This is a guided somatic sensing practice for letting go of chronic pain.
Before the practice,
I'm going to speak a bit about the practice itself and how it's useful in letting go of chronic pain.
Somatic sensing is the practice of objectively observing sensations in the body.
The practice in of itself is not intended to heal.
The intention of the practice is to create safety in the body.
Our intention in practicing somatic sensing will make all the difference in the success of the practice allowing us to let go of chronic pain.
First we have to understand the neurobiology of pain.
Pain is here for our protection.
Pain itself is not harmful.
Pain signals to us that something is potentially wrong.
Chronic pain cycles can happen when the brain is miscommunicating with our bodies.
Miscommunication between the brain and body happens when fear is present.
As fear signals to the brain that we are in need of protection.
When we initially injure ourselves,
Tissue signal to the brain that there is damage and the brain sends signals of pain for our protection so that we don't engage in activities that would cause further injury.
After the body heals,
The tissues send messages to the brain that we are now safe and the brain stops sending pain signals.
In chronic pain cycles,
The body has healed,
The tissues are now sending messages of safety,
But the brain is misinterpreting them as signals of danger and continues to send signals of pain for our protection.
Somatic sensing is a way to create safety in the body.
The practice allows us to let go of the fear around our pain and ultimately helps the brain interpret messages of safety correctly,
Turning off unnecessary pain signals.
Since the goal is to create safety in the body,
Our attitude and intention are very important.
We need to bring a lighthearted,
Playful,
Non-judgmental attitude to observing strong sensations in the body.
This is important because when we are lighthearted and playful,
We feel safe.
Using this attitude creates safety in the body.
We also have to approach the practice from a place of outcome independence.
This is where the intention of the practice is so important.
If we use this practice with the intention that the practice itself will heal,
We are outcome dependent and we are actually signaling to the brain that something is wrong,
Which just keeps us in a state of fear.
We don't feel safe and the brain will continue to send signals of pain for our protection.
I suggest that you start using this practice with sensations that are not painful initially,
As there's often judgment around our pain and it's very hard to be non-judgmental initially.
As we develop skill in the practice,
We'll be able to use it for our specific pain.
In this guided practice,
I first use breath awareness as a way of learning how to be neutral around sensation and then we move into observing a strong sensation in the body.
I invite you now to find either a comfortable seated position or a lying down position.
Whatever way that you can feel relaxed and comfortable.
Relaxation is another way of creating safety in the body.
When we feel fear,
We are not relaxed.
So anything we do to create relaxation in the body will also help create safety in the body.
So get yourself comfortable,
Close your eyes and begin to notice your breath.
As we bring awareness to our breath,
It automatically gets longer and starts to bring a sense of relaxation into the body.
Take a moment here to scan through your body and see if you could be 10% more comfortable.
Text yourself to find this comfort.
Bring yourself back to the breath,
Noticing the sensations of inhalation and exhalation.
Where do you most strongly feel the sensation of breath in your body?
Maybe it's at the tip of the nose where the breath comes in and leaves the body.
Maybe it's at the back of the body where your body presses in to the surface supporting it rising and falling with the inhalations and exhalations.
Maybe it's in the chest where you feel your lungs inflating and deflating.
Maybe it's in the belly where you feel the rise and fall of the breath.
Just notice where you most strongly feel the sensations of breath in the body.
Note where this place is.
We'll begin to observe the breath with lighthearted,
Playful curiosity.
So to enter this state of lighthearted,
Playful curiosity,
Recall a time or something that you're particularly grateful for,
Something that brings you joy.
Bring up this felt sense of joy.
Realizing this felt sense of joy,
Take yourself back to that place where you most strongly observe the sensation of breath in your body.
What is the breath like?
What qualities of breath stick out to you?
Does the breath feel warm?
Does it feel cool?
Does the breath feel electric or magnetic?
Is there a color associated with the breath?
Is there a sound that you hear along with your breath?
Just observing objectively with a lighthearted,
Playful nature,
The strongest sensation of breath in your body.
Now,
Let the observation of breath go.
Just how you feel.
Take a moment and scan through the body for the strongest sensation in the body right now.
If you've practiced somatic sensing,
This can be a place of pain.
But if this is your first time getting acquainted with the practice,
I suggest you work with something that doesn't have any judgments around it.
So begin to notice again,
With that lighthearted,
Playful attitude,
The strongest sensation in your body right now.
If you need to,
You can call up that sense of joy of gratitude to bring this lighthearted,
Playful attitude to our observation of the strongest sensation in the body.
And begin to observe.
Just noticing how much space does the sensation take up in the body?
Is the space large?
Is it small?
Does it have a shape?
What is the quality of the sensation in the body?
Is it pulsing?
Is it vibrating?
Does it come and go in waves?
Maybe it feels magnetic.
Maybe it feels electric.
Just bringing this kind hearted,
Playful attitude to observing the strongest sensation in the body.
Does the sensation have a color associated with it?
Is there a sense present when we observe the sensation?
Just being very curious in our observation,
Observing what is as it is in this moment.
Whatever it is,
It's just a sensation.
Continue to observe the sensation using your own non-judgmental ways of describing the strongest sensation in your body right now.
Now,
Let your observation of the sensation go.
Bring your awareness back to your breath.
Notice how you feel.
Begin to deepen the inhalations and exhale out through your mouth and sigh.
As you consciously exhale,
Invite relaxation into the body through the exhalation.
While melting into this relaxation,
Tell yourself,
I am safe.
Inhaling expanding and energizing,
Bringing in life force energy and exhaling consciously relaxing all the muscles,
Telling yourself,
I am safe.
Do this a few more times.
You're welcome to continue relaxing.
Or if it's time to move on with your day,
You can begin to wiggle fingers and toes,
Bringing gentle movement back to the body.
I invite you to use this practice as a standalone practice where you take time out of your life to practice somatic sensing for letting go of chronic pain.
Then as you get good,
You can use this practice whenever you find pain speaking to you.
Just taking a moment,
Connecting with the breath and then bringing a lighthearted,
Playful curiosity to the strongest sensations in your body.
This is the next drop down.
