Somatic Tracking Emotions

Living with chronic pain can bring up many feelings, and it’s also really common to ignore or avoid emotions, especially if they make us feel uncomfortable. Yet, ignoring or suppressing them can cause our overprotective systems to start seeing some emotions as threats, triggering the stress response. By calmly paying attention to emotions, and noticing the bodily sensations that come with them without fear or judgment we can - with practice - begin to realise feeling emotions is safe....and this can help reduce pain.

Transcript

Hi,

It's Mandy here.

Welcome to this practice of somatic tracking for emotions.

It's really great to have you here.

So in this practice today,

We're getting familiar with our emotions.

And even if that idea puts you off right from the word go,

Just a reminder,

Of course,

It's all an invitation,

An experiment,

A way of developing a sense of lightness and curiosity,

Even playfulness.

So you can follow along with me,

Or you can also pause at any time,

Open your eyes,

Bring your attention to sensations in the body,

Ground yourself,

Shift your focus to sounds or something else at any time.

So just do whatever helps you best.

And having lived with chronic pain for decades,

I know all too well how pain can bring up many feelings.

And it's really common for all of us to struggle with our emotions.

Perhaps they weren't really well modeled to us,

Or we just don't really have that desire to express them or a feeling to them,

Whatever it might be.

And for many of us,

Emotions make us feel uncomfortable.

So we try to avoid some of the stronger ones.

And yeah,

Many of us also develop this bit of a tendency to keep them inside.

And often this ignoring or suppressing of emotions,

It actually doesn't make them go away,

No matter how hard we try.

In fact,

When we constantly turn away from our emotions,

Over time,

Our brains can start to see emotions as threats,

Triggering that stress response of fight or flight.

And this can keep us really stuck in this cycle of fear and anxiety,

Putting our pain response on high alert.

Yet emotions are normal.

It's a really healthy part of being human.

So by exploring them with curiosity and kindness,

And through how they feel in our body,

We can learn to manage them without feeling overwhelmed or scared or triggering that stress response.

And this is really good because in time,

Our pain system will stop seeing them as a threat.

So to help us get there,

We're going to practice somatic tracking.

It's a technique that I've shared a few times on this platform.

So hopefully you might be somewhat familiar with it.

And when we meet our emotions in this gentle,

Curious way,

We're teaching our brains that they're not dangerous.

And when we do that,

Our brain can feel safer.

And then our body can too.

So we don't need to have pain as protection.

So after that little intro,

Time to give it a try.

So taking a moment to settle in,

Finding a comfortable position where you feel fully supported,

And really feel in to the support beneath you,

Whether it's the ground,

Or a chair,

Or the bed.

And just know that that support can help you feel safe.

And when you're ready,

Take a few deep,

Calming breaths.

Because this can also really help ground you into this moment.

Breathing in through the nose,

And out through the mouth.

And maybe on the exhale,

Just feeling the shoulders soften a little.

Allow a little bit of ease to come into the body as best you can.

And if it feels comfortable for you,

Gently closing the eyes,

Or just having a soft,

Relaxed gaze.

And any time throughout the rest of this practice,

Just knowing you can return your attention to the breath whenever you need it,

Whenever you need to take a little break.

The rhythm and flow of breathing can be a really safe place for us to rest,

Particularly if things become a bit overwhelming,

Or if you get lost.

So just start by checking in with how you're feeling right now.

Maybe taking a moment to scan through the body,

Heart and mind,

And just see if there's any emotions that are here,

That want to bubble up to the surface for a bit of exploration.

And there's no need to label anything too quickly,

Just simply getting a bit of a sense of what's here,

Kind of like you're checking out the internal weather pattern.

Is it stormy,

Or clear?

Sunny,

Or a little bit gloomy?

And living in Melbourne as I do,

We know that when it comes to weather,

There can be clouds and clear patches,

And a breeze of feeling one way or the other,

Constantly changing.

So maybe you feel happy,

Peaceful or optimistic.

Maybe there's feelings of sadness,

Or guilt.

Even anger,

Or unease.

Whatever you're noticing,

Just all you need to do is just say,

Ah,

This emotion is here.

Or maybe you just notice something is here,

Without a specific label just yet.

Acknowledging the emotions,

Without needing to judge them.

And allowing them to be there.

And just remembering too,

That if you're not sure,

That's okay too.

Sometimes our emotions can be a little bit subtle,

And if we've been pushing them away or ignoring them for a long time,

It can take a little while for us to get to know them.

So just taking a moment to sit with whatever's here.

There's no right or wrong.

And if it feels okay to you,

Maybe choosing an emotion that feels most noticeable.

And it doesn't need to be the most intense emotion.

Maybe just choose one that feels okay to explore right now.

Just gently naming it.

And allowing your attention to explore this emotion.

Maybe checking out where it shows up in the body.

What it feels like.

And doing this from a place of curiosity.

What kind of physical sensations do you notice when you explore this emotion?

Where in the body do you feel it the most?

Is it really obviously in one part of the body?

Or is it kind of a little bit all over the place?

It might be in your belly.

In your heart area around your chest.

Maybe it's a tightness in your throat.

Or a sense of pressure behind the eyes.

Maybe a clenching in the jaw.

Wherever you can feel the emotion,

Just remember that you are safe,

And that these sensations that have come along for the ride with this emotion,

They're not dangerous.

And if you need some extra reminding of that,

If it's starting to feel a bit much,

You can always return your attention to the steady rhythm of your breath.

Or feeling your feet on the ground.

Opening your eyes.

Just remembering that you are in control of where your attention goes.

Just seeing if it's possible if you can let this emotion be there.

Let its sensations be there.

Without trying to push it away or pull towards it and grasp onto it.

Just noticing the sensations.

Maybe even silently saying to yourself,

This belongs right now.

I don't have to push away.

This isn't dangerous.

These are just emotions.

Part of being human.

And this emotion that you're exploring,

Can you treat it with kindness?

However that looks for you.

Whether it's just gently acknowledging it and saying it's okay if you're here.

Whether it's some soothing touch like a hand on the heart.

Or even just taking a few deeper breaths.

And you don't need to do anything right now.

We're not trying to change the sensations or get rid of the emotion.

We're just gently noticing it.

Our emotions are here to be felt.

To be honored.

So we're just listening to them express themselves.

And it's safe to do this.

It's safe to feel and explore emotions.

Just like this.

And we're just practicing.

Getting familiar with this idea of letting emotions be here.

Just as they are.

And we're freely letting any thoughts or feelings or sensations just exist.

There's no need to get rid of them.

To control them.

To fix them.

To ignore them.

We're just offering the gift of paying attention.

And listening to what's truly here to be expressed in the body.

Heart and mind.

And we're just watching these emotions flow through the body.

Arising and passing away.

Changing and shifting in shape and perhaps quality or texture.

Almost like we're observing fish in an aquarium.

We're just watching things swim around.

And as you watch these emotions and their associated sensations in this soft,

Curious way you might notice how things are changing.

They might feel stronger.

They might soften a little.

And just remembering that either way you're okay.

This is safe and this is okay to explore.

We're just relaxing here.

Watching and exploring these emotions with curiosity.

So just sitting for a few more moments.

Really giving yourself permission to feel.

And to just be as you are.

Nothing to be done.

Nothing to be undone.

Just getting used to noticing emotions.

And as we do this we're reminding our system that this is safe.

Feeling emotions is safe.

And also maybe just reminding yourself that emotions come with a purpose.

They're like little messengers guiding us towards understanding what our true needs and desires are.

So maybe even opening up to that question.

What is this emotion trying to tell me?

And being there to listen and feel.

And open up to this emotion.

Form a relationship with it.

Nothing to be feared.

Nothing to be ignored or pushed away.

Feeling emotions is safe.

And when you're ready,

Gently bringing your attention back to the room that you're in.

Taking some time to perhaps move and shift the body.

Checking in what your body might need right now.

And moving it perhaps in a way that feels good to you.

Really well done today.

Sometimes this work with emotions is not easy.

So just congratulating yourself on the courage that it takes to turn towards these feelings in the body.

And knowing too that you can come back to this session whenever you need it.

Whenever you've got the feels.

When you're feeling all the feels and they're really coming up for you.

Rather than that default way of pushing them away or ignoring them.

Maybe come back to this practice.

Remind yourself that emotions are safe and okay to feel in the body.

Because each time we do this we're strengthening that ability to respond with safety.

Rather than an alarm.

So maybe taking that sense of safety with you as you move into the next part of your day.

Thanks.

I'll see you next time.

Beep.

Reviews

Good guidance. The actual meditation is 10:00-1:00. Pre and post is talking/explanation. I need a shorter daily option so dividing it like this works for me.

Really enjoyed the practice.

Would love to have one without preamble if it is something you’re keen to add 🥦🖖🏻🙏🏻