Welcome to this meditation for easing menstrual pain.
In this practice,
We will bring warm,
Soothing attention to the lower belly and womb space.
Before we begin,
You might gather anything that could help your body feel more supported today.
A few extra pillows,
Maybe a blanket,
And if you have one,
A hot water bottle or a heating pad nearby.
These are completely optional,
Just simple ways to make yourself as comfortable as possible.
Once you have what you need,
Begin from a laying down position.
Choose whatever feels most supportive for your body today.
Take a little time to settle in.
You might rest on your back.
You might curl onto one side in a fetal position.
You might place a pillow or two under your knees to support your lower back.
If you have a hot water bottle or heating pad,
You might place it over your lower belly with a layer of clothing or a blanket between the warmth and your skin.
Or,
If you prefer,
Rest your hands there instead.
Take a moment to check in.
Feel the warmth at your lower belly.
Feel the gentle weight of your hands,
Your blanket,
Or the support around you.
Feel the surface beneath your body.
Now take a slow breath in.
And breathe out with an audible sigh.
Let's do that one more time.
Inhale… and sigh.
A longer,
Softer exhale can help invite the parasympathetic nervous system,
The part of the body that's connected to rest and relaxation,
To gently engage.
So we are not forcing the body to relax,
We are simply offering it a signal of safety.
Now breathe in for a count of four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And breathe out for a count of six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Again,
Breathe in four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And breathe out six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
4.
.
.
3.
.
.
2.
.
.
1.
.
.
As you breathe in,
Imagine your breath traveling all the way down to your womb space.
Soothing your insides.
Warming your lower belly.
Feel your belly rising gently without force.
And as you exhale,
Your breath softly leaves your body.
We are going to keep sending this warm,
Soothing breath to this space.
Not to force anything to change.
Not to push the pain away.
But to offer your body presence.
To offer your body care.
Now gently notice where the sensation is strongest.
You don't need to go into the very center of it.
You don't need to study it intensely.
Just notice.
Is it low in the belly?
Is it on one side?
The lower back.
Can you notice the edges of the sensation?
Can you notice where the pain is present?
And where there is also a little more space.
Now bring your attention back to the warmth at your lower belly.
The contact of your hands,
Your blanket.
The surface beneath your body.
The breath.
Moving in.
And the breath moving out.
The pain may be here,
But it's not the only thing here.
There is also warmth.
There is also breath.
There is also support beneath you.
Sometimes pain asks for all of our attention.
In this practice,
We are not ignoring the pain.
We are simply giving the mind more than one place to rest.
The warmth at your lower belly.
The rhythm of your breath.
The sound around you.
Let that pain be one part of the room.
Not the whole room.
If your hands are resting on your body and if it feels good,
I invite you to slowly move them to the places that feel most in need.
Maybe the center of your lower belly.
Maybe one side.
Maybe your hips.
Maybe your lower back.
Our experience of pain is a human experience.
And sometimes,
Instead of fighting it,
We can begin to soften around it.
Layer by layer.
Breath by breath.
Imagine now that at your lower belly.
A soft golden warmth begins to glow.
Like sunlight.
With every inhale,
This warmth grows a little stronger.
With every exhale,
It spreads a little wider.
Across the lower belly.
Into the womb space.
The hips.
Let it go exactly where your body is asking for care.
You might silently say.
I am here with my body.
I am listening.
I can soften.
I can rest.
Keep allowing your exhale to be a little longer than the inhale.
Breathing in for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Breathing out for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Breathing in 4,
3,
2,
1.
Breathing out 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Three,
Two,
One.
If counting no longer feels good.
Let the counting go.
Simply breathe in a way that feels nurturing,
A way that feels easy.
In a way that feels supportive.
If the pain is still very much present,
You have not failed.
If your body still feels uncomfortable,
You have not done anything wrong.
This practice is not asking your body to be different.
It is simply creating a little more space around what is here.
A little more tenderness.
A little more room to be held.
Take one final deep breath in.
And gently let it go.
Begin to return to this space.
Wiggle your toes,
Your fingers.
Maybe move your head gently from side to side.
And before you move on.
.
.
Offer yourself one small thank you.
For showing up in spite of pain.
And giving your body a little love.
