Welcome.
In this practice,
We'll explore a technique called pendulation,
Which can help you safely open up to challenging sensations in your body.
This is a fantastic practice for decreasing fear and processing emotions,
Which helps break the chronic pain cycle.
In this practice,
We gently move toward challenging sensations,
Not away from them.
We've often been taught the opposite,
To numb,
Run away from,
Or fight sensations and unpleasant emotions.
But what we resist persists.
An emotion is simply energy in motion.
Often,
They go from emotion to e-stuck.
But when we bring our focus to them,
Experience them fully,
These sensations and emotions shift and transform and move through us,
What they were designed to do.
And like a clock pendulum moving from side to side,
Together we'll move from a pleasant sensation into a challenging one and back,
Gently and slowly.
It's like turning the faucet on just a little bit at a time.
And this teaches our brain,
Our body,
And our mind that it's safe to approach challenging sensations,
Which allows our nervous system to settle.
Let's get started.
Either sitting or lying down,
Just gently close the eyes and start to slow your nervous system down by taking a few nourishing deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Allowing your mind to settle into your body and allowing your body to just settle here,
Supported by the chair or the surface beneath you.
And just feel the body being supported,
Not having to move,
The body being supported,
Not having to do anything,
Just allowing your body to become a bit softer,
A bit more relaxed,
As you almost give the body over to this surface beneath you.
Now I invite you to gently scan through the body from head to toe and notice if there's an area of the body that feels particularly pleasant.
Might be a tingling in the hands,
A strength in the legs,
A softness in the feet.
Wherever you feel pleasant,
Just let your attention rest in that part of the body.
Just be present with this part of the body,
Really opening up to it.
Just let your attention rest in that part of the body.
This part of the body is going to be our anchor for this practice.
Knowing you can move back into this good feeling in your body at any time,
That feels a bit uncomfortable or tense or painful.
And just rest your focus in that part of the body for a single long breath.
Good.
Now gently moving back from that challenging part of the body to the expansive feeling in your body.
And resting in that expansive part of the body for a few breaths.
And resting in that expansive part of the body for a few breaths.
Now going back to the challenging sensation.
Doing that for three breaths.
Giving it your full awareness,
Your full attention.
Opening up to this sensation,
Just for three long breaths.
Good.
And smoothly and gently moving back into this pleasant sensation in the body.
Good.
Once again,
Smoothly and gently moving back into the challenging sensation.
This time seeing if you can get a sense of the texture and the quality of that sensation.
Is it smooth or rough?
Hard or soft?
Sharp or dull?
Just inviting it to be there without resistance.
Now smoothly and gently moving back to the expansive part of the body.
Allowing your attention to dwell there.
Knowing you're safe.
And this time move back into the unpleasant feeling and really just rest there.
Gently let it in.
It might change,
It might become more uncomfortable or less.
It's perfectly okay.
Just dropping any resistance to it.
Allowing the sensation,
Emotion,
Or area of discomfort to just be there.
Good.
And then smoothly and gently moving back into the pleasant area of the body.
Like a pendulum on a very slow clock,
Gently moving from side to side.
Move between these two sensations in your body.
And continue to do this on your own for the next few moments at your own pace.
And if any emotions arise as you're doing this,
That's perfectly normal.
Just let them be there.
And if either the pleasant sensation or the unpleasant sensation change,
You can find a new area of the body as your anchor point.
It's completely up to you.
It's completely up to you.
Just proving to yourself that you have the capacity to slowly and gently move into these challenging sensations.
And before we conclude this practice,
Bring your focus back to an expansive part of the body.
A pleasant sensation.
Really allowing yourself to rest there.
Breathing in this sensation.
And imagining it's spreading throughout your body.
Imagining that pleasant sensation spreading like a warm sunlight from the tips of the toes to the crown of the head.
Flowing easily and gently.
Flowing easily and gently.
Bringing a sense of expansion,
Tranquility,
And ease to each part of the body.
Not forcing anything.
Just being.
Reminding yourself that this practice is not about forcing any sensations to change,
But teaching your brain and your body that it's safe and possible for you to be with difficult sensations.
And knowing that,
Take one more nourishing,
Deep breath in through the nose and let it all go through the mouth.
Gently feeling your body coming alive and awake.
Letting go of any tension that you may have in your body.
Feeling your body coming alive and awake.
Letting a smile curl to your lips.
And in your own time,
You can gently open the eyes.
Well done.
So often we try to numb ourselves and get away from challenging feelings,
Which creates more problems.
You just proved that you can be with challenging and unpleasant sensation and not be overwhelmed by it.
You can do this practice throughout the day in bite-sized ways.
Or return here and do it in a dedicated setting.
I wish you the very best for the rest of your day or evening.
