Hi,
My name is Karen.
This meditation is called making room for pain or discomfort.
It's not uncommon that at one time or another,
We're forced to deal with physical discomfort or pain.
Like you,
I've had to deal with different physical challenges which have caused different levels of both pain and discomfort.
Full disclosure,
I'm a breast cancer survivor and can speak directly to bone pain caused by chemotherapy.
The medical community did all they could to mitigate my pain,
But in the end,
No amount of medications that were suggested could touch the pain.
This pain continued for approximately one year after my treatment ended.
To his credit,
My husband never tried to pretend that he could fix it.
He simply said the only thing he could.
And in truth,
It was the only thing I would have tolerated from anyone,
Saying,
I'm so sorry that you're suffering.
I wish I could take some of this pain from you,
But I can't.
I'm right here beside you and I'm not leaving.
By offering this part of my backstory to let you know that I do know what unrelenting pain is,
I know how debilitating it can be,
I hope to offer some relief,
If only for a few minutes in your day.
To begin this meditation,
Please bring kind awareness to any discomfort in your physical body.
Find a place where you can rest for a moment,
Setting yourself to be as comfortable as you're able,
Whether sitting or lying down.
Take as much time as you need to settle.
And if you need to shift during the next few minutes together to be more comfortable,
Please do.
Breathe in deeply and exhale completely,
Allowing the mind and body to relax with each exhale.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Without ignoring the unpleasantness,
Invite calmness in.
You're making room for pain or discomfort.
It's common to tighten around your discomfort.
You tense the body when you're struggling,
Trying to brace against the unpleasantness.
Instead of tightening,
Bracing against the pain,
You can make room for the pain.
In fact,
Rather than bracing against it,
You can embrace it,
Embracing the pain.
Just as you would welcome a child who is frightened or scared,
Welcome the pain in and meet it with a compassionate presence.
This is a moment when you have the power to retrain the mind.
This helps you to build a non-reactive awareness.
Rather than being controlled by every challenging situation,
You can notice it,
Allow it to be present,
And move forward.
So that as you become aware of the presence of pain,
Rather than tensing up the muscles surrounding it,
You'll soften instead.
Now begin to pay attention to the painful emotions that you may be experiencing.
Try not to fall into the story of how or why they're there,
Or why the pain is there.
Really recognize how the body and the mind feel right now.
Ask if it's sadness,
Fear,
Frustration,
Or disappointment.
Just notice the general tone and the experience that you're feeling.
Begin by making space for the emotion by offering a few phrases of compassion.
Remember,
Your intention to care for the pain rather than to push it away.
Offer these phrases to the pain or difficulty.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
Continue to offer these phrases for maybe five minutes or so,
Reconnecting with your intention to tend to the experience with an open and caring heart.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
You are welcome here.
There is space for you.
I welcome you with compassion.
When you feel that you are complete and that perhaps there has been some relief,
Some softening around the space of pain or discomfort,
Let's return to the breath for a moment or two.
Breathing in deeply and exhaling,
Allowing the body to soften with each exhale.
Breathing in,
Exhaling and softening.
Let the shoulders drop down.
Breathing in and out,
Allowing the jaw to relax.
Exhaling the muscles in the abdomen,
Relaxing the back,
Releasing tension in the buttocks,
Filling the legs,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Exhaling,
We need to go into something to find our way out of it.
Pain and discomfort can be very challenging.
We are naturally resistant to it.
But if we can open our heart to it,
Offering it compassion and the space just to be,
While we may never be free of the pain or discomfort,
We may be softening and allowing it to simply be in a more relaxed state.
I hope your day is as good as it can be.
Thank you very much for taking the time to sit with me.
Namaste.
