Welcome to this meditation to visualize a pain-free life.
When we're in the throes of chronic pain,
It can be so easy to forget what it's like to not be in pain,
To be unencumbered and carefree.
This practice helps us remember and experience what it's like to do our favorite activities again,
Pain-free.
The body and mind do not know the difference between an event that happened in the past,
One that's happening in the present,
Or one that will happen in the future.
To the body and mind,
It's all the same.
That means that when we do this practice and we imagine ourselves being pain-free,
We're giving the body and the mind a taste of what that's like in real time.
Creating new neural pathways and literally laying the foundation for us to be pain-free again.
Let's get started.
So,
Finding a comfortable position,
Gently closing the eyes.
Just allow your focus to shift from your outer world to your inner world.
Feeling breath moving in and out of your body.
Feeling the support of the chair or the structure beneath you.
Just allowing your body and your mind to gently arrive in this moment.
Allowing the body to release and relax any tension it doesn't need to hold on to.
And allowing the structure beneath you to just support you.
And when you're ready,
I invite you to bring to mind a memory from your past doing an activity you love pain-free.
It could be a moment of triumph.
It could be just a casual stroll,
Bike ride,
Or swim.
But letting it be a memory where you felt unencumbered,
Free,
And you didn't have any pain.
You don't need to overthink it.
Whatever comes to mind is probably the right one.
Just allow yourself to be immersed in that experience.
Remembering what it was like.
Who were you with?
What colors do you notice in this memory?
And what does your body feel like?
Is there a sense of calm or ease that you experienced?
Just allowing this to gently become more vivid in your mind.
Not forcing it.
But really soaking in this experience when you are pain-free.
And if it helps in this memory,
You can imagine bringing your focus to that area of the body where you're currently experiencing some discomfort or pain.
And just remembering what it was like when you didn't have to worry about this.
Your body was just effortlessly doing what it was built to do.
And it may be subtle at first.
But just sit with this idea,
This visualization of the strength of the body.
Doing this favorite activity without pain.
Excellent work.
Now,
I invite you to let that memory fade.
You can always come back to it.
And let's fast forward to the future.
You're doing this same activity again.
And you're pain-free.
Let an image or situation arise.
Whatever comes to mind is probably the right one.
Just imagine yourself doing this activity again,
Effortlessly.
Being carefree.
Not thinking about it.
Not worrying about it.
You're just fully present in your activity,
In your experience.
Enjoying it.
And notice where you are.
Who are you with?
What are you wearing?
Are there any smells or sounds?
Just allowing this future visual to be vivid in your mind.
And if this situation is challenging and it's not quite clicking,
Imagine picturing yourself in third person.
Watching yourself do this activity without pain.
Just observing yourself.
And feel what it's like to watch yourself do this perfectly normal activity.
Pain-free.
See the joy on your face.
And in this visual,
Just imagine yourself coming to a resting place.
Maybe a beautiful overlook or a nice inviting bench.
And just pausing and having a sense of gratitude.
Gratitude for this moment.
For being able to do this activity again,
Pain-free.
Being grateful for this journey that you've been on.
And everything you've learned from it.
Just let that sense of gratitude fill your body,
Expanding like a warm light from your heart center through to the crown of the head,
All the way down to the tips of the toes.
Just having gratitude for being able to do your favorite activity again,
Pain-free.
Excellent.
Now,
Knowing you can come back to this visualization at any time,
I invite you to just let that go and bring your focus back into your body,
Into the present moment,
Keeping your eyes closed.
And just notice what the body feels like in this moment.
How does it feel different compared to before we began?
Noticing if there has been any change in perspective,
Any insights that have arisen.
And taking one last nice deep breath in through the nose and letting it go with a sigh.
Letting a smile curl to your lips.
Gently wiggling your fingers and toes.
And whenever you're ready,
In your own time,
You can gently open the eyes.
Excellent work.
This visualization practice can be a powerful support to becoming pain-free.
Remembering that we were once pain-free and we can be again helps us zoom out and see our pain or our symptoms not in a fixed,
Unchanging state,
But in what they truly are,
Changing moment to moment.
I invite you to do this practice not just in a meditation setting,
But at any time throughout the day in brief micro-moments.
And I wish you the very best for the rest of your day or evening.
