Feeling Unseen

Hello, it's Eve here. Welcome to this guided practice designed to help you manage and cope with any feelings of isolation as you navigate your fertility journey. Having a family can look differently for everyone. You might be the first in your friendship group who is trying to have a baby. You might be doing this on your own, or perhaps you're having to go through multiple fertility treatments. I've been on this journey for a while, and there have been moments where it's felt like everything else just stands still. Societal expectations can also feel like a heavy burden to carry, and in my experience, can leave you feeling really unseen, especially when there are challenges on the path to becoming a parent. As I share this practice with you, I'm reminded of a concept that Dr. Kristin Neff talks about in her work on self-compassion, common humanity. The human condition relates to the fact that we're not isolated or alone, that everybody is going through something. So I wanted to share a compassion practice with you that I first heard on a retreat I went on, and it helps us to acknowledge that we are part of a shared human experience, and this practice also helps us to see that we don't know everyone's story. So inviting you to get into a comfortable position, either sitting down or lying down, and to help settle into the practice, taking a couple of slower, deeper breaths. Breathing in through the nose, and then out through the mouth. And then allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm and rate, feeling your body pressing down, that sense of being supported. And you can gently close your eyes or rest your gaze downwards. And taking this moment to gently check in with the body, just observing what is here with a kind acceptance, not trying to judge or change anything. So I invite you to bring to mind someone that you don't know that well, a neutral person. It could be someone you saw in the doctor's office, maybe a neighbor, a coworker. They might be trying to have a family, or they might not, and it might seem strange to bring to mind someone you don't know that well. But just noticing if you experience a shift in your body, sensation, even the emotional quality of mind, and picturing this person as best you can. It's okay if the image is not super clear, and gently saying silently, just to yourself, "This person has a mind and body, just like me. "This person experiences emotions, feelings, "and thoughts, just like me. "This person has probably felt hurt, angry, "disappointed, and unseen, just like me. "And this person has probably suffered emotional "and physical pain, just like me. "And this person has hopefully experienced moments of awe, "happiness, and joy, just like me. "And this person wishes to be seen and supported, "just like me." Taking a moment now to pause...