Welcome to this somatic practice,
Which I dedicate to people in chronic pain.
When we live with persistent pain,
It's so easy to become completely preoccupied with it.
Our pain is the first thing on our minds each morning,
And the last thing at night.
We follow the pain's every move with intense and fearful scrutiny,
And we try so very hard to fix it.
All of which reinforces danger to the primitive brain,
Keeping the nervous system in a stress response and laying the ground for pain to flourish.
And as we laser in on our pain,
We often tune out other sensations in the body,
The pleasant ones,
The neutral ones,
The very sensations that can cue safety to the primitive brain,
That can calm the nervous system and interrupt the vicious cycle of fear and pain.
And so in this meditation,
I invite you to mindfully reconnect with your body and with positive sensations,
To truly notice them,
To dwell on them,
To let them land in your nervous system and support your healing.
So let's go ahead and get started.
I invite you to find a comfortable position for meditating,
Sitting or lying in a way that respects how your body feels today and allows you to feel alert and yet relaxed for your practice.
And if you haven't already,
Go ahead and close down your eyes,
Or you can lower and soften your gaze.
Settle into your space.
Quieten.
Soften.
And connect with your breath as it naturally flows.
Breathing in through your nose and out through your nose.
Following the breath all the way into the body and all the way out.
Watching it arrive and pass like waves at the beach.
And exploring how the breath feels.
Flowing at the nostrils,
In the rise and the fall of the chest and of the belly.
And as we settle into our bodies,
First just acknowledging any unpleasant sensations that might be visiting right now.
Bringing gentle,
Non-judgmental awareness to these areas.
And bathing them in your compassion.
Allowing you to breathe.
And on each out breath,
Think about softening around the sensations.
And just allowing them to be.
To unfold.
Reassuring yourself that all sensations,
Like visitors,
Will pass on in time.
Also just noting any thoughts arising.
Perhaps some fearful thoughts or worries about sensations.
And meeting them with compassion.
But knowing you don't need to believe them.
Reminding yourself that chronic pain is so often a learnt response and it can be unlearned.
So gently setting aside any concerns and rerouting your attention back to the breath and the body and to other sensations.
First by noting all the places where your body meets surfaces below.
Really feeling into these points of connection.
Perhaps enjoying the soft carpet below your feet.
The support of the chair or bed against your back.
Maybe the pillow below your head.
Feeling the weight of the body as it rests here.
And how the ground supports you.
Holds you.
Offers a sense of safety,
Comfort and connection.
Next noticing any places where two body parts touch.
Perhaps your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
Or where your lips meet.
Or maybe it's your hands in your lap.
Leaning into the sensations of touch and contact.
And now further activating your felt sense by gently rubbing together two parts of the body.
Perhaps gently stroking one hand with the other.
Or rubbing together the sides of your feet.
You might gently stroke down your arms.
Or touch a soft blanket or cushion nearby.
Dwelling on the sensations of touch.
Really letting the sensations land.
And now just scanning the body for any other sensations that feel nice or neutral.
It might be the warm sunlight on your arm.
A cool breeze across your face.
Maybe there's some tingles in your toes or your fingers.
Bringing all your awareness to these sensations.
Truly noticing them.
Feeling them deeply.
We know that sensation exists in every inch of the body.
Some unpleasant but many neutral and pleasant.
All living side by side.
And so now just scanning the body for another spot.
However small that feels good or just fine.
And absorbing your mind there.
Soaking up the sensations.
And now gently releasing your focus on your felt sense to connect with your other senses.
And your environment.
Becoming aware of any taste in the mouth.
Any aromas in the air.
And sounds in your space.
And lingering on anything you find pleasing.
Perhaps it's the taste of mint in your mouth.
The scent of your cologne.
Or distant birdsong.
Leaning into this experience.
Just turning to our visual sense.
By bringing to mind a person.
A place.
Or an object that you particularly enjoy.
Perhaps it's the face of a loved one.
Your favorite beach at sunrise.
Or a gift you treasure.
Picturing this image in your mind's eye.
Visualizing all the details in which you delight.
The colors.
The lines.
The different elements.
And ask yourself how they make you feel.
What they signal in your body.
Perhaps it's comfort.
Ease.
Joy.
Love.
Feeling this deeply in your body.
And now gently letting go of this visualization.
And reconnecting with the breath.
Keeping the inhale.
And the exhale.
Feeling the breath flow all the way into the body.
And all the way out.
Resting here for a few more moments.
In deep awareness of the body breathing.
Rising and falling.
Expanding and contracting.
Perhaps even feeling a sense of gratitude for the breath.
And how it supports you.
Now coming back to your day.
By inviting back movement into the body.
Perhaps wiggling fingers and toes.
Rolling back your shoulders.
And stretching out in any way that feels good.
And when you are ready.
Open your eyes.
Thank you for your practice today.
Supporting your nervous system to shift away from fear and danger.
And towards safety,
Ease and connection.
As you go forward into your day.
I invite you to linger on small pleasures.
Whether it be the scent and taste of your coffee.
Or a beautiful view from your window.
The more you practice orienting towards positive sensations.
The more natural it will feel.
Over time with repetition and reinforcement.
This healthy habit can help rewire the neural pathways of the brain.
Supporting you to reduce and resolve chronic pain.
