Welcome to this tinnitus habituation practice.
Habituation is a process that occurs in our senses.
It is the reason why we do not focus on the sound of a fan in a room,
Nor the weight of eyeglasses on our face.
Following the same logic,
Practicing tinnitus habituation over time can reduce the emotional reaction that we have to the sound.
If you are new to tinnitus,
I would like to reassure you that no matter what,
There is hope for you to get better.
So let's begin.
Just make yourself comfortable.
Sit tall but feel relaxed.
And when you're ready,
Take a deep breath through your nose and exhale while gently closing your eyes.
Continue to breathe deeply here.
Bring your focus inwards and start noticing any changes in your body.
As you breathe,
Try and release any tension that you might be holding in your body or in your mind.
Let go of it naturally with every exhale.
Take a deep breath in and release everything out.
And just take a couple more deep breaths on your own.
Come back to the natural rhythm of your breath and take a moment to set your intention to habituate to that sound and finally make peace with it.
So let's get started.
We're going to use the power of your mind to create a more positive association with your tinnitus.
Start to think of something that brings you a sense of joy or a sense of love.
It could be a feeling that you can connect to or maybe a specific moment in your life.
I sometimes like to imagine myself as a fetus floating peacefully in warm water.
Think about the expansive and infinite love that you have within.
Do you have a picture?
When you have something in mind,
Begin to build a vivid picture of where you are in this moment.
Use your senses to notice the details.
What can you see around you?
What can you hear around you?
What are you feeling in this moment?
Is there a sense of relief or joy or maybe love?
Whatever you're feeling,
Place a hand on your heart and double that feeling.
This vision and this feeling are your anchor for this practice.
Now start smiling,
Connect your anchor and bring some awareness to your tinnitus.
Start focusing on the sound while breathing.
Observe your thoughts and maybe your reaction.
From this point onwards,
We're going to change our reaction to tinnitus by swapping the feelings that are associated with it.
With every inhale,
We're going to focus on our tinnitus and with every exhale,
We're going to focus on our anchor feeling and drop into relaxation.
Go ahead,
Inhale and exhale,
Drop into relaxation.
Stay focused on your vision and the feelings of joy and love that you were anchoring to.
Go ahead and give it another try.
Take another deep breath,
Focus on your tinnitus and exhale.
Focus on your anchor of joy.
Feel the love permeating through every cell in your body.
Take a few more moments here to connect with these feelings and this powerful version of you.
Inhale and exhale,
Drop into relaxation.
Keep going.
And have a sense of knowing that you have all it takes to overcome your tinnitus.
Stay anchored to your powerful feeling and remember to smile throughout the practice.
Go ahead and take another deep breath,
Focus on the tinnitus,
Exhale and drop into relaxation.
Just take a couple more deep breaths on your own.
Keep breathing.
Keep your hand on your heart if it helps.
You are not alone.
We are all in this together.
Allow yourself to know that you already have within whatever it takes to overcome the tinnitus.
Take a deep breath and exhale,
Drop into relaxation.
This is a sound that is naturally present within your body.
Keep breathing.
How can you express more love to yourself right now?
How powerful are your feelings?
Go ahead and take another deep breath,
Focus on the tinnitus,
Exhale and drop into relaxation.
You are not alone.
Remember that we are all in this together.
Keep going.
Keep smiling and anchoring to that powerful feeling.
This continuous sound is not life-threatening at all.
In fact,
It is a sound that you were born with.
Keep breathing.
This is a sound that you listen to when you are still a fetus in one of the safest places on earth.
Can you hear it underwater?
Let's gently bring our awareness back to the physical body now.
Bring your awareness back to the room and gently open your eyes.
How do you feel right now?
By using this technique over time,
You are training your brain to accept the sound of tinnitus through positive association.
This will draw new pathways in the brain and your reaction to tinnitus will eventually change.
Be patient,
Have faith and trust that you will get better.
Good luck and see you tomorrow.
