Let's take a few minutes to practice somatic tracking.
This is a great opportunity for our brain to get familiar with the idea that not all pain indicates injury.
That sometimes we have neuroplastic changes where our brain becomes increasingly sensitized and vigilant so that more and more sensations begin to trigger a feeling of pain.
Somatic tracking helps our brain relearn safety instead of hypervigilance and to relearn how to attach the correct emotion to the correct experience rather than intense emotion means pain or hypervigilance means pain or stress means pain.
So this is an opportunity to practice safety and our body.
This is a good thing.
So take a few moments and get comfortable.
Just breathe naturally and close your eyes and bring your attention to your body noticing the sensations that you feel and identify an area of discomfort that we'll practice with.
All we're doing is exploring the sensations in that area and you don't need to get rid of any of the feelings.
You don't need to change them.
Just observe.
Now how would you describe the quality of the sensation in that area?
Is it a tightness?
A tingling?
A warm feeling?
And as you notice this,
Remember there's nothing to fear here.
Neuroplastic pain is actually safe.
It's just your brain using old pathways.
It is overreacting to neutral safe signals from your body.
As you relax into noticing the sensation,
Can you find different words to describe it?
It might be a twinge.
It might be a tingling.
A buzzing.
A tightness.
How would you describe it?
And let's notice what's happening in the sensation as you rest your attention on it.
It may grow or get smaller.
It may intensify or subside.
It may spread out or contract.
Does the quality of the sensation change at all?
Remember whatever happens to the sensation is okay because it's safe.
Let it do whatever it's going to do.
We can notice it with curiosity,
Without judgment.
All you have to do is watch comfortably.
It's like you're scuba diving or snorkeling.
As you're floating there and see a school of beautiful fish,
You just rest in comfortably and watch them.
You're not trying to chase the fish or catch them.
You're just calmly,
Even with curiosity and interest,
Watching them.
It's like your body is the ocean and the sensations you're feeling are those beautiful fish.
All you have to do is observe.
Simply rest your attention on them.
You're just noticing.
You're just an observer.
These are completely safe sensations.
Your brain may misinterpret them as pain,
But they're safe.
And what do you notice happening in that part of your body?
Just remember making it go away is not our goal.
Whatever happens to the pain happens.
You're just watching and noticing with lightness and curiosity,
Without judgment.
This reminds your brain and body that you're safe.
Now take a final few seconds and enjoy that comfortable,
Easy feeling.
And just open your eyes when you're ready.
