Somatic Tracking Of Grief

This practice is an invitation to gently explore an emotion that is often present for people living with chronic pain. Grief is a natural response to loss and change, including the loss of physical abilities, roles, confidence, relationships, or future plans that can accompany chronic pain. This practice guides a light exploration of this emotion, where it shows up in the body to help gain some insight into what it might be communicating. Being with emotions in this way, through awareness and with gentle processing we can help the nervous system understand it is safe to feel without judging or becoming overwhelmed.

Transcript

Hi, It's Mandy here. This practice is a gentle invitation to explore an emotion that is often present for people living with chronic pain. It's not always easy to notice or name though, And that's grief. Before we begin, It may help to know that grief is a normal human emotion. It's not that there's something wrong or that needs to be fixed. Grief can show up when we experience loss or change. Not only the loss of people, But also the loss of parts of our life that we once had. For those of us living with pain, Grief can be connected to many different parts of our experience. Grief about changes in what your body can do. Grief about work, Roles, Identity. Grief about your sense of independence or confidence. Grief about changing relationships or daily activities. Or it could be grief about the life you expected or planned for. Sometimes grief is clear and named, But often it's harder to recognize. It may also show up as sadness, Frustration, Anger, Numbness, Irritability, Or feeling stuck or disconnected. So today is not about trying to change these feelings. It's about gently noticing what may already be here. Because emotions that are acknowledged often become easier for the nervous system to hold. And when grief or emotion feels big or unsafe or overwhelming, It's common that the mind and body respond by protecting us. And that might look like doing less, Avoiding activities, Pulling back from things that once mattered, Or it might also look like a pain flare. And all of these responses are understandable. They're not failures. As always, With any of these practices, You're in control. You can slow down, Pause, Or return to your surroundings at any time. Now if it feels comfortable. Settle in to a supported position. Feeling your feet in connection with the floor. Noticing the surface beneath you. Whether that's the chair holding you or the bed or floor rising up to support you. And when you're ready, Just taking a few fuller breaths, A slow breath in. And a gentle breath out. Again. Just allowing the shoulders to soften. Perhaps releasing your jaw. Seeing if you can allow the body to soften just a little bit more Just really dropping in, Becoming aware of the feeling of being here. And bring your attention to your breathing. Just noticing no need to change or force anything And as you continue breathing, You might gently bring to mind a situation related to your pain or recovery that feels emotionally pressing for you right now. Just choosing something manageable, Not the most difficult part of your experience. But something with a bit of emotional weight to it. Might be a moment of limitation. Unexpected change of plans. A task that you wanted to do, But simply couldn't. A reminder of how pain has changed your life. Just taking your time. And as this experience becomes real to you right now, You might just gently ask yourself, What emotions are here? You might notice sadness. Frustration. Anger. Disappointment. Or grief. And sometimes grief can be quite subtle. It might feel like a sense of heaviness. Tiredness. Sense of loss. Or just that feeling that this is not how I expected things to be. And whatever you notice is here. Just seeing if you can open, Explore, Knowing that there's no right or wrong answer. And if grief is part of this experience or even if it's still a bit unclear or hazy. You might just gently say to yourself, Ah, Some grief is here. Some sadness is here. Something feels like a loss. Or a disappointment right now. And as you name that you might also notice some judgment or resistance to it maybe even some analyzing springing up and that's normal just seeing if it's possible to stay with your experience noticing naming staying open and curious as best you can. And just seeing what's here. Can you also gently bring your attention to your body? Where are you feeling this in the body? Perhaps some heaviness in the chest. A lump in the throat. Some tightness in the stomach might be just a sense of heaviness all over. Maybe there's a sense of emptiness or. . . Shut down. Just gently noticing with curiosity. Not to change or force anything. Like you're observing from a little distance. And if it's helpful, You might remind yourself, This is my body responding to loss or change. I can notice this safely. This feeling is not dangerous. These feelings are allowed to be here. Making space, Taking some deep breaths if you need to. Noticing if anything shifts, Even slightly. Or if it stays the same, Both are okay. And if this emotion that's here, This grief, Could speak, What might it be trying to communicate with you? Perhaps it's that whatever's going on matters to you. Or that you miss how things used to be. This is harder than you expected. Perhaps there's that real urge, I need things to be different. Or acknowledging that you're trying your best to adjust to change. You don't need to fix or interpret the message, We're just listening. And as we know, Sometimes grief sits alongside other emotions. You might be noticing those bubble up. Sadness. Fear frustration. Anger perhaps. Or some worry about the future. No need to go digging, Just noticing what's here for you. And of course, If there's part of you that's wanting to push these feelings away, That's understandable, Just noticing that too. Many of us do this when emotions feel overwhelming or unfamiliar. It's a protective response, So it's not something wrong. We're just simply noticing. And if it's helpful too, You might also remind yourself that you're not becoming this emotion. You're not acting on it. You're just allowing some space for awareness. For expression. For curiosity. Now you might like to imagine a calm, Steady part of you sitting beside you. A part of you that's not rushed or critical. Just prison. Grounded and steady. Noticing what this part might say Of course you feel that way. You're allowed to have these feelings. You're doing the best you can in a difficult situation. There is space to feel this. And just allowing whatever words might gently land. If it feels supportive and okay, You might even place a hand on your chest or another comfortable place. Noticing that warmth and support. Allowing a sense of steadiness to land here. And just breathing into that hand. Breathing in. Breathing out. Nothing to do, Nothing to undo. Just what's here. When you're ready, You might slowly bring your awareness back to the room that you're in. Noticing sounds around you, Feeling into that surface beneath you, The feeling of your body supported. You might just pause and gently ask what did you notice about grief today? What helped you feel safe while you were noticing it? Just checking out if there's anything important you'd like to remember. No need to search for perfect answers here, Just noticing. And you may like to bring some movement into the body. Gently wriggling fingers or toes, Taking a stretch if that feels okay. And when you're ready, Opening the eyes. And maybe thanking yourself for taking the time to listen to your experience with care and curiosity. Great work. And I'll see you next time.