This meditation is a body scan focused on people who struggle with chronic pain.
By visualizing each body part,
You will bring awareness to where your pain is and assist in releasing the structures around this pain through breath and acceptance of the pain.
By bringing awareness to specific areas of your body and taking the time to breathe into these areas,
It can result in a better connection in your mind to release some of the tension that may be attributed to the idea of always being in pain.
Bringing attention to the pain in an accepting loving way and learning to trust that your body will always protect you.
This can help in removing the negative way of thinking about your pain and create some ease towards the pain.
Our mind can cause more pain because we are always in protective mode,
Which may cause a block between our mind and body connection.
Notice how you're feeling right now in this moment.
Then when we are done,
Take note if anything has changed.
Begin by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position.
This may look different for everyone due to what your chronic pain might be.
Sit or lie down in the most comfortable position for you.
Take a minute here to get your pillows or adjust what you need to be as comfortable as you can.
Pause this video if you need more time.
Take a deep breath in and out.
And if you are able,
Bring some gentle movements to your fingers and toes.
Gently rock side to side.
And if you are not able to do this,
Just visualize this in your mind.
Feel your body beginning to sink into the surface below you and feel this surface supporting you.
You are safe and secure.
Take a few natural breaths and start to notice what your breathing feels like.
Just observe.
Take a deep breath in,
Filling up your belly,
And breathe out,
Deflating your belly.
Do a couple more on your own.
As we continue into this body scan,
This will all be done with imagery,
Scanning,
And visualization.
Take another deep breath in and out.
Now bring your breath to your natural rhythm.
In your mind's eye,
Bring your awareness to your toes.
Feel any sensations around your toes.
Notice the air touching your skin,
Or the pressure of your heels touching the ground.
Slowly begin to move up to the top and the soles of your feet.
Feel any sensations such as tingling,
Humming,
Or any vibrations.
Feel the temperature on your skin slowly come up to the back and front of your lower legs.
Breathing in to any areas of tension.
Move up to your knees.
Notice if the muscles around your knees feel any tension.
And if they do,
Take a deep breath in and visualize it letting go as you breathe out.
Move up to your lower and upper thighs.
Spend a minute here just breathing in to your lower and upper thighs.
Now move up all around your hips.
Feel the weight of your hips on the ground under you.
Spend a minute breathing in to this area.
Now bring your awareness up to your stomach.
Let go of any tension around your belly and around your waist.
We carry a lot of tension in our bellies.
Breathe in and out,
Directing your breath to the areas of tension and feeling it release as you breathe out.
Scan your mind's eye up to your lower ribs and all the way through your rib cage to your upper chest.
Spend a minute breathing here.
Move up over your shoulders and down both arms over your biceps,
Your triceps,
And your forearms.
Move mindfully and with intention all the way down to your hands and your fingertips.
Feel any sensations in your hands and fingers.
Let all the muscles in your hands and fingers melt.
Slowly move back up your arms all the way back over your shoulders.
Bring your mind's eye up through your neck,
Over your throat,
To your chin and jaw.
If you feel any tension around your jaw and mouth,
Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out,
Let it go.
Relax your tongue in the back of your mouth.
Move over your nose,
Cheeks,
Your eyes,
And forehead.
Let all of those muscles relax.
Feel the muscles in your ears,
Letting them go.
Move up to the top of your head,
All the way around your head to the back of your head.
All those little muscles at the base of your skull and finally all the muscles in the back of your neck.
Stay here for a minute visualizing all the tension releasing.
Lastly,
Come back to your shoulders slowly,
Moving around your upper shoulders,
Coming down to your mid back and to your lower back and into that upper hip area.
Spend some time here breathing in and out towards the tension and releasing.
We will leave you now for about five minutes to slowly scan all the way back down through your whole body until you reach your toes again.
You have now completed your body scan,
Bringing awareness to all areas of tension in your muscles.
Studies have found that acceptance and awareness of chronic pain is associated with experiencing less pain.
Take a minute and breathe into those areas when your pain increases.
Feel free to reuse this body scan anytime you need to.
Also,
Take your time on your journey.
Having chronic pain,
We can go through a grieving process and may take some time to get acceptance and that's okay.
Do this on your time and ask for help when you need it.
And remember this is a tool to add to your toolbox to give some relief,
Not to be replaced with anything that you're doing already for your pain.
Slowly start to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Move your head back and forth,
Gently rock your hips back and forth.
If any of these movements cause you pain,
Just visualize it.
Take another deep inhale and exhale slowly.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
How do you feel now?
There is no right or wrong answer.
If the pain itself hasn't changed,
How does your mind feel?
How does your head feel?
Do you feel calmer,
More relaxed?
Try to allow yourself time every day to bring awareness and love to yourself and to your pain.
Treat yourself with the same love that you would treat someone that you love deeply.
Because you deserve it.
Thank you for joining me and I hope to see you next time.
Much Love.
