Guided Meditation
Opening Around the Pain
(Adapted from Stephen Levine’s Pain Meditation I)

 Relax into your body.
Bring awareness to the breath.
Feel the body expanding and softening, in an oceanic rhythm, in tune with the breath.
Bring awareness, to the area of sensation, that has been uncomfortable or painful.
Let awareness, come wholly to that area.
Let awareness be present, moment to moment, to receive the sensations generated there.
Allow the discomfort to be felt.
Embrace the discomfort.
Begin to allow the body-mind, to open all around that sensation.
Give space to the sensations.  

Notice any emotions, or thought patterns, that have accumulated around the pain.
Allow the fear, the sorrow, the anger to melt away.
Let tension dissolve, so that the sensations can softly radiate out, as they will. 

Don’t push away the pain.
Just let it be there.
Allow the pain.
Do not resist it.
The least resistance to feeling, can be so painful.
Allow.  Open.  Soften.
All around the pain.
Let go of the resistance.
Holding onto nothing.  Resisting nothing.
Sensations floating free, in the vast ocean of awareness. 

For an audio version visit: https://youtu.be/Th_E1gxXquU

Yoga Therapist, Sonia Weirich C-IAYT, helps people establish a regular meditation practice. She also leads a monthly meditation class. Email [email protected] for more information.