This week, Christian Wolf offers a guided process for overcoming that sense of isolation by meeting your own body of pain and connecting internally with others who understand your experience.
Having chronic pain can often feel incredibly lonely. Maybe you don’t know anyone else who has a similar situation. Also, most of the people you are close to, although they may be well-intentioned, may not understand what you are going through.
But the truth is that probably thousands and thousands of people all over the world know exactly what you’re feeling. In this meditation, Christian Wolf offers a guided process for overcoming this sense of isolation by meeting your own body in pain and internally connecting with others who can relate to you, empathize with, and care deeply about your experience.
A meditation to heal the body in pain
Read and follow the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice.
- By finding a comfortable position, or as comfortable as possible. You can lie down or sit in a chair for this meditation. You can close your eyes or just relax your gaze, whatever feels best for you in the moment. If you are sitting, keep your feet on the ground. Feel the solid ground beneath your feet, or maybe feel the floor or carpet through your shoes or bare feet. If possible, keep your back straight and straight. Lean against the back of the chair and feel its support.
- Allow the body to rest if possible. Maybe the jaw, shoulders, stomach. Take a few deep slow breaths and feel the sensations of the breath in the body, such as the chest or perhaps the abdomen. See if you can release a little more tension with each breath.
- Now, notice any pain you are in right noweither physically or emotionally. No need to be specific here, just getting a broad sense of what you’re dealing with with this pain, with this condition. As a first step, see if it is possible to admit how hard and difficult it is to experience this pain, to face this pain and to take care of the pain. If it feels right to you, you can say something to yourself, This is difficult. It’s so raw to feel this way. Use words that will help you hear from a dear friend who is really going through what you are going through.
- If you want, repeat this a few times. See if you can actually hear yourself saying these words and what they mean. It may feel good to hear the words, or you may be pushing yourself a little and have a hard time accepting it. Whatever your experience, that’s fine. There is no right or wrong way to do this.
- Having chronic pain can often feel lonely. Maybe you don’t know anyone else who has a similar situation. Most of the people you are close to, although they may be well-intentioned, may not understand what you are going through. But the truth is that probably thousands and thousands of people all over the world know exactly what you’re feeling. Because they do too. And they may be suffering from the same condition as you.
- Now, in your mind’s eye, invite all of these people into your awareness. Maybe as a few people, maybe as a large group, all stand with you or stand with you in solidarity with this pain. I personally like to imagine them on their shoulders, reaching back and forth. They get me. They know exactly how I feel. They are feeling the same thing or have felt it before. I don’t need to explain or defend anything, because they already understand.
- Keep practicing here that makes the most sense for you. It’s easy or possible to connect with the idea that there really are a lot of people who you meet, what makes them easier. You are not alone with this. If you find yourself wandering in your mind, gently bring it back. Allow this feeling of your inner support group.
- When you’re ready, let the image dissolve. Take another deep and long breath, longer than the exhalation. Long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long. Bring the meditation in by beginning to move and stretch the body in any way that feels good. If you had closed them, open your eyes.
Thank you for your practice today.
