Navigating Challenging Friendships Meditation

The Healing Process

Welcome to Reset Your Friendship Meditation This meditation is part of the Navigating Challenging Friendship workshop. To get the best out of this process, I encourage you to do this meditation in the sequence that is suggested in the workbook. You can repeat this meditation as often as you need after completing this program. Just go with the visions and people that shows up in the following visualisation. Let go of expectations of any particular outcome. Stay open, fall into the process and go with what ever comes up. Let us begin Go into the garden, approach your inner child on the bench. Sit down next to your inner child. Take a moment to consider what friendship means to you? Connecting with your inner child and think about what it means to be a friend to yourself… Now think about a challenging or toxic friendship and invite that person or people to stand in the garden in front of you and your inner child As you look at them, notice the emotions that surface. Think about your freindship- did they: They disrespect your boundaries. They always need something from you. They don't take accountability. They may weaponise their struggles. They make you feel guilty for spending time with other people. They dismiss your values. Now think about how you are in relationship: Have you done any of the above? Forgive yourself and I you feel ready, forgive yourself Remember forgiving them in this process does not mean your are ready or have to forgive them in real life. Use this process to practice forgiveness and freeing yourself Think about how you want to show up in friendships in the future: A friend is a person with whom you share mutual affection and enjoy spending your time. A friend is also someone we trust with sensitive information about ourselves that we may not necessarily share with others. Friendship is characterised by mutual respect and mutual agreement. We are willing to compromise with friends in a way we may not with our family or romantic relationships. In most cases, friendships feel unconditional because, with no marital or blood ties, we can end them or leave them at any time. In a healthy friendship, we are willing to have difficult conversations that will deepen the connection. In a healthy friendship there is reciprocity, and both people are invested in maintaining the friendship. Breathe in…now release it. Breathe in, now release Put a golden light around this vision and release it. Breath in, breath in, breath in. Come back to your body, open your eyes if they are closed. Take a few moments then go back to the workbook and continue the process.