This practice is for the days or nights before something you're looking forward to.
A trip,
An event,
A gathering,
When fear or worry starts to creep in.
When you live with chronic pain,
It's natural to brace for what might go wrong,
But your nervous system can also rehearse what might go right.
This practice gently invites your system to imagine ease,
Not as a promise,
But as a real possibility.
Even a few minutes of this can help your body remember.
Hope is allowed here too.
Let's begin.
If something is coming up,
Something you've been looking forward to,
And part of you is also a little worried,
You're in the right place.
It makes sense to feel both.
Excitement and concern,
Hope and hesitation.
You've been here before,
Where the what-ifs start to feel louder than the possibilities.
And those what-ifs,
They're not unreasonable.
You know what pain can do.
You know what flare-ups feel like.
You know how hard it can be when things don't go as planned.
So let's not pretend that away,
But let's also make a little space for what might go well.
Not as a guarantee,
Just as a possibility worth holding.
So for now,
Let yourself settle wherever you are.
You can be sitting,
Lying down,
However feels comfortable.
And if it feels okay,
You can close your eyes or lower your gaze.
And if you need to move,
Settle differently,
Find even a little more comfort,
Go ahead.
If it feels natural,
You might take a gentle breath in and a longer breath out.
Nothing forced,
Just letting the body know you're here.
And now,
Gently,
Imagine the thing that's coming,
The trip that's coming.
The event,
The gathering,
Whatever it is.
Not the catastrophe version,
Not the perfect version either.
Just a version where you're okay.
Maybe you're there and your body feels manageable.
Not perfect,
Not pain-free,
Just manageable enough.
What does that feel like in your body right now?
Just imagining it.
Maybe you notice a small softening somewhere,
Or maybe you notice resistance.
That's okay too.
And now,
See yourself enjoying something.
Maybe it's eating something you've been looking forward to,
Something that tastes good,
Something you get to savor.
Maybe it's seeing people you care about,
Faces that light up when you arrive,
Conversations that feel easy.
Maybe it's doing something joyful,
Something small,
Something that feels good in your body.
See yourself there,
Present,
Okay,
Even enjoying it.
Imagine adjusting when you need to.
Resting when it helps.
Asking for what you need and people understanding.
Imagine your body cooperating.
Imagine the safety of knowing you can handle what comes.
And if it feels okay,
Take another gentle breath in and a longer breath out.
Letting your system soften around this,
The possibility of okay.
And if fear comes back in,
That's okay.
You don't have to push it away.
Just let it sit next to the hope,
Not instead of it.
Both can be true.
The fear is real.
The difficulty might happen and it might also be okay.
You might also enjoy it.
So for now,
Just let your system hold that.
The possibility of ease,
The possibility of enjoyable moments.
Moments worth having.
You don't need to figure it all out right now.
You'll handle what comes when it comes.
You always do.
Let the body soften around that,
Even just a little.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes or stay a bit longer.
Either way,
You showed up for yourself.
