This is a short meditation to be with pain or discomfort.
So get into a comfy posture,
Something that feels upright but also a bit soft,
A bit relaxed.
And just take a moment to settle into that posture,
Gently closing the eyes if that feels good.
And really allow yourself to come into this moment.
Set aside whatever you've been doing and taking this time for yourself to do nothing.
There's nothing to plan or fix or worry about.
This is just an opportunity to be with yourself for the next few minutes.
So you may already be very distracted by any pain or discomfort that you're feeling right now.
So the invitation is really to just let that be there.
This discomfort is already here.
So we can acknowledge that feeling,
That sensation in the body and we can allow it to be here.
We can be present to it,
Be aware of it,
And simply not fight it.
This can really feel counterintuitive sometimes,
But perhaps we can just allow it to be here.
For the next few minutes.
And just see how that feels.
Maybe noticing through the body any other areas of tension or holding or tightness.
And just bringing your awareness to those areas of the body and noticing any narrative that comes with that noticing.
Any thoughts that arise,
Any judgments that happen as a result of finding any tension or tightness or pain.
And as you notice those thoughts,
Simply allow them,
But bring your awareness back to the body and simply be with that sensation.
We can observe our thoughts as they come up in our mind without getting into a conversation with them or judging them.
We can simply notice that they are occurring in our mind.
And we can step back and just see them as they come and go.
And when your mind wanders off,
Lost in thought,
Gently bring it back with kindness for yourself,
Back to the body and just feel somewhere in the body now that's comfort,
That has a sense of neutrality maybe,
Of softness,
Of warmth.
Somewhere that feels safe in the body and comfortable.
And just gently resting your awareness on this place and perhaps in the background you can notice any pain or discomfort,
But just allow it to be in the background of your experience.
Bringing your attention to this place of comfort,
Safety,
Warmth in the body.
We can notice both of these states in the body existing at the same time.
And we can choose where we place our attention,
Our awareness,
Our care at any moment.
So if you feel yourself being drawn back to areas of discomfort or pain,
That's fine.
Just acknowledge that and then choose to redirect your awareness back to that place of comfort,
Softness,
That anchor in the body that feels good.
And just mainly being with that sensation,
Really tuning into that physical signature.
And maybe even allowing that signature to spread through the body,
Sending it some care and love and also making space for some appreciation for all that the body does for you every day.
It is quite something.
And every time your mind wanders off or gets stuck around that painful area,
You can gently acknowledge that sensation and with a sense of allowing and acceptance,
Gently bringing your awareness to somewhere else in the body that feels good and comfortable and light.
And maybe noticing if there's any messages that this experience is giving you,
Any wisdom that's coming from the body,
From sitting in this meditation,
Just being open to anything that emerges for you.
So we'll gently start to bring our practice to a close,
Just becoming aware of where you are in the room,
The ground beneath you or the chair beneath you,
Noticing how that feels.
And then whenever you're ready,
Gently opening the eyes.
There's no rush.
