There is someone you carry but rarely meet with kindness, the person you used to be, the one who made the choices you still wince at. This meditation helps you lay down the harsh judgment you've aimed inward for so long, and meet your old self with the understanding they were always owed.
Best for: anyone weighed down by regret and self-blame, unable to forgive themselves for past mistakes and the choices they still replay with contempt.
Use it when: an old decision keeps stinging and you can't let it go, you're harsh with the person you used to be, guilt over the past is following you into the present, or you're ready to offer yourself the mercy you'd give a struggling friend.
How it helps: you see that your earlier self acted with less light than you have now, and you recognize their mistakes as the tuition that bought your hard-won wisdom. By the end, the old verdict lifts, the resentment loosens, and you and the person you used to be are at peace, finally reconciled.
A roughly ten-minute guided breathing meditation in a calm voice over gentle ambient sound, from The Silent Ember Letting go collection.