Pendulation or pendulating.
Is a mindfulness practice that can be helpful for bringing awareness to all of the different sensations that live within your body.
Both the loud signals and the softer signals.
This practice involves focusing on sensations in a non-judgmental way and alternating between the sensations that may cause discomfort or distress.
And other areas of the body that perhaps have neutral or even pleasant sensations.
Take some time to find a position that offers you a sense of most comfort in this moment.
And however you support yourself,
Perhaps begin to drop into the sensations of your body.
Begin by noticing any uncomfortable feelings or sensations and become aware of what you notice within your body.
What does it feel like to be inside your body,
Sitting with these uncomfortable feelings and sensations?
When you are in contact with something that brings discomfort.
See if you can notice on a scale of 0 to 10,
Where 0 is no distress,
And 10 is as distressing as it could be.
How distressing are these sensations for you right now?
If numbers are hard,
Perhaps use a color or represent this distress in another way.
Once you've found a way to rate your experience.
See if you can find a place in your body that feels totally different.
A part of your body that's not experiencing disturbance.
Perhaps an area that feels calm,
Neutral,
Peaceful,
Settled,
Maybe even comfortable.
Or a different type of sensation,
Something more pleasant or tolerable.
See if you can shift your attention wholly to this place.
Knowing there's no right or wrong.
And that this new place can be anywhere within your body.
Even if it is only a tiny spot on the tip of your toe.
Perhaps on your nose,
The top of the forehead,
The edges of the hands.
See if you can bring your awareness to this place,
Perhaps that is interesting,
Comfortable or neutral.
In your body.
And notice the qualities of this new place.
Does it feel calm,
Useful,
Pleasant?
Is there a temperature,
Warm or cold?
Just notice what it feels like in your body.
It's okay if your mind wanders or is drawn back to the more difficult parts of your body.
It's also okay if there's an increase in the difficulty of this practice,
Or perhaps the distress that you're noticing.
See if you can hold your focus on this neutral,
Interesting,
Settled place and notice when you arrive there.
Now I'd like you to shift your awareness back to the uncomfortable place where the distress was first found in your body.
And notice when you get there.
Now,
Shifting your awareness back towards the neutral place,
And notice when you get there.
Continue to pendulate between this neutral space and the distressing place within your body.
Repeating this cycle.
Shifting between distressing and neutral.
Neutral and distressing.
Neutral distressing.
And begin to notice if you feel a shift in your experience.
Notice if your distress scale begins to go down each time you revisit the difficult place.
Shifting from discomfort to your place of neutrality or perhaps calm.
And then shifting back.
Notice if this is having a positive effect.
And if the distress is going down each time you visit after being in the neutral space.
Continue with this movement in and out.
Neutral to distressing distressing to neutral.
In and out.
And continue with this movement as long as it feels comfortable for you.
Pendulating is about noticing that you can shift your awareness within your own body.
Between discomfort,
Distressing sensations.
And more neutral,
Comfortable or connected spaces.
If you're shifting or pendulating,
Making sure that you finish in your neutral space by bringing your awareness to the comfortable,
The calm,
The connected space,
Perhaps now the grounding space.
And when you feel ready.
.
.
Draw your attention away from your body.
Making sure we finish with this neutral space and take as much time as you need.
As this recording comes to an end.
