Hey there,
It's Michael,
And welcome to a chance to pause,
Breathe,
Reflect before surgery or your medical procedure.
And before we drop in,
I want to acknowledge the suffering you might have felt prior to this surgery,
And any nerves or anxiety you feel as you head into it.
As someone who has had plenty of operations since my last bad day,
I understand suffering and how anxiety can be present as we head into surgery.
Over the years,
I've used mindfulness meditation to help ease my nerves so I can approach my surgery with some type of calm and promote a better recovery,
And I hope this practice does that for you as well.
And of course,
I hope your surgery is exactly what you need to restore your health.
When ready,
Find a position that feels comfortable.
You may be at home,
Or driving to the medical center,
Or waiting for your surgery to begin.
And as you settle in,
I'm going to close my eyes,
But know that you're always at choice here,
So you can close them as well,
Keep them open,
Or have a soft gaze if that makes you feel a little bit more comfortable.
And we'll drop in.
Gracefully coming into the moment,
And finding the breath,
And taking a few healthy inhales,
And nice,
Slow,
Releasing exhales.
As you breathe in,
You may wish to visualize that you're breathing in healing and health,
And as you breathe out,
Breathing out any nerves or anxiety that might be present in this moment.
Nice,
Full breath in,
Nice,
Slow,
Releasing breath out,
Giving yourself permission to slow down,
And fully arrive so you can be present for this moment.
And as you come into the natural rhythm of the breath,
I invite you to offer your attention to the body,
With a light touch,
Scanning the body,
Noticing how it feels,
Without being critical or judgmental.
Just notice how your body feels at this moment before surgery,
Allowing any sensations that are here to be here,
Without pushing away anything that might be unwanted.
And with your next breath in,
I invite you to place your attention with focus on the area of your procedure,
Connecting with this part of your body,
And visualizing that you're sending care and love,
Nurturing and compassion to this part of your body,
Letting it know that you're honoring your health,
And how this procedure will help this part of your body heal.
Sending your energy and your intentions to this part of your body as you're ready for surgery.
And you may wish to keep your focus here,
Or you can offer your attention to the breath.
As you're breathing in,
Notice that you're breathing in.
And as you're breathing out,
Notice that you're breathing out.
Inviting your body to relax,
With each breath in and each breath out.
Inviting calm into your space,
And letting go of any stress.
Knowing that if you're nervous,
You are perfectly human.
Continue to stay with your breath,
Allowing yourself to settle into this moment.
And now,
I invite you to bring to mind your medical team,
Your surgeon or doctor,
The nurses,
And the other healthcare professionals who are responsible for your care.
Bringing them to mind,
Feeling connected with them,
As you offer them loving kindness.
And you can repeat these mantras as you see fit.
May you be patient.
May you be caring.
May you be kind.
May the procedure flow with ease.
May you feel heard.
May you feel seen.
May you feel loved.
And now,
I invite you to offer loving kindness to yourself.
You can place your hands on your heart and repeat these mantras.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May my surgery flow with ease.
May I have the strength to endure.
May I feel heard.
May I feel seen.
May I feel loved.
And placing your attention on your breath,
I invite you to take a few healthy inhales,
Nice,
Slow,
Releasing exhales.
As we round out this pause,
Breathe,
Reflect moment.
As you're breathing in,
Visualize that you're breathing in healing.
And as you're breathing out,
Letting go of the pain.
Breathing in healing.
Breathing in healing.
Breathing out and letting go of the pain.
And now,
You can relax your attention.
I hope you enjoyed this moment to pause,
Breathe,
Reflect before your surgery or procedure.
And when you're ready,
You can open the eyes if you've had them closed.
Wiggle those beautiful fingers and toes and invite the body into a stretch.
I wish you the very best with your procedure.
Let me know how it goes.
And remember,
As you start your recovery,
If you have a challenging moment,
Slow down,
Come back to your breath.
Know that you've got this and we've got you.
And don't forget to ripple.
Something worth rippling.
