This is releasing suffering,
A gentle practice to meet pain with presence.
Take a moment to get comfortable,
Letting your body settle into the support beneath you.
Gently,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
I want to begin with a simple truth.
Pain is part of being human,
Whether it is physical or emotional,
But suffering,
Suffering is different.
Suffering is what happens when we add stories,
Histories,
And judgments to our pain.
The mind says,
This always happens to me,
Or I will never be okay.
That's where pain becomes heavier.
That's when we get stuck.
So today,
We will practice meeting pain directly,
Without the extra layers.
And in doing so,
We open the door to a different relationship with what's here.
Begin by noticing your breath.
Inhale slowly to the nose,
And exhale gently to the mouth.
Let's do that a few times together.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Again,
Inhale,
Exhale.
Feel your shoulders drop a little more with each breath.
Now,
Notice the support beneath you,
The chair,
The floor,
The cushion.
Let your body know,
It doesn't need to hold everything by itself right now.
You are supported.
You are safe in this moment.
Now,
Bring your attention to a place where you might feel some pain or heaviness.
Choose something manageable,
Something you feel resourced enough to be with.
It might be in your body,
Or in your heart.
There is no need to go searching,
Just notice with what's present.
If it feels right,
Rest one hand on that area,
And rest your other hand gently over your heart.
Take a breath in both hands,
And exhale softly.
Almost like you are sending kindness to these places through your own touch.
We are not here to fix or push anything away.
Just to see it with what's real,
With compassion.
Now,
Notice how this pain actually feels in your body right now.
Is it tight?
Warm?
Heavy?
Moving?
Or still?
Stay curious.
And now notice if the mind begins to add story,
Memories,
Judgments,
Fears.
Gently recognize them.
And with your exhale,
Allow them to drift,
Like smoke leaving the body on its own.
Keep coming back to the raw sensation.
Let yourself feel,
Without needing to label or explain.
If emotions arise,
Sadness,
Anger,
Tears,
Welcome them.
There are waves moving through you,
Not who you are.
And as your hands rest on your heart,
Remember,
You are more than this pain.
You are held in something larger,
Something steady and kind.
Now imagine your breath flowing into the place of pain.
Inhale gently into that space.
And as you exhale,
Release the resistance.
You don't have to release the pain itself,
Only the struggle around it.
You might also picture a warm light from your heart flowing into this area.
A soft golden light,
Softening the edges of the struggle.
Every exhale looses the grip.
If you feel supportive,
Let a gentle sigh or hum come with your breath.
Let sound carry away what no longer needs to be held.
Slowly,
Bring both hands together over your heart.
Feel your own warmth.
Feel your own presence.
Take a moment of gratitude.
Gratitude for your body for carrying you through life.
Gratitude for your heart for its wisdom and resilience.
Gratitude for yourself for showing up here.
Now notice how the pain feels.
Maybe lighter,
Maybe simply more accepted.
That acceptance itself is a release.
If anything feels unfinished,
That's ok.
You can return to this practice anytime.
Take one last deep inhale.
And a long grounding exhale.
To close,
Let's seal this practice with a simple mantra.
Quietly inside or out loud.
I feel.
I release.
I release.
I return to love.
Take a few moments of silence,
Just being.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
And return to your day.
Carrying this softness,
This presence with you.
