Headspace_logo_svg
Try for freeTry for free
MeditationFeeling Unseen

Feeling Unseen

Fertility challenges can leave us feeling disconnected from those around us. Find comfort in knowing that you are not alone.

Try 14 days free
Share:

Better mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.

Better mental health starts with Headspace

Hello, it's Eve here. Welcome to this guided practice designed to help you manage and cope with any feelings of isolation as you navigate your fertility journey. Having a family can look differently for everyone. You might be the first in your friendship group who is trying to have a baby. You might be doing this on your own, or perhaps you're having to go through multiple fertility treatments. I've been on this journey for a while, and there have been moments where it's felt like everything else just stands still. Societal expectations can also feel like a heavy burden to carry, and in my experience, can leave you feeling really unseen, especially when there are challenges on the path to becoming a parent. As I share this practice with you, I'm reminded of a concept that Dr. Kristin Neff talks about in her work on self-compassion, common humanity. The human condition relates to the fact that we're not isolated or alone, that everybody is going through something. So I wanted to share a compassion practice with you that I first heard on a retreat I went on, and it helps us to acknowledge that we are part of a shared human experience, and this practice also helps us to see that we don't know everyone's story. So inviting you to get into a comfortable position, either sitting down or lying down, and to help settle into the practice, taking a couple of slower, deeper breaths. Breathing in through the nose, and then out through the mouth. And then allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm and rate, feeling your body pressing down, that sense of being supported. And you can gently close your eyes or rest your gaze downwards. And taking this moment to gently check in with the body, just observing what is here with a kind acceptance, not trying to judge or change anything. So I invite you to bring to mind someone that you don't know that well, a neutral person. It could be someone you saw in the doctor's office, maybe a neighbor, a coworker. They might be trying to have a family, or they might not, and it might seem strange to bring to mind someone you don't know that well. But just noticing if you experience a shift in your body, sensation, even the emotional quality of mind, and picturing this person as best you can. It's okay if the image is not super clear, and gently saying silently, just to yourself, "This person has a mind and body, just like me. "This person experiences emotions, feelings, "and thoughts, just like me. "This person has probably felt hurt, angry, "disappointed, and unseen, just like me. "And this person has probably suffered emotional "and physical pain, just like me. "And this person has hopefully experienced moments of awe, "happiness, and joy, just like me. "And this person wishes to be seen and supported, "just like me." Taking a moment now to pause...

Details

TypeMeditation
Duration5-20 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

    More about Andy
  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

    More about Eve
  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

    More about Dora
  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

    More about Kessonga
  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

    More about Rosie
Look After Your Mind

Look after your mind

Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges

Science Backed

Science-backed

Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being

Explore Content

Explore 1000+ 
expert-led exercises

Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.

Member reviews

Hear from some of our members

Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.

Rachel

UK

Member-Icon-01

Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.

Davide

London

Member-Icon-04

The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.

Alicia

Canada

Member-Icon-03

Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Keri

UK

Member-Icon-02

More to explore

Beginning Meditation

Explore-More-Icon-02

Reframe Stress and Relax

Explore-More-Icon-01

New and Popular

Explore-More-Icon-03

Becoming a Mindful Parent

Explore-More-Icon-04
    • Terms & conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Consumer Health Data
    • Your privacy choices
      Privacy Choices Icon
    • CA Privacy Notice
  • © 2024 Headspace Inc.
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Consumer Health Data
  • Your privacy choices
    Privacy Choices Icon
  • CA Privacy Notice