Welcome to your practice.
This is a meditation on pain.
Before we get started,
Let's quickly talk about how meditation can help with pain.
In our culture,
We tend to attempt to numb,
Medicate,
Or ignore our pain.
So a meditation focusing on pain may seem a little out of the ordinary,
But it's my belief that pain exists as a lesson,
As a means to help us grow and improve.
Whatever belief system you subscribe to,
I'm sure that your higher power is one of love and not one that would just duel out pain for fun.
So if this is true,
There must be some reason.
And pain and discomfort exist as our guides.
However,
Many of us are not accustomed to communicating with our bodies,
So we don't understand what the pain is here to offer us.
And this is where meditation comes in.
Through this practice,
We learn to turn our awareness inward and begin to build that dialogue with our bodies,
With our gut,
With our heart,
With our mind,
Which,
Spoiler alert,
Are all connected as one.
There's this old quote that says,
If we learn to listen when our body whispers,
We may never have to hear it scream.
This is the reason why it's so important to listen and learn from our bodies,
Because if we never learn the lesson that our pain is here to teach,
Then we'll keep repeating it.
You may have a reoccurring issue that you're dealing with now,
Or maybe you know someone who keeps having the same health issues repeatedly.
So our goal here is to get to the root of the pain so that we can come out on the other side.
So as you're ready,
Go ahead and find a position that feels good for your meditation today.
Wherever you can get comfortable,
Maybe that's lying down,
Maybe that's seated in a chair or on the floor.
Once you get there,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
It's taking a moment here to shut out the outside world.
Start allowing your awareness to turn inward.
We can do that by gently guiding the awareness towards the breath.
Just noticing the sensation of breath in the body.
Maybe you watch the air as it moves through the nostrils.
Maybe you can start to watch as the chest lifts and lowers with each inhale and exhale.
Maybe you feel the expansion of the rib cage or the belly as you breathe.
Now start to let your awareness go towards your pain.
Wherever this place is in your body,
Start to connect with it.
As you bring your awareness to the space,
Maybe even gently asking,
What is it saying?
What lesson are you to learn?
Where is the opportunity for growth?
Once you ask this question,
Just relax.
Notice and trust what comes up for you.
Just asking yourself,
What is present here?
What is coming up?
Maybe today nothing is coming.
That's okay.
This is a practice.
If you've never had a conversation with your body,
Maybe you're not used to the signs or the feelings that are coming up.
That's okay.
Eventually you will.
Some common things that may be present.
Maybe if you're having stomach issues,
It could be because you're not listening to your gut or you're refusing to digest or accept some information that you've received or accept or digest where you are in your life or your circumstances.
Maybe if you're experiencing tension or stiffness,
It could be your body is literally telling you to loosen up.
Let go of those rigid ideas or beliefs that are no longer serving you.
Maybe you need to be a little bit more flexible with your routines or ways of doing things.
These are just some common correlations between body and emotion that may exist.
They may not be true for you.
That's okay.
If something different came up for you,
Absolutely go with your own gut.
That is what this meditation is about.
You learning to connect with your inner dialogue.
Without trying to conjure up any ideas or thoughts,
Just again being present with your pain,
With your discomfort,
Allowing it to speak to you.
Regardless of what came up for you today or what didn't come up for you today,
See if you can really begin to describe your pain.
As you stay here with the pain,
Notice what it really is.
What shape does it take?
What color is your pain?
Is it bright or dull?
Is it blinking?
What is the tone and texture of your pain?
Is it a wave coming and going?
Is it a constant feeling?
Does it get light and then dark?
Does it move from place to place or is it steady in one area?
What can you notice about it?
What does it look like?
What does it feel like?
Now imagine that a white glowing bubble is approaching you.
As this bubble nears,
It gently opens up and receives your pain.
Whatever color and shape your pain has identified as,
Allow it to go into the bubble.
Watch as the bubble seals and slowly makes its way away from your body.
You watch as it leaves the room,
The building,
The city that you're in,
Floating all the way up into space.
This bubble gets smaller and smaller into the darkness until you can no longer see it.
Once it's gone,
You can gently guide your awareness back to your breath and come safely back into your body.
Maybe the pain is gone.
Maybe it lessened.
Maybe it's still there.
Regardless,
You no longer need to fear the pain.
You only need to be receptive to its message.
Let your awareness come back into the space you're in,
Noticing what you're sitting on,
Maybe the air on your skin,
Any noises happening in your space or beyond.
When you're ready,
Allow the eyes to open,
Maybe blinking a couple times as you adjust to the light.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
