So let's begin by going to the breath.
Let's begin by going to the breath.
Let's begin by going to the breath.
Let's begin by going to the breath.
Let's begin by going to the breath.
Sense of total relaxation and knowing you are safe.
And in this state of total relaxation,
Bringing awareness to your pain,
Knowing that there's no fear to amplify the pain,
That you can be with it as it is without attaching emotions to it,
Feeling it as raw sensation and allowing yourself to describe the pain,
To give it qualities that would help you to understand it better,
Perhaps imagining that you are an observer of your pain,
Not the victim of it.
You may wish to imagine your pain as a red ball of energy,
Perhaps this color is swirling and twisting and moving,
Maybe the color is pulsating,
Keeping pace with your beating heart.
Does it have an aching sensation,
Or perhaps feel swollen and inflamed?
Maybe it's a twisting pain,
Or perhaps has a stabbing quality to it.
Does it burn like fire,
Or perhaps feel like electric shocks?
Or maybe it's tight and spasming,
Or shooting and intense?
Taking a few moments to be with the pain as it is,
As raw sensation,
Recognizing that this is difficult to do,
That it's hard to define it without wanting to turn away.
And now,
Having examined the pain and defined it in your mind's eye,
Let's begin to use the mind to heal the pain,
To control the severity and lessen the intensity.
You might want to imagine placing a cold ice pack on the inflammation of your pain,
And feeling the coolness.
Perhaps imagining gently rubbing a soothing balm into the aching part of you,
Dissolving the pain as it absorbs into your skin.
Perhaps imagining your pain as a volume knob on a radio,
And you can dial down the intensity of the pain until it fades away.
Perhaps imagining soaking a blanket in cold water and throwing it over the fire of your pain.
Perhaps imagining massaging and kneading the tension out of tight muscles,
And seeing those muscles gradually relax.
Whatever feels right for your pain,
Taking a few moments now in silence to work with what resonates with you,
To help lessen the intensity and the suffering.
Feeling the pain subside.
Watching the pain shrink little by little as the color red changes to a soothing blue or green.
Aware of not feeling threatened by the pain,
Of knowing that it's part of you,
A messenger of your body mind,
Needing your attention,
But not your fear.
Watching it fade,
Feeling the healing taking place.
And when you feel comfortable,
Returning to the beautiful meadow,
Returning to the breath for the last few moments of this practice.
And when you feel comfortable,
Returning to the image of lying down in the beautiful meadow,
Returning to the breath for the last few moments of this practice.
