As a society,
We are often used to avoiding pain,
Numbing and suppressing it because there is this underlying narrative that if we feel it,
It will consume us.
In this meditation,
You can carve out a few minutes to gently meet the pain with curiosity and then find softer and more neutral sensation to land on.
Get yourself comfortable sitting,
Lying down,
Whatever feels most supported for your body right now.
Take a soft breath in and let it out with a sigh.
Another soft inhale and a longer exhale.
Can you let your body adjust into a position that feels slightly more comfortable?
Now,
Gently move your eyes in the space,
Looking to the left,
Looking to the right,
Looking up,
Looking down and perhaps looking at your body.
Now you can close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Feel where your body meeting the surface beneath it.
Let yourself sink in a bit deeper and feel your weight going downwards as if you're noticing gravity.
Can you sense the support beneath you that holds you?
Now bring your attention to the top of your head,
Right in the middle of your head.
Imagine there's a string attached to that part of your head.
Imagine a bird comes in and gently pulls that string up towards the ceiling.
Very gentle pull.
It's subtle.
Can you let that pull create length all the way down through your neck,
Your upper back,
Your mid back and your lower back?
Can you sense the length?
Now,
Can you relax,
Letting this pull hold you instead of you trying to hold yourself?
Now bring your attention to the part of your body that feels painful,
Uncomfortable or tense.
Notice how you feel about this part of yourself.
It's okay if there's judgment or fear,
But can you invite a sense of curiosity and compassion for this part of your body?
Notice what kind of sensation is present.
Maybe it's sharp,
Dull,
Burning,
Pulling,
Heavy,
Buzzing.
These are some ideas.
What kind of sensation is present for you?
Does it have a shape?
Does it have edges?
Does it have a center or does it spread?
Is it still or moving?
And if it's helpful,
Rate it zero to ten.
Zero feeling no pain,
Ten feeling so much pain that is uncomfortable.
Continue staying with this part of your body that is experiencing pain.
Keep maintaining your attention there.
Now,
Gently bring your attention to a part of your body that feels soft or neutral.
And notice the texture of the sensation that you're experiencing in this area.
Now,
Gently bring your attention back to the painful area.
Once again,
Notice the sensation that is present.
And perhaps you can check and see if the sensation has changed.
Now,
Let's return back to the neutral place or the soft place you found and allow yourself to settle in that neutrality,
Noticing the sensation that is present here.
Maybe you take a soft breath in,
A relaxed exhale out.
Now gently move back to the parts of your body that felt painful and uncomfortable.
Notice again what is present,
What sensations are you experiencing.
And this time we're moving back to the place of neutrality or softness a bit quicker.
We want to learn to travel between the opposites.
So let yourself settle in that position of neutrality and softness and notice what is present.
Let's go back to the place of pain.
Let's travel back to the place of neutrality or softness.
Let's do that about three more times on your own,
Going back and forth between these seemingly opposite sensations.
Now bring your attention back to the place of softness or neutrality.
And see if you can allow this sensation of softness or neutrality expand throughout your body gently.
It's moving up towards the top of your head and it's moving down towards the bottom of your feet.
And on its way,
Perhaps it can meet and embrace the painful part of your body.
Now notice your entire body in this space and notice this space around your body.
Take another soft breath in,
A long exhale out.
Let's do that two more times on your own.
And now gently begin bringing subtle small movements into your fingertips,
Into your toes,
Into your body.
And whenever you're ready,
Open your eyes,
Look around the room that you're in and check in with the parts of your body that was painful.
And perhaps,
If you can,
Rate it this time.
Zero,
Feeling neutral.
Ten,
Feeling extremely painful.
Has your number changed?
If not,
That's okay too.
If it did change,
That's amazing.
Now take another soft breath in,
Exhale out.
And perhaps check in with yourself.
What is the next kind thing you can do for your body today?
Thank you for joining me on the path of unconditioning.
I'm Miss Hetty and I'll see you in the next one.
