Mindfulness and Meditation: Returning Home (The Journey Back to Mother)

How can we find our way back to our mother, to that close connection we once shared? What steps can we take to reconnect with others and regain the joy of life?

In this meditation, I will walk this path with you. First, we return inward—to the time before the painful separation from our mother. Back then, we were very close to her in every way. We felt safe, comfortable, and relaxed in her presence.

We journey back to the womb, merging with her, becoming one with her blood, her breath, her heartbeat. We sense her anticipation, her care, her fears, her hopes, and her willingness to risk her life to bring us into the world. Suddenly, the womb becomes tight and narrow. Though it was our home, we have no choice but to leave.

Under an immense push, in a struggle between life and death—for both us and our mother—we are born into this world, seeing the first rays of sunlight.

Suddenly, we are there, in a new time and space. But soon, we are back in our mother's arms, listening to her heartbeat, pressed against her chest, drinking her milk, and falling asleep in her embrace.

Then comes the long, continuous care. Our mother or father watches over us day and night, making sure we are safe and sound. When they aren't around, others—like our grandmother, older siblings, or uncles and aunts—step in to look after us. We are part of a large, loving family. What a rich and joyful time this is!

Now, let's fully open ourselves to that time and make space in our hearts to feel how safe and cherished we were at home, surrounded by family.

Holding on to these happy experiences, we look into our mother's eyes. She now stands a little distance away. We face her, feeling the change within us after the pain of separation.

Recall those early joyous moments of life! Our mother gave us deep love, day after day, over and over. We realize that the person we have always longed to be close to is our mother. Now, take a small step, with courage, toward her—moving beyond the pain of separation.

Once we take that first step, we breathe deeply.

Then, we pause, gazing at our mother until we find the courage and strength to take another step. And then another, step by step, we draw closer to her until, once again, we happily fall into her arms—we have finally come home.

Extracted from “Laws of Healing: Getting well, staying well” by Bert Hellinger