Hi and welcome to Move Toward with Jenna.
I'm Jenna and today we are going to move toward our physical pain and discomfort.
So moving toward our physical pain and discomfort is not natural.
We don't like feeling it.
And very often when we notice that we're hurting in an area,
Our tendency is to try to get the pain to stop.
Often we move against it.
But today,
I'd like to invite you just for a short period of time to join me in actually moving toward our physical pain and holding some curiosity for it.
As you know,
If you've watched any of the Move Toward introductory videos,
The Move Toward movement is founded on a sophisticated foundation of neuroscience,
Brain chemistry,
And somatic awareness that has been informed by such incredible thinkers as Dr.
Stephen Porges,
Dr.
Richard Schwartz,
Dr.
Peter Levine,
And Bessel van der Kolk.
And what that tells us is that while certainly not every physical symptom has a connection to our emotional state,
Many of them do.
And,
In fact,
Some of the more difficult ones to treat such as migraines,
Chronic fatigue,
Fibromyalgia,
Back issues,
And.
Gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome or constipation.
Are very often directly linked to unresolved grief.
Or unresolved trauma or pain.
Trauma is simply defined as something bad happening to you that you feel powerless over.
So this would certainly include things like loss of a loved one or a loss of a marriage or a relationship,
Loss of a child.
This would also include ambiguous grief.
Ambiguous grief is a term in the literature that refers to grief.
And loss.
Where there is not something tangible.
There is not something tangible that we can mourn and have a funeral for.
And those would be things like loss of mobility,
Loss of cognitive functioning as occurs in dementia and Alzheimer's,
Loss of ability to be physically present in the same room.
Or even loss of a lifestyle.
So all of these different types of grief,
All of these different types of sadness,
All of these different types of unresolved or unhealed traumas very much can connect to our physical experience of pain.
And so today,
As we move toward our physical pain and discomfort,
I'm hopeful that you may join me in learning a little something new and holding perhaps a new compassion for the physical discomfort that you may be noticing.
As you know,
In all of our Move Toward videos,
We try to make this simple.
We have a three-step process.
That has three N words.
Number one,
We notice.
Notice the pain or the discomfort.
Number two,
We let it notify us.
What does it want us to know?
And number three,
We ask that pain what it might need from us to feel a little bit better.
This is a very counterintuitive way to approach our discomfort.
And so I'm so glad you're here with me so that I can guide you through it.
We will do this together.
So I always like to begin to.
Activate my parasympathetic nervous system.
By closing my eyes and slowing my breathing very intentionally,
Which communicates to my body that I am in a state of safety.
This is actually a brilliant brain hack that's very simple and easy to use.
But as I close my eyes,
I begin to be able to really tune in.
To what is happening internally for me.
You may wish to join me in closing your eyes,
Or if for any reason that does not feel comfortable for you,
You may want to just gently allow your gaze to rest on the floor.
Whatever feels conducive to you to beginning to tune in to what's happening in your body.
A very wonderful,
Easy tool that we can use to communicate to our body that we are in a state of safety.
Is to inhale perhaps to the count of four through our nose.
Pause at the top of the breath.
And then as if you had a straw between your lips,
Exhaling slowly.
To a count of six or longer.
Through that imaginary straw in your lips.
This inhale followed by a longer exhale.
Is a very powerful way to activate our vagus nerve.
And communicate to our parasympathetic system.
That we are safe.
So as you slow your breathing in that intentional way,
You may also want to join me.
And just becoming aware of what's happening in your body today.
This is step one of moving toward.
Which is notice.
How are you arriving here in your body today?
Right now,
In this moment.
An important skill that we bring to our own healing and wellness is the ability to become curious.
As we notice our bodies.
Without any judgment.
Without any Desire to change or alter any sensation in any way.
Just beginning to become aware of what is present for you today in your body.
You may find that it is helpful to actually name what you're noticing.
So for example,
You may notice that you have a heavy or a tingling arm or hands.
Naming that,
Heavy Arm,
Tingling Hands.
You may notice a dull aching at the base of your skull.
May feel helpful to name it dull ache You may notice the tightness of breathing or constricting in the throat.
Or you may notice that.
Sensation of almost a rock in your stomach,
Or butterflies.
You may notice the sharp pain.
You may notice dull throbbing.
You may notice stiffness or a certain degree of lack of mobility.
Perhaps you may also notice an element of fatigue.
With the pain,
Particularly if it has been chronic.
So whatever your experience,
If it feels safe for you to do so.
I would invite you to just place your hand gently.
On that area of your body.
And if you'd like to,
Almost envision breathing down your arm and into that area where you're feeling discomfort or pain.
Breathing into it,
Breathing love,
If you're able breathing curiosity into it perhaps breathing in compassion to this part of your body that may have been holding pain or discomfort for you for quite a long time.
See if you can extend that curiosity and just the noticing and naming.
To this area of your body If you're noticing that you do not feel curious about it,
That you have a dislike for this pain.
Or desire for it to shift in some way that is completely normal.
So let the part of you that doesn't like the pain or that wants it to go away.
Let that part of you know that its concerns make sense.
Appreciate that part of you for trying to help you with the pain.
And see if the part that doesn't like the pain would be willing to separate from you for just a moment,
Just a short period of time,
So that maybe you could help the pain.
Get to know it a little bit.
And if the part of you that doesn't like the pain was willing to give you just a little bit of space,
What you'll notice is a shifting of that dislike.
Or the desire to change the pain.
Toward a more sort of open-hearted curiosity about it.
And finally,
If it feels like a fit for you,
Some people really like this,
Other people don't.
Either way is totally fine.
You can gently ask the area of your body that's holding this pain if it wants to show you an image of itself.
And don't try to figure anything out.
Just wait and see if an image comes to mind.
And if you did get an image,
Great.
If not.
.
.
That's absolutely fine.
Just continue to focus on the physical sensation.
And even here in step one of just bringing our compassionate attention.
To this part of our body that's been holding pain or discomfort.
You may notice that some things have shifted.
The pain may increase temporarily.
Perhaps very thankful that it's finally got your attention or.
.
.
It may actually soften and release a bit with your compassionate awareness.
Or it may remain the same.
Just notice with no judgment whatever is true for you today.
And now if you have been able to notice without judgment the part of your body that's been carrying this pain.
You may be ready to move on to step two which is notify Is there anything that this pain wants you to know.
What is it trying to notify you about?
Go ahead and literally ask that question.
What do you want me to know about why you're here?
To the pain or to the image.
If you received an image earlier and don't try to figure it out,
Just wait and see what comes up.
What do you want me to know about why you are bringing my body this pain?
And so you may get some memories popping up.
You may get the impression of something or you may not get anything at all.
Either way is completely fine.
But if something is coming up for you,
You may notice that if there are areas that are feeling very heavy or very tired or very.
.
.
Immobilized it may be that this part of your experience wants you to know that it's tired of carrying burdens that are too heavy for it to carry.
Or perhaps you may have noticed that this part of your inner experience,
Your physical experience.
Is needing to shut you down.
Because.
.
.
There are parts of you in pain that need your attention and they haven't been tended to.
As other parts of you have just kept going,
Plowing through,
Doing the things that need to be done.
But not stopping to be with the pain.
And so perhaps this physical pain is a way of stopping you in your tracks.
So that you can attend to the grief that is underneath.
Or perhaps you may have noticed the aching.
There may be a longing,
Something that is a need or desire that has gone unmet or that was once met and is now gone.
Maybe it is literally a physical ache in your heart of longing for someone that you love.
That you no longer can be with or.
That you were not able to Say goodbye to in the way that you wanted.
Or you can't be physically together at the moment.
If you are getting a sense of anything.
Like this.
Take a moment and just ask the pain,
When did you first learn how to help me?
In this way.
By showing up in my body with painful sensations.
Just see if anything comes to mind.
Don't try to figure it out.
And if anything is coming up for you,
You may notice.
Perhaps some recent or.
.
.
Earlier life memories.
When physical pain was actually adaptive or helpful in some way.
And getting needs met.
Or perhaps you might notice a legacy.
Of physical pain that You may have observed in a parent or caregiver or siblings.
It's possible you may be noticing that one way to receive care And love and attention is to have physical pain.
Or you may notice completely the opposite,
That someone in your life suffered with chronic pain and.
.
.
Did not ever complain and that gave a message that you're not allowed to really feel those feelings that are painful.
The physical sensations that hurt.
You may notice memories coming up of how experienced the world or your caregivers when you were in pain when you were young.
Was anyone there for you when you were hurting?
How did you receive care?
How did others receive care?
And taking as much time as feels.
Helpful to really Allow this pain to show you anything that it might want you to know.
Whenever it feels like You've had a chance to really get it,
To really understand anything that the pain may want to communicate to you.
And you're ready to move on to step three which is need.
So literally ask the pain or ask the image that the pain gave you.
What do you need from me right now?
To feel just a little more comforted.
To feel just a little less activated And wait and see if anything comes to mind.
And so if anything does come to mind,
You may notice that your pain.
.
.
May actually just need tenderness from you.
It may really appreciate this.
This kindness that you're extending to it,
It may not be used to that.
And so it may just need that kindness internally from you.
Or you may have gotten a sense that your pain needs an action from you in your external world.
Perhaps the pain might need you to lay some things down right now.
It may need you to stop.
The doing and the busyness.
And grieve.
It may need you to say no to some commitments for a little bit.
Or perhaps the pain may have let you know that it needs you to ask for help.
Help is.
Perhaps the most courageous word.
In our whole language.
It is not a word that many of us are adept at using.
And it may be that your body is letting you know in this moment you have been carrying more.
Than you humanly can and part of what the pain wants you to know is that it needs you to ask for help.
To actually say,
I cannot do it all.
Will you help me?
It may be letting you know that you need to have some sense of control.
Or that you may need to release particularly in the abdomen.
Those themes are.
.
.
Very powerful in our abdominal distress and discomfort.
Lack of safety in our environment very much lives.
And is reflected by our abdominal experience.
So whatever you may be noticing in your own unique experience today.
If it feels right for you.
And possible.
Set an intention.
To do the thing that your pain is asking from you.
Even if just a baby step.
And just notice how the pain feels now.
How are you aware of it now?
It may have.
.
.
Increased.
So grateful for your attention,
Really longing to let you know a lot of things.
May have stayed the same and not really communicated a lot with you.
It may have lessened in relief.
From your kind compassion.
And attention.
Whatever your experience is today is exactly right.
And now as we.
.
.
Come to a conclusion for today,
Knowing that you absolutely may return to this.
Guided experience as many times as you would like to continue to get to know your pain.
Gently extend gratitude.
Love,
If that feels right for you.
Deep compassion to the parts of your body that have been carrying this pain.
Thanking them,
For anything that they may have showed you today.
And whenever you feel ready,
Just very slowly taking your time.
This really is a process of reorienting.
From your inner awareness,
From your body awareness back out into your external frame of reference.
So just slowly.
Again,
Deepening and lengthening your breath.
And when you feel ready,
Gently blinking your eyes back open.
So my friend,
Whatever your experience was today,
My hope is that your pain Really felt seen.
Really felt validated,
Really felt honored.
Whether you got any sense at all from your pain.
Or whether you didn't.
The neurochemistry that we release when we bring this spirit of kindness and curiosity and compassion,
Even to our very own bodies.
Is deeply and profoundly healing and powerful.
You may have had the experience that some very powerful awarenesses came up for you.
You may have become aware of a family history or legacy of physical chronic disease.
Or of the inability to name pain that has been handed down to you.
Intolerance of pain or discomfort or distress.
Where you may have noticed that your pain really does need something from you.
I so hope that after this video,
If you did get a sense of something,
That you will journal it,
Take a moment to write it down.
Probably will get a little bit fuzzy in your mind's eye about an hour from now.
And that's okay.
It's because we're moving.
From different parts of the brain back up into our prefrontal cortex and so it can get a little fuzzy.
But go ahead and write down if you made a commitment to your pain.
Write it down.
And follow through.
You will feel so much better for it.
So my friends,
Until next time.
May our thoughts move towards May our words move toward May our hearts move toward with curiosity,
Love and compassion.
Thank you for joining me.
