Welcome,
This is Abigail Morrissey Reardon and today I will guide you through a meditation to confront fear surrounding an upcoming surgery or medical procedure.
Fear is an emotion that we experience as humans.
Fear is natural.
It is normal to experience fear.
Often we are taught to suppress or to ignore,
To bypass,
To overcome fear.
And in doing this,
We do not acknowledge the fear.
We don't allow it to be seen,
Which makes the fear louder,
Which makes us more fearful.
The fear grows when we do not witness it.
Unacknowledged fear can show up in the body as a tightness in the chest,
A pain in the throat,
Tension in the shoulders or jaw,
Hips or sacrum.
The more we ignore it,
The louder it becomes.
Fear can mask itself as anxiety,
Insomnia,
Anger,
Or rage.
Today I will guide you to acknowledge your fears,
To confront them,
To see them,
So they can release their grasp over you.
Find a comfortable seat.
Allow the face and jaw to soften.
If you would like,
You can close your eyes.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Notice your inhale and your exhale without trying to change your breath.
Just notice what is.
Witness the length of your inhale as you breathe in and the length of your exhale as you breathe out.
Without judgment,
Criticism,
Just notice what is as you breathe in and breathe out.
Now move your attention to your heart center.
From here,
Notice any discomfort,
Any tension,
Any pain in the body.
Even fear can show up as discomfort or tension.
If you would like,
You can move your hands to any areas that may feel tight or tense on the body.
With your hands on this body part,
Allow this body part to speak its fear.
Specifically,
Fears related to your upcoming surgery or medical procedure.
You can speak your fears out loud or silently in your mind.
With your hand on your body part,
Allow the body to speak its fear.
When you acknowledge your fear out loud,
Respond to the fear by saying,
That is natural and normal to have that fear.
That is natural and normal to have that fear.
Continue to speak your fears out loud or in your mind until the area becomes relaxed or no longer holds tension.
If you find there's another part in the body that is holding tension,
You can move your hands there and then allow that part of the body to share its fear.
Again,
Speak your fear out loud or in your mind.
Once you acknowledge the fear,
Reply saying,
That is natural and normal to have that fear.
It is natural and normal to have that fear.
Continue speaking your fears out loud,
Acknowledging them,
Witnessing them,
And then validating them with the phrase,
It is normal and natural to have that fear.
It is normal and natural to have that fear.
When you feel like you have acknowledged all of the fears that are present in the body,
Can again return your attention to your breath.
Breathing the inhale as you breathe in,
Body fills,
Expands,
And as you exhale,
Release,
Relax,
Compress.
Inhale.
Exhale.
When you feel ready,
You can invite some movement back into the body.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Maybe shrug your shoulders up and down.
Take the deepest breath you've taken today.
Inhale.
Allow the lungs to fully expand.
And then exhale,
Let it all go.
When you feel ready,
You can open your eyes and return back into the room.
Return back to this meditation as much as you need before your upcoming surgery or medical procedure.
When you witness fear,
You validate it.
It no longer has the power.
It no longer is in control.
Thank you so much for joining me today for this meditation on fear surrounding a medical procedure or surgery,
Sending you love and light,
Wishing you a speedy and healthy recovery.
