Easing Pain Intensity (Live Recording)

It has been reported on scientific papers that meditation can help ease and an average of 40% of pain intensity. The direct correlation of pain and stress is known to increase pain way beyond its original intensity. Meditation comes two-fold - 1. it helps break the cycle pain/stress 2. visualization is a proven technique to help people dim down pain intensity mindfully. I hope you enjoy this meditation.

Transcript

So I hope you can hear me well.

Thank you for joining me.

It's great to meditate in community.

It's great to have you girls with me tonight.

The meditation that I chose to work with in regards to breath,

Body connection,

And also bringing some applications of meditation,

As I'll try to do every week is bring you something new,

Is it has to do with pain management.

I must start with a disclaimer that in regards to chronic pain,

I fully advocate that meditation should be worked alongside with a clinical treatment.

Okay,

Physiotherapy,

Clinic,

Or whatever,

In case of chronic pain.

In case of minor pain and physical discomfort,

I think that this practice might be helpful.

There are scientific studies correlating pain and stress.

The correlation between pain and stress can increase the intensity of pain by an X factor.

Sometimes 15 times,

20 times.

What I mean is that when you feel pain,

You get stressed immediately.

You want the pain to go away.

It increases the intensity of pain,

And then you get more stressed,

And go,

And so go.

What meditation does to you is it interrupts the cycle of pain and stress.

Because there is no more stress,

The intensity of pain becomes a real intensity.

With practice,

You can reduce,

It is said that meditation can reduce at an average 40% of the pain intensity.

Enough of theory.

What time is it?

748.

We're going up until 815.

Let's do this.

Let's do this and see how it goes.

Let's start by finding yourself a comfortable position.

You can be seated on the floor,

On a couch,

On a chair.

Anyplace you might feel yourself comfortable.

You might find yourself comfortable.

Now we'll start with bringing our awareness to the present moment.

By being aware of sitting posture,

A straight spine,

Open chest.

You know,

Your sitting bones touching the floor or the chair.

Just bring your awareness to how you are right now seated.

You can close your eyes or leave them open.

It's up to you.

Whatever makes you feel more comfortable.

Notice your hands on your lap or touching your knees,

Your legs.

Just imagine as if you were looking from afar,

Looking at yourself seated.

How would it be?

Now let's expand our field of awareness towards the whole body by doing a body scan.

Starting at the top of your head.

What are the sensations that you feel when you do,

When you pay attention to the top of your head?

The back of your head,

Your face.

What are the sensations on your face?

Muscle tension.

Just relax.

Just let go.

Your forehead,

Your eyebrows,

Your eyes,

Your cheekbones,

Ears,

Jaw,

Mouth.

Any sensations pleasant or unpleasant.

Just acknowledge.

We're not engaging with them.

Just acknowledging.

Your neck,

Shoulders,

The back,

Upper muscle,

The lower back.

Try not to move or adjust yourself in case of any discomfort.

Your chest,

Your belly,

Your arms,

Hands,

Fingers.

Any sensations?

Maybe just a little tingling sensation on your hands or warmth of the hands.

Or the cold air touching your arms.

If by any time you notice that you have tightening your muscle,

Like I usually tighten my jaw or my forehead,

I immediately soften them.

Just drop it.

Bring attention to your hips.

If any discomfort,

Just let it be.

Don't try to move.

Don't try to rearrange yourself on your cushion.

Just let it be.

It will go away.

Your legs,

Feet,

Toes,

Sensations.

Anything noticeable?

As you do this,

Your mind might try to distract you.

Thoughts,

Memories,

Anxiety,

Anything.

Just don't engage with it.

Just don't pay attention to it.

Return to your sensations.

Let's just stay here and if you want to,

You can do another body scan.

Just to relax those muscles that have a will of their own.

This way we are present and aware of our body sensations.

Breathing softly and gently through your nose.

Bring awareness to your breathing,

The sensations of the breath in your body.

As you breathe through your nose,

You inhale softly and gently.

And exhale softly and gently as well.

Almost effortless,

Just enough breathing.

Although there are many things happening outside,

You know,

Noises,

Smells.

Your field of awareness,

Everything is in your field of awareness and you have just included more information by scanning your body.

And now with your attention rested on the sensation of the breath in your body.

It could be anything from the tingling sensation on the tip of your nose as the air touches it.

Or the sensation of the air on the back of your throat.

Or it can be even the sensation of your body rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.

You can bring your attention to that and notice the expansion of your skin or of your muscles and how they expand and collapse.

And just pick and choose whichever is more comfortable,

Easier for you to pay attention to.

Try to have your body relaxed from the top of your head down to the toes.

As you keep your back straight or chest open.

You might notice tingling sensations,

Warmth around your body.

As you do acknowledge it and return to the sensation of the air,

Of the breath in your body.

If you notice any tension of your mind trying to distract you,

Just let it be and return to your breathing.

Soft and gentle inhalation through your nose and a soft and gentle exhalation through your nose.

Just let the air go.

Softly and gently.

A shallow inhalation.

You might be feeling your body heavier,

Warm.

As your mind starts to calm down,

Settle,

The breath connects them both into a single harmonious frequency.

With that your field of awareness becomes one.

One with your breath,

One with your mind,

One with your body.

Still with your attention on the sensation of the breath.

Allow yourself to disconnect from worries,

From the world.

Just give you the pleasure and the joy to be here in this moment.

Try not to move or to adjust yourself.

If you notice any discomfort,

Your knees,

Hips,

Anything,

Just softly and gently take your attention to that point.

And notice how it fluctuates.

It's not constant.

There are peaks and valleys and eventually it goes away.

As you breathe softly and gently,

There's no need to change your breath.

It might return,

It will.

Eventually the pain,

The discomfort.

But that's okay.

What matters is that it goes away.

And you notice that.

So the more you pay attention to the valley or to this gap between waves of discomfort,

The less you will feel the discomfort at all.

Don't reject it,

Just welcome it.

Discomfort and pain is like an annoying guest.

If you reject it,

If you expel it,

It will return angrier and more annoying.

Notice the pulse.

If you're not feeling any discomfort at all,

Which is okay,

I hear you.

Just bring your attention to any sensation,

Which can be the warmth of your hands or on your face.

Or even the sensation of the breath,

You can return to that and notice how it starts,

Becomes intense and less intense.

There's a cycle to it.

Don't reject,

Welcome,

Acknowledge it.

Oh,

I feel pain.

That's okay.

Welcome it.

By welcoming,

I mean,

Be curious about it,

Explore it and watch it go away.

My coming waves,

My coming ones.

It's like looking at it with a magnifying glass.

Very detailed exploration.

Sometimes we finish an exercise and we feel a certain pain on our back or,

You know,

It's noticeable and it really,

There's no way we can manage that.

So my suggestion to you is take a couple of breaths,

Sit down,

Do the breathing exercise.

And with your mind,

Look at the place of the pain and imagine a ball of light as if it were your pain.

Bring the image of a ball of light into your mind's eye and the more intense the pain,

The brighter the ball.

Stay with the ball for a while,

Breathing with the ball in your mind.

And after a while,

Imagine dimming the ball,

The intensity of the ball,

The light.

Keep dimming,

Keep dimming.

It might help you.

That's one of the techniques we use in the physiotherapy to help dealing with the pain.

Keep breathing softly and gently.

And then you can just sit still with your attention either on the body discomfort or on your breath,

Exploring sensations,

With your mind's eye.

And notice how just like everything,

Thoughts,

Sensations also go away.

A soft and gentle inhalation and a soft and gentle exhalation.

This is one of the exercises I use when I do long sittings,

Like one hour,

Two hours sitting.

Now slowly and gently invite your attention back to the breathing.

If you're there,

Just stay there and relax yourself into the awareness of your breath.

Let's do a little cleansing.

As you inhale,

Just bring into yourself good things,

Good memories,

Sensations,

Feelings of happiness,

Joy,

Images of your beloved ones,

Family,

Friends.

And as you exhale,

Let go,

Rage,

Stress,

Pain,

Every negative emotion,

Just let go.

Inhale good,

Exhale bad.

Good memories,

Smells,

Sounds,

Images,

Moments.

Exhale suffering,

Pain.

Just fill your heart with good things,

Good memories,

Good feelings,

Sensations,

Feelings of compassion and loving.

Images of joy,

The sensations of joy.

And as you exhale,

Just throw away everything you don't need.

Embrace yourself in your breathing.

Now gently and slowly straighten your spine.

Take a deep inhalation.

Open your chest,

Exhale through your mouth,

Let the air go.

Once again,

Inhale and exhale.

Gently and slowly open your eyes,

Getting used to the light,

The colors,

The environment around you.

And stay here,

Stay here for a while,

Enjoy this moment.

Thank you,

Thank you so much for meditating with me.

As I said,

It's always great to see you,

Julia,

Good to see you.

Melissa and Tracy also,

I hope I'll see you again.

I have classes Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.

45.

Tuesdays is more of a relaxation and emotional resilience.

We do talk a lot about love and compassion and how to cultivate that towards ourselves and others.

Thursdays I try to be more mindful,

Mindful exercises towards the body and our lives.

Welcome to both classes.

Thank you.

Have a great weekend,

A great rest of the week.

And as I said,

I hope I'll see you again.

Bye.

Okay.

Okay.

Reviews

Nice soft voice with good pacing. I am a chronic pain patient with a pain management specialist who fully supports my alternative and assistive pain management practices such as meditation and medical massage therapy, accupressure, and aromatherapy among other things. I also had a rather painful foot surgery 2.5 days ago, so I figured this would be a good test of this practice.

It did not disappoint. ☺️

Well done, great visualizations and support, nice emphasis on how the pain will pass, and recognition and support of needing to take a break if the pain grows too intense in that particular moment. I made use of that latter suggestion, and was very grateful for it - that is not something I have come across in many of the other pain management practices I have tried here over the years. I've bookmarked and downloaded this for repeat use, it was simply that helpful.

Thank you so very much for sharing this practice with us here in the Insight Timer community. I see you and the light within you. Be well. 🤲🏻❤️🤲🏻