Welcome.
This guided exercise is designed to help you find relief from physical pain and for that we use the power of our imagination.
Imagination is so powerful and we are probably the only species on earth that can think of something like a future or can think of a person that right now in this moment is looking at you,
A friendly person,
Smiling at you.
And this will probably change the way you feel right now if you just imagine this for a second.
And at the same time living with pain,
Chronic pain or even acute discomfort can significantly impact our well-being,
Right?
We are experiencing stress or personally I find myself in places of frustration and just a sense of feeling unwell sometimes 24-7.
If I just speak about it I feel like how sad sometimes I feel and that sometimes I just am in sorrow and I feel like limited.
And you may be dealing with other pain if you are having no pain.
This is not the right meditation at this time.
But if you have pain maybe in your back,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Head or any other part of your body or if you're just feeling unwell then this could be an exercise that can help you.
This exercise should be a pathway to lead you to some sort of ease.
And it's important to emphasize that this exercise is a tool for self-soothing and support but of course it's not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.
And like in my case I have to think about how to adjust my work for example at the computer because of my tennis elbow.
But when I think of this place I can feel the pain and we have to understand that this pain is actually in my brain,
Right?
So I can focus now on the pain or I can focus on other things in my life and then sometimes forget about the pain which is also pleasant and helpful.
For this exercise,
And that's why I explain it to you so in detail,
Please check if you feel in a state where you can focus for some seconds on an area where you feel pain.
So you should have good stability,
Maybe you're now sitting or have a safe place and if you want we can begin just by taking a deep breath in,
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
And once more,
Breathing in and letting go of that breath,
Relaxing our bodies,
Our shoulders.
Breathing in and I invite you to close your eyes for a moment.
Continue to breathe in your own rhythm,
Noticing your breath in and your breath out.
And if you feel like you have the capacity I ask you to bring your awareness to the area of your body where you're experiencing some sort of pain.
Just notice the sensation.
They might even become stronger and if at some point you feel it's too much then please just stop,
Breathe.
You may even pause this exercise.
But if you have the capacity I'm asking you not to judge the pain but to allow even the pain and simply observe.
It's even like welcoming the pain and there you are.
Maybe you can even describe it.
Is it sharp,
Aching,
Burning?
How does your pain feel to you right now?
And remember you always have your breath available,
Breathing in and out.
If you would rate now this pain on a scale from 0 to 10,
0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain imaginable.
How would you rate the intensity of this discomfort you're experiencing right now?
You don't have to produce a number,
Just wait for any answer to come.
What would be the first number?
Your gut feeling will tell you.
And then just note this number and then return to your breath.
I invite you to take another deep breath with me right now,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
And now with the attitude of openness and open awareness,
Let's invite an image.
You may think you're looking into the sky or looking at a blank screen and just imagine what would be something that would be soothing and healing for this area?
What comes to mind?
And I invite you to do this with kindness and curiosity.
There's no right or wrong.
Allow your intuition just to guide you here.
Perhaps you imagine something soothing like a cool sensation or even something that is warm or even a gentle golden light.
Or maybe you think it would be supportive to feel some comforting touch,
Something that is offering warmth and stability.
I imagine some water washing over this area of my arm.
It's like a buoyant sensation and washing away the tension.
What is your picture?
What is your imagination providing you with that is soothing,
That is supportive?
What could ease the inflammation?
I invite you to take one more breath,
Deeper breath,
And making this moment like a full experience of this healing,
Soothing sensation.
Inviting the idea that is healing you right now,
This area,
And maybe you as an entire person.
How does it feel like?
And imagining that there is some light now capturing your entire being.
Noticing how that feels like.
Once more,
I invite you to take a full breath in,
Like if your whole body is breathing now.
And that you are healed because you are at a place,
You have arrived at this place of safety,
Comfort,
And healing.
And if this feels supportive for you,
I invite you now to do a little bit of an action that we call the butterfly hug.
You can take your right hand and place it on the left shoulder,
On the left upper arm.
Take the left hand and place it on the right shoulder.
So that it feels almost like a hug.
Just notice.
Take a deep breath in.
And letting go of that breath while being in this butterfly hug.
If you like,
You can tap in now really slowly and softly with alternating taps left and right on your shoulder or on your upper arm.
Tapping in,
This feeling,
This sensation of healing,
Comfort,
And soothing energy of your imagination.
Try to tap really slowly here in a slow rhythm,
Close to your heart rate.
Left,
Right,
Left,
And right.
And maybe there are even some words,
Like a positive cognition that you have now in your mind that you can tap in.
Like,
I can heal.
I can heal a lot.
In myself,
There's the energy and capacity to heal.
And I feel grateful for this capacity.
And slowly,
You can come back to your sitting position or your position that you feel comfortable for.
Uncross your arms.
Let's sit a little bit for a while together here.
Breathing.
And maybe noticing again if you would rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10.
How would you rate now the intensity of the discomfort,
If there's any left you're experiencing?
And as I feel like that the pain almost has gone,
I experience myself smiling.
I have this half moon.
I feel like there's a light shining on my face right now.
And I'm so deeply grateful that my mind is able to imagine soothing powers and resources.
And it feels like a wish,
Almost like a prayer,
Like a blessing I want to send to you that I wish that you can use your imagination.
That your mind provides you with the very specific and individual imagination that can heal you.
That can bring comfort to your life,
To any area of your life.
And to parts that you feel discomfort or pain.
And I wish that you can remember this capacity that you have experienced right now.
And whenever it's needed,
You can come back.
Knowing that you can heal,
That you have the capacity and the resources at hand.
Wishing you well.
