This meditation is for folks who can access visualizations and imagery in their mind. If you have aphantasia or struggle with this type of practice, check out my second meditation before getting started.

Just a reminder that all of my prompts are invitations. You are free to take anything that feels aligned and disregard anything that doesn't fit for your body or your being. And as always, you are free to adapt this practice so that it's more accessible for you. So take a moment. Find a comfortable container for your body.

Take a couple deep breaths. Just letting yourself slow down and settle in. Be feeling the resonance of the inhale. The exhale. If it's accessible for you. Feeling your feet on the floor. Feeling your body out in whatever container is holding it.

And now bring to mind an ancestor. Maybe it's someone in your family lineage who you know was queer, trans, gender expansive. Maybe it's somebody in your family who you never met, who came before you. And maybe it's not somebody in your family lineage, but who's part of your community, your queer and trans community. And once you’ve found that person, imagine placing them in a room next to you. Bring them to mind and imagine seeing them in that room, sitting there. Waiting to meet you.

Before going any further, notice, if there's any parts of you that have any worries or concerns about you meeting and embodying the presence of this ancestor. Just take a moment to listen to their concerns. Understand them. Ask them if they're willing for just a moment to step aside and to let you go. Meet this person, letting them know you'll be back, and that this will be a supportive practice for you all. If they're not willing at this moment to let you go meet this person, that's okay. Just spend the rest of this meditation getting to know their concerns and their worries.

But if they are open, go ahead and imagine yourself walking into the room and meeting your ancestor. Take in whatever you notice. Maybe it's their personality, maybe it's their physical presence. Maybe it's anything that's in their environment that's in the room with you. Maybe it's the sound of their voice or the way that their body takes up space. Let yourself receive their presence. If being in your body right now feels accessible, start to notice how your body feels in the presence of this person. Noticing and welcoming any sensations to come in.

If being in your body doesn't feel accessible right now, that’s okay. You get to take in how it feels to visualize this person, hear their voice. The quality of your thoughts right now. See if there's anything you'd like to say to this person. This trans queer, gender expansive ancestor who came before you, who lived a whole life, who has wisdom, who has queer joy. You could speak these words out loud. Speak them in your mind's eye. You can even speak them with your body in a movement. See if there's anything but this ancestor wants to say to you. No need to force it. Just listen. Just be open to whatever comes in. And maybe you also just want to be in their presence and be in silence with them.

See what it's like to embody the presence of this person. Notice if your body's posture changes. Maybe you notice it as an energy. Or sensation. Maybe notice their presence in a specific area of your body. Let yourself take this in. Before closing this practice. Thank this person. Ask them if they'd be open to you coming back and checking in with them. Notice and take in.

If this person's presence lives anywhere in your body that you can take with you. Then again, if being in your body doesn't feel accessible right now, maybe there is an image or a word that you'll want to take with you as an anchor point. And. After you've said your goodbye to this person for now, think any protectors who maybe stepped aside to let you do this practice.

And let yourself come back gently as your eyes were closed, opening them slowly and softly. You'll be orienting to the room you're in via sight or sound. Intuitively allowing your body to move any way it wants.

Remembering that this practice is available to you at any time.