Welcome.
This meditation is for you if you experience chronic pain and are looking for a gentle way to feel more resourced,
Calm and supported in the body.
Your pain is real and it's the body's way of sending a danger signal,
An internal alarm system designed to keep you safe.
And while this alarm system is meant to protect you,
Sometimes it makes mistakes and the alarm bells in the brain go off in the form of pain,
Even when there's no immediate danger.
This meditation is an opportunity to help you develop a sense of safety in the nervous system,
Which can often help reduce the intensity of these pain signals.
As we begin to move into this meditation,
Practice in whatever way feels right for you.
Eyes opened or closed.
Inviting gentle movement in the body if it's asking for that.
Pausing at any point if that feels right.
Do whatever serves you in the moment.
So beginning by finding a comfortable position,
Whether that's sitting,
Standing,
Lying down or in motion.
You might notice the points of contact between the body and the surface beneath you.
You might notice the feet on the ground,
Or the back resting on the chair or bed or surface.
You might bring your attention to the breath,
Noticing the natural rhythm of your breathing.
If the breath is comfortable,
You might continue to notice the breath.
The rise and fall of the chest and belly as you breathe in,
And the falling of the chest and belly as you breathe out.
And if it feels comfortable,
Inviting the breath to come into a more gentle rhythm.
I'm starting by taking a deep breath in through the nose,
With a longer extended out breath through the mouth.
Nothing forced.
This deep breath in,
And a longer exhale through the mouth as you breathe out.
By breathing in deeply through the nose,
And extending the out breath a little longer as you exhale.
You invite your breathing pattern into a deeper,
Slower,
More quiet and regular rhythm.
And this helps to signal safety to the nervous system,
So it can more comfortably move into a down-regulated and calm state.
And in a more relaxed state,
The body and mind are invited to soften.
And the alarm bells are invited to soften.
And when you're ready,
The invitation is to bring your awareness through the body,
Through each area gently with curiosity and kindness towards yourself,
Without creating a story or trying to change anything.
So,
Beginning by bringing your awareness to the soles of the feet.
Noticing what's there.
Shifting your awareness up through the ankles,
Shins and calves.
Again,
Noticing any sensations without needing to change them.
Shifting your attention to the thighs,
Hips.
You might notice how they're supported.
And bringing your awareness to the pelvis and lower back.
Again,
Allowing curiosity to rest on whatever is present.
Continuing your attention up through the mid-back and upper back.
Gently sweeping your awareness around to the front of the body,
To the belly,
And ribcage,
And chest.
You might pause to notice the natural movement of the breath and any sensations that are present.
And bringing awareness to the shoulders,
Down the upper arms,
To the elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
And through the hands to the ends of the fingers.
Back up from the tips of your fingers,
Through the arms,
Into the shoulders.
Bringing your awareness to the jaw,
The face,
And to the top of the head.
Again,
Noticing any sensations with curiosity,
Without creating a story or trying to change anything.
If sensations of discomfort arise,
Noticing them as sensations.
As best you can without following the stories that your mind may tell.
Often these stories are shaped by fear or past experiences.
In this practice,
We simply notice thoughts as thoughts and sensations as sensations.
Allowing them to be present without judgment.
Continuing to rest your attention on the breath and the body.
You might notice small areas of warmth,
Softness,
Or support.
You may also notice areas of continued tension or discomfort.
Whatever arises,
Simply bringing awareness without creating a story around it.
And returning your attention to the breath and the body whenever your mind drifts.
Allowing curiosity and gentle attention to guide you.
It's often the meaning we attach to a sensation or the story we create around it that leads the brain to interpret it as danger and in response amplify the pain signal.
Each time you come back to the present moment and notice sensation without the story,
You help the brain respond with more safety and less alarm.
Which often means less pain.
As we begin to move out of this practice,
You're invited to take a few more deep,
Slow,
And intentional breaths in and out.
Breathing in through the nose,
With a long extended out breath through the mouth.
Deep breath in.
Long breath out.
Breath out.
Allowing your breath to come back to its natural rhythm and pace.
You might notice your feet on the ground.
You might wiggle your toes or rub your hands together.
You might orient your attention to the space around you in whatever way feels accessible.
Taking in the sounds.
Taking in colors,
Shapes,
And your surroundings.
And as this practice completes,
May you have compassion for yourself.
May you have curiosity for your experience.
And may you have gratitude for taking the time to support your nervous system and your well-being.
With continued practice,
This way of meeting sensation with safety and presence and less story can help the brain and body relate to pain with less fear and often less intensity over time.
Thank you for your practice.
You
