Awareness Meditation For Pain

In this guided meditation, you will imagine being in a bathtub in a sacred garden to support you to relax and let your attention float. With awareness, you will be guided to notice the unpleasant sensations and your reactions to them. You may discover awareness is vast and timeless, and feels like home.

Transcript

Hello,

This is Sama.

I'm going to guide you in a meditation that uses your imagination to support you when you're feeling unwell or dealing with physical pain.

This meditation is not a substitute for medical care and it's not advisable to try this while you're driving or you're using machinery.

It's best to be in a quiet environment and before we begin,

I invite you to turn off your devices for the next 20 minutes.

Let this be a little healing retreat.

I invite you to position yourself so that you can relax as much as possible.

You may do this standing,

Seated or lying down.

If you're able to lie down,

Make a few adjustments.

Get the pillows just right to release any lower back and neck strain.

Make sure you're the right temperature,

Not too warm or not too cool.

Once you're settled,

Take a couple of deep breaths.

With the in-breath,

Allow your attention to collect.

With each out-breath,

Relax.

Relax just a little bit.

Now imagine you're in a protected and sacred garden in Maui,

In Hawaii.

Let the details about the garden come to you in any way that feels comfortable.

You might picture them,

You might sense them,

You might feel the emotional impact of them.

It's quite okay to let the words wash over you without picturing anything.

In the garden is a white clawfoot cast-iron bathtub in front of a beautiful sandstone statue of Kuan Yin.

Kuan Yin is a bodhisattva of compassion.

A bodhisattva is somebody who supports all beings towards freedom from suffering.

She's holding a vase which symbols the elixir of compassion that she pours to meet and transform suffering.

Her smile conveys that she understands deep peace.

We fill up the bathtub with water that is just the right temperature for you and we add herbs,

Especially to help you relax.

The garden is private.

It's safe.

The water feels good.

You hear the wind gently rustling the palm tree fawns.

You hear the birds singing.

If you feel at ease closing your eyes,

You can do that now.

This is a special garden having been a place of meditation and healing for a very long time.

You can sense it.

You can feel safe here.

Kuan Yin's compassion is present right here with you and you let that compassion embrace you.

Let the compassion be in the bathwater with you as you feel comfortable and safe.

With each out breath,

Letting go.

Let go of the tension in your body.

Can you invite a little more relaxation in your shoulders?

When you invite relaxation,

Bring attention to your shoulders and see if they can release a tiny bit without adding any pressure.

Let your attention be open and receptive,

Allowing what is without need to comment or judge what happens.

It's okay if you don't notice any change after you invite relaxation.

Just trust.

Can you relax your jaw?

Can you relax the small muscles behind your eyes?

Can you relax the smiling muscles in your face?

What does relaxation feel like?

What does it feel like when you don't have to put on a face for anyone?

Now relax your legs,

Starting at the lower leg and slowly working your way up towards your hips.

Gently,

Slowly inviting relaxation and noticing what happens.

Bring your attention to your whole body now.

How does it feel?

Gently turn attention to any thoughts.

Can you let go of having to plan something?

Can you let go of trying to figure out what happened in the conversation before?

It's quite okay to notice the thought and then release it by recognizing this thought isn't needed now.

Let your attention float.

See what happens when you do that.

Bring your attention to the bath,

This perfect temperature bath and continue to relax.

As your body relaxes,

See if it's available to let your awareness float.

Check and see.

Is this awareness bright and luminous?

Is it dark and feel like it's protected?

Is it embracing?

Notice awareness.

Notice what it's like for you right now.

If you choose,

You can turn your attention to the sensations of your body and notice if there is a sensation that is unpleasant.

Remember that at any point,

You're welcome to turn your attention to the bath and the relaxation you feel in it.

You get to choose where you focus.

If you feel safe enough,

If you feel confident,

I invite you to shift your focus gently.

Notice the weight of your body,

The shape of your body.

See if you have a thought,

This is my body.

And as you stay with your body,

Notice opinions and thoughts that arise about your body.

When you remember the unpleasant sensation,

You may think,

I'm in pain.

I don't want to be in pain.

You may have different ways to describe yourself other than being in pain.

What is it?

You might think,

I wonder if I'm going to get better.

This might be a neutral question,

Or a frightening thought.

You may have different reactions to how you experience yourself.

See if you can notice these thoughts as bubbles arising in awareness,

Existing in awareness,

Being known in awareness.

When you identify with your thoughts,

You believe your thoughts to be who you are.

It's harder to be aware of them and watch them arise and pass away.

When you shift focus from the thought to the awareness of the thought,

It's easier to see the thought as a thought.

It's easier to see a reaction as a reaction.

Now,

Bring your attention to your body and very gently allow your attention to notice if there's a part of your body that feels uncomfortable.

If you choose,

And only if you choose,

See what happens if you very gently and lovingly bring your attention to that uncomfortable area.

You might notice resistance,

A little bit of fear or hesitation to get close to that part of your body or that sensation that feels uncomfortable.

Let's change our focus from the sensation to observe the resistance.

Is it showing up as a thought,

Or as an emotion,

Or as a contraction?

Be gentle.

What's needed is a gentle,

Loving presence.

What happens when you bring your resistance into awareness?

Does it get smaller?

Does it get bigger?

Does it stay the same?

Watch when you bring a loving,

Non-judgmental awareness to resistance of unpleasant sensation.

Now shift your focus to the sensation itself.

Is it the same?

Or is it different?

What do you notice?

Do you feel pressure?

Do you feel heat?

Is it uncomfortable?

Is it changing?

See if you can envelop this sensation with your attention.

Gently touch it with awareness.

And if it's possible,

If it's available to you,

Leave aside any idea about this sensation or who you are because you have this uncomfortable sensation.

Just be with it and watch.

It might change.

There might be other sensations that arise.

Can you be curious?

What do you notice?

Do the sensations get stronger?

Do they get weaker?

Do they stay the same?

Do they move?

Do they have a shape?

When you look,

Notice what isn't changing.

Each sensation arises in awareness.

Awareness is vast,

Timeless.

Was there before the sensation and will be there after the sensation.

You experience awareness through your mind and your body.

But awareness is not limited to your mind and body.

Pause now and see how you're doing.

If you are continuing to be present and feel relaxed,

Continue.

If you notice an increase in tension,

Shift your focus back to the bath.

Reconnect with floating in the soothing,

Compassion-filled bath water.

Allow yourself to feel the warmth of the water.

Listen to the sound of the wind and the birds.

Smell the tropical fragrances.

Continue to relax.

And when you're ready,

And only when you're ready,

Allow attention once again to come in contact with unpleasant sensation.

Notice the sensation.

Notice the awareness of the sensation.

Allow the sensation to float in awareness.

Lean into the awareness,

Which knows the sensation as much as you're able.

Leave the sensation alone.

Let it be.

It has nothing to do with you.

The sensation doesn't define you.

It doesn't have to define you.

Resting in awareness,

The vast open sky is not preoccupied with the clouds.

Awareness allows the sensation to be a portal to what is vast,

What is timeless,

What is ever-present.

See if you can allow the sensation.

Let the sensation take you to awareness.

You may discover that awareness is not limited by sensation,

Defined by sensation.

Let this awareness take you to a place where you can rest,

A place that beckons you home.

If you feel at home now,

Rest there.

Know that you can return here again.

In these last few minutes of this time together,

I want to remind you that sometimes painful sensations can be a portal to awareness,

That you can practice.

Allow yourself to be filled with awareness.

As you are,

You can let it penetrate your body,

Your cells,

Your organs,

The systems of your body.

Remember,

You are in a warm bath filled with aromatic herbs,

Specifically to support and nourish you,

Resting,

Relaxing,

And healing.

When you hear the sound of the bell,

Take as much time as you need before you move.

Open your eyes.

Reviews

Thank you very much for this practice! I found your soothing voice, invitational prompting and gentle support with exploring sensations to be really helpful!