Hello,
And thank you so much for joining me for this Mind the Pain Mindfulness Meditation,
Aimed at reducing the stress,
Pain,
And anxiety caused by endometriosis.
Thank you as always for listening.
Today we're going to do a mantra meditation,
Along with a compassion visualization practice.
Mantra meditations can be incredibly helpful during an endopain flare-up.
Today we're going to use a specific one I designed,
But please feel free to create one that's meaningful to you during your self-guided practices,
Or when you get hit with pain during your day.
That can be an awful feeling,
But focusing on a mantra can be a wonderful anchor point to help settle the pain.
Before we get started,
If you're new to meditating,
Just remember that there's no right or wrong way to meditate.
Even if you lose focus or concentration on your breath or mantra,
That's okay.
This will definitely happen.
Just return to your breath as an anchor point,
The mantra,
Or my voice,
If that feels comfortable for you.
And if you're in any pain today,
Remember to be especially gentle with yourself,
And approach any places of pain with kindness,
Self-compassion,
And non-judgment.
It's sometimes all we've got,
But don't worry,
We'll work together to get you feeling relief.
When you're ready,
I invite you to close your eyes,
Or keep an unfocused gaze in front of you,
Whichever you prefer.
Sitting up straight,
Or lying down,
Shoulders and body slowly starting to relax,
We'll begin by taking three deep breaths in,
And slowly out through the mouth or nose,
Relaxing your body with every out breath.
Just a deep breath in,
And deep exhale out.
Continue another two now,
At your own pace,
And let the rest of the world melt away while you arrive here in the stillness.
Hopefully feeling our breath and heart slowing down,
We'll just remind ourselves that we're safe here,
Even despite the challenges life is throwing at us,
Whether that be pain,
Or the sometimes daily challenges of living with a chronic illness.
We'll begin by repeating in our minds,
Safe in my body,
Releasing the pain,
But before you do,
Just remember that pain doesn't need to represent the physical sensation from your endometriosis,
And feel free to make this mean whatever is meaningful to you in this moment.
It could be emotional pain,
Spiritual pain,
Just the pain of feeling stuck on something in life,
No need to complicate it too much,
Just let your body do the talking,
And feel whatever sensations arise with that judgment,
Especially if you have any difficulty with feeling the mantra.
This can happen,
Just be gentle with yourself,
Remembering that you're safe here,
And in your body.
So we'll just start by taking a deep breath in,
And on that inhale,
Staying in your mind,
Safe in my body,
And on the out breath,
Releasing the pain.
Continue to repeat this to yourself,
Returning to the mantra and breath whenever we get lost.
Safe in my body,
Releasing the pain,
Safe in my body,
Releasing the pain,
Still repeating the mantra,
In line with our breathing,
Reminding ourselves that there's no wrong way,
Safe in my body,
Releasing the pain.
If you're lost in thought,
Or a mind wandering,
Just bring yourself back to your breath,
And the mantra,
Or my voice as your anchor point.
Breathe into the sensations the mantra may bring up in us,
Notice if we're feeling lighter,
More at ease,
Remembering to remain curious to anything we might feel.
Now I just want you to shorten the mantra ever so slightly,
And with every inhale,
Repeat,
Safe,
And every exhale,
Repeat,
Release,
Safe,
Release,
Safe,
Release.
We'll just let go of the mantra,
And while keeping our deep breaths going,
I want you to try to visualize,
In your mind's eye,
A fairly big table in front of you,
And at that table,
Facing you,
Are three people,
Or more,
Or less,
That you consider your mentors,
Or that you really love and respect,
Could be a parent,
A loved one,
Or you don't even need to know these people,
They can be famous,
Like Oprah,
Or Taylor Swift,
Or Edward Norton,
Or they don't even have to be real if you want,
Like Katniss Everdeen,
Or Wonder Woman,
And while picturing them,
With a gentle smile on your face,
I want you to go down the line,
Left to right,
And ask them,
Do you have any advice for me?
Just go to each,
Asking this question,
And just see what comes up,
Again,
Not judging the advice,
As they may not be good at giving advice,
But just listening to,
And witnessing,
And lastly,
Tuning into our breath,
We'll just picture ourselves,
Just as we are,
Sitting across from us,
Watching,
And observing,
Placing your hand on your heart,
And a gentle smile on your face,
Say in your mind,
To this version of yourself,
Sitting across from you,
You are so much stronger,
Than you think you are,
You are so much stronger,
Than you think you are,
Before we come out of this beautiful space,
Of safety,
And relaxation,
We'll do one deep belly breath,
At our own pace,
To fully soak in the calmness,
Of this moment,
When you're ready,
Just a deep inhale in,
And a long,
Deep exhale out,
Wiggle the fingers,
And toes,
Give ourselves a nice shoulder roll,
And gently,
Open your eyes,
Thank you again,
For joining me today,
For taking care of your health,
And well being,
You're so strong warrior,
Don't ever forget it,
Go on now,
You've got this.
