This somatic tracking practice is designed for those living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome,
CRPS.
We gently work with sensation,
Protective responses,
And neural pathways,
Allowing the nervous system to rehearse safety while staying within what feels safe enough.
Move slowly and take only what works.
Let's begin.
This time is yours.
Nothing is required of you.
Just a gentle awareness of this moment as it already is.
Find a position that feels safe enough for right now.
Let your body choose the pace.
Small movements are welcome.
Only as much as feels okay.
Simply notice that you are here.
Slow breath in,
Longer breath out.
Once more,
Inhale,
Exhale.
Notice where your body needs support.
Let yourself yield even slightly.
As if the surface beneath you were memory foam,
Gently holding you,
Meeting your weight without effort.
Feel what it's like to be supported,
Not to have to brace.
Feel the breath moving.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Let the breath be your anchor.
Steady,
Familiar,
Something you can return to at any time.
If it feels comfortable,
You may close your eyes or keep a soft gaze.
Let your choice support you.
If you're here with CRPS,
You may have noticed that your nervous system can be especially protective.
Signals can amplify quickly,
Sometimes intensely,
Sometimes unpredictably.
That protection is sophisticated,
Well-practiced,
Persistent.
And if this has been a long journey,
May there be a space here for your experience to be honored.
This practice isn't about shutting anything down.
It's an invitation for your system to rehearse safety.
Before exploring sensation,
Return to your anchor.
Feel the breath moving.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Before approaching intensity,
Begin somewhere neutral.
If your CRPS involves a limb or another area,
Gently acknowledge it.
For ease of language,
We might call it the area with sensation,
Or even the spicier area.
Not to minimize it,
Just to create a little space around it.
Only if it feels okay,
You might allow your eyes to gently rest in that direction,
Or sense it internally,
Or choose to not look at all.
Let your choice be guided by what feels safe enough.
You don't have to go directly into sensation.
Start with the outline,
The shape,
The outer border,
As if tracing its contour with awareness.
Like noticing the silhouette before noticing what's inside it.
Pause there.
And then,
Only if it feels manageable,
Become curious about where sensation begins.
Not the center of intensity,
Just the threshold.
The place where neutral becomes noticeable.
As though you're standing at the shoreline,
Feet on dry sand,
Aware of where the water begins,
Without stepping in.
Let attention hover there.
Observe as though you're watching weather move across a landscape,
Clouds passing through open sky.
You might notice qualities like warmth,
Coolness,
Pressure,
Electricity,
Stillness,
Or something else.
Breath moving as you notice.
You might quietly remind yourself,
In this moment,
I am safe enough to observe.
If intensity begins to rise,
Let attention widen.
Back to the breath.
Back to support.
Back to the room.
Now gently engage the neural pathways involved in movement and sensation.
Without changing the sensation,
Imagine comfortable movement there.
Fluid,
Easeful,
Effortless.
You are not forcing the body.
You are allowing the nervous system to rehearse safety.
If helpful,
Look at another part of your body that moves more easily and let your brain borrow that image.
Notice what shifts,
If anything.
No expectation,
Just information.
Sometimes a protective response says,
Don't go there.
Respecting protection is part of this work.
You might acknowledge that part.
I see you.
You're trying to keep me safe.
Nothing is being taken away.
Safety is being added.
Now gently explore whether sensation and safety can coexist.
Even briefly.
Not replacing sensation.
Not trying to push it away.
Just noticing if awareness and steadiness can exist at the same time.
Feel the breath moving.
Inhale.
Exhale.
This is how rewiring begins.
Small,
Repeated,
Safe experiences.
Let your awareness widen to include the area with sensation.
And the rest of your body together.
The whole of you included.
Let awareness gently open into the room around you.
Your nervous system is capable of change through repetition of safety,
Through respectful exposure,
Through moments like this.
And when you're ready,
Allow your eyes to open.
