Meditation for Coping with Pain

Start by getting comfortable in your seat. 

Begin to practice noticing your breath.  Don't try to control your breathing, just notice the flow of air in and out of your nose, throat, lungs, and abdomen. Allow yourself to connect with your body through your breath.  Notice all the parts of your body that move or change as you breath.

To begin the meditation:

Allow yourself to focus on the pain or discomfort you are experiencing.  Imagine the pain or discomfort as a shape.

            What does the shape looking like?  What size is it?  What color is it?  Is it shiny? Mat? Opaque? Translucent?

            In your mind's eye reach out and touch the shape.  What does if feel like?  Does it have a temperature? Hot, cold, mild? Does it have a texture? Is it rough or smooth?  Are the edges sharp or rounded?

            Listen to the shape that represents your pain or discomfort. Does it have a sound? Is it loud or soft? Constant or changing? High pitch? Low pitch? Both?

            Spend some time noticing and experiencing the shape that represents your discomfort.  Where do you feel it in your body? Imagine the shape interacting with your body where you feel its presence.  Practice not reacting, just observing.

The Healing Light:

Now pick a new color (different from the color of your shape) that represents healing.

Imagine this colored healing light entering your head at the very top, the crown of your head. The healing light fills your head with lightness.  You have control over this light and can send it to your shape.

Watch as you send the healing light towards the shape in your body.  Watch the healing light disturb, surround, permeate, and change the shape.  Continue to send the healing light to your shape and continue to watch it change.

There is so much healing light that even as you send some of it to the shape, more is flowing into the crown of your head and filling your head with light.  It is spilling down your neck and into your shoulders.  The healing light is flowing from your shoulders into your arms.  You can feel the light run down your arms and pool in your hands.

The healing light fills your head, streams down your neck and into the core of your body.  Your lungs and heart become filled with healing light.  You can feel it move down through your abdomen and stomach into your legs and create puddles of healing light in your feet.

And all this time, the healing light is disrupting, shaking, and changing the shape that represents your pain and discomfort.  Continue to focus on the healing light until you are satisfied with how your shape has changed or until it goes away completely.  Do not expect the shape to always go away completely, also practice accepting what changes come.

When you are ready, return your attention to your natural breath.  Notice the way your body feels in your seat and how the breath feels in your body.  Notice what changes occurred in your thinking and feeling during your meditation.

When you're ready, go forth and enjoy your day.