the warmth of your own hand.
10. As you breathe in, imagine the breath going right to that spot, giving it a little more space.
11. And as you breathe out, nothing has to leave. You're not pushing the pain away. You're just letting it breathe too.
12. There's a part of you that wants this to be over already. That makes sense. Getting over someone doesn't move in a straight line. Some days are lighter, and then a song or a smell brings it straight back. That isn't going backwards. That's just how it moves.
13. So for now, try saying something simple to yourself, silently. You can use my words, or your own. This hurts. It makes sense that it hurts. I'm allowed to feel this.
14. Again, slowly. This hurts. It makes sense that it hurts. I'm allowed to feel this.
15. Now let your attention widen a little. Notice the parts of your body that feel neutral, or even okay. Your hands. Your feet. The backs of your legs against whatever you're sitting on.
16. The pain is real, and it isn't all of you. There's also this: a body that's breathing, holding you up, doing its quiet work.
17. Think of one small thing you could do for yourself in the next hour. Not a big plan. A glass of water. A walk to the end of the street. A text to a friend who makes you laugh. Just pick one.
18. Breathe in... and out.
19. If you loved someone and it ended, it means you were brave enough to let someone matter. That's still yours. It's not going anywhere.
20. Let's take three last breaths together. In... and out.
21. In... and out.
22. And one more. In... and a long, slow breath out.
23. When you're ready, open your eyes, or bring your attention back to the room. Take whatever feels a little lighter with you, and leave the rest here for now. And if you want to talk about what happened, out loud, I'm here.