Hello and welcome.
This is a practice designed to help you be present with pain,
So you can find relief,
Build resilience,
And potentially discover a renewed relationship with discomfort in your life.
I invite you to find a comfortable position for your body.
See if you can listen to what your body needs in this moment.
Does it need to be lying down,
Sitting in a chair,
Perhaps even walking or stretching?
Take a few deep breaths here and allow your body to do what feels best,
Knowing you can always find a different position of movement or stillness at any time during this practice.
When you feel settled into what you've chosen,
See if you can bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the sensation of air moving in and out of your body.
Release the need to control your breath,
Just observing it and allowing it to flow naturally.
I invite you to gently shift your focus to the area of your body where you're experiencing pain or discomfort.
As you do,
See if you can approach the pain with curiosity,
As if you're encountering it for the first time.
Notice the qualities of the pain.
Is it sharp or dull?
Constant or pulsing?
Hot or cold?
See if you can observe these sensations without judgment,
Allowing them to be present.
As you notice the pain,
Can you bring your attention to your whole body,
Noticing the places where you are tense and contracted,
Resisting the discomfort?
As you continue to breathe,
Imagine that each inhale brings relief to the painful area.
With each exhale,
See if you can release any tension,
Allowing your body to relax and settle,
Becoming heavier on the ground beneath you.
If you notice your mind wandering or getting caught up in thoughts about the pain,
Gently redirect your attention back to your breath.
Breathing in,
Imagine relief flooding to the painful area.
Breathing out,
Release the tension in your body where it feels tight and contracted.
Remember,
You're not trying to change or eliminate the pain,
Just to be with it as it is.
Let's try something new.
Silently repeat to yourself,
I acknowledge this pain,
And I allow it to be present without resistance.
Continue observing the sensations in your body.
Notice if there are any changes in the pain's intensity or quality as you maintain this open,
Accepting awareness.
If you find yourself wanting to push the pain away,
See if you can soften that urge.
Instead,
See if you can cultivate an attitude of friendliness towards your experience,
However challenging that may be.
Bring to mind the phrase,
This,
Too,
Is part of my experience.
Allow this thought to remind you that pain,
Like all sensations,
Is a visitor in your life.
At times,
A temporary tourist.
And at others,
A more permanent resident.
Instead of treating it as an unwelcome intruder,
Can you allow your pain to be here?
To invite it in as a guest in your experience.
As with all visitors,
They can show us something about ourselves.
If we find ways to allow them in,
They can even sometimes become a mentor,
A teacher,
Even a friend.
If this feels possible,
See if you can ask the pain what it's trying to show you,
Teach you,
Tell you,
How it might be trying to care for you,
Or what it might be trying to protect you from.
This may not feel possible for you right now,
And I invite you to honor that feeling.
Instead,
Consider if you can at least invite your pain to rest here for a little while.
To take some time off of what it is trying to show you,
Teach you,
Tell you,
And protect you from.
Can you invite it to simply be here with you?
When you're ready,
See if you can notice the pain in your body in this moment.
Notice the qualities and intensity of the pain.
See if you can observe without judging whether it is good or bad,
Better or worse.
Just notice if the sensations have changed.
Observing what is.
I invite you to take a deep breath in and sigh it out.
Do that again if it feels good to you,
And slowly begin to broaden your awareness to include your whole body and the space around you.
Notice any sounds in your environment and the feeling of the air on your skin.
As we take a few more deep breaths here,
Know that whatever your approach to pain,
Whether you choose to avoid,
Numb,
And resist,
Or to acknowledge,
Allow,
And accept,
It takes courage to live with discomfort.
I'd like to recognize your bravery in allowing your brain and body to be present with pain today,
For being willing to try new paths to find relief and new ways to build resilience.
My hope is that this practice will serve you as you navigate your relationship with pain,
Perhaps finding renewal in your life as you allow yourself to consider releasing resistance to your pain more regularly,
And instead discover new ways of being with it as a part of your experience.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide on the side today for this meditation.
I invite you to take one more deep breath here.
Sigh it out if it feels good to you.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes and return to the room.
As you begin to move forward toward whatever is next in your day,
Know that this practice is here for you anytime you need it.
Take good care,
And bye for now.
