Holiday Memory Sharing/Reflecting

A Relational Presencing Practice

Bring this practice to your family or friend gatherings over the holidays as a way to get closer and drop into a deeper level of conversation and sharing.

Invite the group into the following meditation to connect to their bodies and the ground:

Let your attention move inside, resting in your inner experience… Allow your body to soften and relax… There’s nothing that needs to be done… Let your jaw, eyes, and forehead soften… Let go of any tension in your neck, shoulders, and chest… Rest into the core of your body, and allow yourself to feel held by the Earth for a few moments… Allow your breath to flow without thought, and let your mind rest… We’ll sit for a minute in silence, simply being with the qualities of our inner experience.

Now, each person takes a turn sharing a holiday memory. The sharer should allow themself to really inhabit the memory, speaking as much as possible from the essence of the memory. 

The rest of the group listens (no interrupting or responding), staying present, attentive, and simply witnessing the truth that emerges from the sharer’s memory.

Then, each of the listeners takes a moment to reflect what inner sensations or emotions came up as they listened to the sharer, as well as reflecting any moments where they felt resonance with the memory.

Example: When you shared about missing your brother, I felt some tightness in my throat and sadness in my chest. I felt a nostalgic resonance of joy and warmth when you mentioned waking up to the fresh snowfall.

After everyone has reflected, another person becomes the sharer and the process repeats until everyone has shared a memory and received reflections.