Meditation for Reclaiming Joy After Trauma or Narcissistic Abuse

After a long stretch of survival mode, joy can start to feel like a foreign language — something other people are fluent in, but that you've forgotten how to speak. Sometimes it feels worse than foreign; it can feel undeserved, or even dangerous, like letting your guard down enough to feel good might be tempting fate.

If that's familiar, it's a common response after a long period of stress and hardship, not a sign that something is wrong with you. Staying alert gets rewarded when things are unsafe, so it makes sense that old habits of caution would be suspicious of lightness.

This meditation is a gentle push against that suspicion — an invitation to let a little delight back in, without pressure to feel anything you're not ready for yet. Joy isn't something you have to re-earn. It's something you're allowed to want again, at whatever pace actually feels true.

Listen to the full meditation here → [link to episode]

This content is for education and reflection only, and isn't a substitute for professional mental health care. If you're struggling, please reach out to a licensed therapist or counselor.