Welcome to this guided meditation for navigating physical pain.
Whatever pain you are experiencing,
This meditation is a space to shift away from resistance and towards acceptance,
Calm and ease.
Find a space where you can relax undisturbed so you can focus on cultivating a sense of safety and calm within.
Find a comfortable position for your body,
As comfortable as you can make it right now.
You might be seated or lying down,
Whatever feels best for you at this moment.
If you need a blanket or cushions or anything else to feel as comfortable as possible,
Take whatever you need.
Now gently close your eyes and take a few moments to let go of everything that happened before you closed your eyes.
Let go of everything that may or may not happen after your meditation practice,
So that your full focus is here and now.
With your eyes closed,
Allow your focus to turn to within your body.
Relax your forehead and your jaw.
Notice if you're holding any tension in your shoulders,
Your belly,
Your hips.
Any tension in your arms,
Your hands,
Your legs,
Your feet,
Any tension you notice,
Let it go.
Let it melt away so that in its place is ease.
And now bring your focus to your breath,
The movement of your breath in your body.
Don't try to fix it or adjust it.
Just tune into your breath as it is right now.
It might be deep or shallow.
It might even be difficult to detect.
No judgment,
Just tune in.
Now on your next inhale,
Take a slightly deeper breath in through your nose,
Feeling your lungs expand and then slowly exhale back out through your nose.
Invite in a few more deeper breaths like this in your own time,
Observing the gentle expansion as you inhale and the gentle contraction as you exhale.
No force,
Just smooth,
Even,
Nourishing breaths.
Now bring your attention to the part of your body where you're experiencing pain.
Hold your attention there gently.
You might notice tightness,
Throbbing,
Heat or tension.
See if you can observe whatever sensations you're experiencing without labeling them as good or bad,
Without resisting.
Or clenching.
Just notice these sensations as they are with a gentle curiosity as if you're examining them for the first time.
As you observe these sensations,
Keep breathing deeply,
Slowly.
Let each breath carry a sense of calm and ease into that part of your body.
Imagine your breath flowing directly to where you feel the sensation and allow your breath to soften the sensations.
You can even visualize the breath as an energy,
A warm,
Golden,
Soothing energy.
Gently surrounding,
Nurturing and calming that part of your body with every inhalation,
With every exhalation.
If you notice resistance,
Frustration or any difficult emotions arising,
Acknowledge these feelings without judgment.
It's natural to want to push pain away or to resist it.
See if you can allow these emotions to be here alongside the physical sensations and let them be like waves coming and going.
And now shift your focus to the other parts of your body that feel neutral or even comfortable.
Notice the sensations in those parts of your body.
Perhaps the feeling of your hands resting.
The ease in your relaxed forehead.
Or the relaxation you feel in your belly.
And with your breath,
Bring that same warm,
Calm energy,
That warm,
Golden,
Soothing light to these areas of your body too.
And let these sensations remind you that pain is just one part of your experience,
That there are other sensations happening in your body right now.
And now bring your focus back to your breath.
Steady,
Even,
Nurturing breath.
With each inhale,
As you gently expand,
You feel a sense of acceptance and compassion growing within you.
With each exhale,
Let go of any tightness or resistance in your body.
Release any urge to fight what's happening.
With every inhalation,
Feeling this acceptance and ease.
With every exhale,
Letting go of tightness or resisting.
Remind yourself that at this moment you are safe.
You are safe in this breath,
In this body,
In this life.
As you continue this even,
Deep breath,
Bring that warm,
Calm energy and light to your entire body.
All parts of your body,
Whether you're experiencing pain there or not.
Bathe your body in that warm,
Calm,
Soothing energy,
That golden light,
From the crown of your head down through your head,
Your face,
Through your neck,
Your shoulders,
Your chest,
Your arms,
Your hands.
Relaxing through the back of your body,
Through your belly,
Hips and pelvis,
Down through your legs and through to the soles of your feet.
Simply let your body bask in this calm,
Nourishing energy as you continue to breathe in and expand and out.
Smoothly,
Evenly,
No force,
Just flow.
Remind yourself again that you are safe to be in this moment.
You are safe in this breath,
In this body,
In this life.
Know that you can always return to this place of calm,
Which always resides within you.
And with your next inhale,
Slowly bring your awareness back to the space around you.
Take a deeper breath in through your nose,
Breathe all the way in,
And then open your mouth and let it all the way out.
Take a deeper breath in through your nose,
Breathe all the way in,
And then open your mouth and let it all the way out.
When you're ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Perhaps stretch a little.
And when it feels right,
You can open your eyes,
Bringing back with you the calm and ease and safety that you've cultivated during your meditation.
Thank yourself for taking the time for your practice.
Thank your body,
Your breath,
For serving you so well.
Namaste.
