Listening to your pain with care and curiosity script 1

Pain is inevitable. It will always be there in some way or another.

When you have pain, your body will send signals to your brain about it. Your brain will then send signals to your emotions. Your emotions will react to those messages.

In the case of physical pain, there may be a lot of fear, anger, and anxiety. You may feel out of control and worried about what is going on in your body.

With mental pain, the fear and anxiety may be less intense but still present. You may feel sad or hopeless. You may worry that this will always be happening in your life.

In either case, pain will make you feel uncomfortable. In order to feel better, you may want to change your environment. You may seek distraction. You may wish you could change your body.

But pain also brings information about the state of your body and mind. If you are experiencing physical pain, you may be able to find relief by taking a hot bath or applying some heat or cold to your body.

When you have mental pain, you may feel more isolated from others. You may be afraid to share your feelings with anyone. You may wonder what’s wrong with you and what you should do about it.

Pain can bring clarity to who you are, what you are experiencing, and what you need.

If you are currently feeling a lot of pain, you may have some very basic needs that you are unaware of.

So you may find it helpful to list the things that you would like to happen to feel better. It may be that you need time alone, or you may be interested in talking to a trusted friend or a therapist.

The key is to identify the need. Then be curious about how your body and mind are responding to it.

The following meditation will help you to do this.

Close the eyes and bring awareness to the body.

Notice any sensations that arise. Are they physical, like pain or pressure? Or are they emotional, like fear, sadness, anger, or anxiety?

As you notice the sensation, imagine that it has a voice. Ask the sensation what it would like.

In this way, you are bringing the sensations to mind. When the mind wanders, come back to this activity.

Now imagine that this voice has a face. What does this person look like? Does he or she seem trustworthy? Is he or she gentle and kind? What does this person look like? How is this person feeling?

Imagine this person as a guide who can help you identify your needs.

It may be helpful to write down what your guide says. This way, you’ll remember to come back to the experience and see if what your guide tells you is true.

After a few minutes, ask your guide if he or she has any other messages for you.

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Listening to your pain with care and curiosity script 2

When you listen to pain with care and curiosity, you can become more present with it and release suffering.

By listening with care, you give yourself permission to understand the pain, and by listening with curiosity, you are inviting openness and intimacy. You want to know how the pain feels, and you don’t want to close your mind off.

Ask yourself what you are feeling when you hear about pain. Is it fear? Do you close yourself off to the pain? Do you feel pity or sadness? Is there anger?

Try to be with each feeling without labeling them. Just notice them. Then, ask yourself what you can do to respond to the pain more skillfully.

What can you do when you are faced with pain?

Can you bring some compassion to bear on yourself? Can you make the suffering less intense for yourself? Can you hold a kind and open heart toward yourself in your pain?

You can do all of this in response to your pain, but the most important step is to pay attention to how you are doing it. This is the invitation for healing.

So, what can you do?

Begin with the sensations of your body. How does your body feel when you are listening to pain?

What is the tone of your voice? Are you speaking calmly or quickly? Is your voice harsh or soft? Are you trying to avoid the pain or do you want to fully experience it?

Listen to the thoughts in your mind. What are your thoughts about pain? Are you judging yourself or blaming others? What are your thoughts about how pain should be treated?

Notice how you are treating yourself, and consider whether you are using a loving attitude to your pain.

Finally, ask yourself what you would like to do to treat yourself more skillfully. If there is something you wish you could change, what would you like to change?

Listening to your pain with care and curiosity script 3

When you practice mindfulness, you allow your attention to rest on the sensations that arise in the body. When you notice that you are dwelling on painful thoughts and feelings, it can be useful to practice listening to the suffering with kindness.

The practice of mindfulness allows you to step back and see your pain in a different light. It offers a different perspective on your suffering.

It is often difficult to feel compassion for yourself, to take care of yourself when you are suffering. This practice is a way to offer yourself some kindness.

Begin by sitting down and noticing your posture. You can use your breath to ground yourself in the present moment and prepare to practice.

If you are struggling with a particular emotion, notice the sensation in your body that arises with the emotion. Notice what happens when you acknowledge these experiences, whether it is a physical sensation or an emotion.

The mind will resist acknowledging these experiences, and it will want to get away from these experiences. In this practice, try to bring your attention to them without judging them.

For example, if you are feeling angry, notice the sensation of anger in your body. Do you find it easy to accept this anger?

Does it feel good? Does it feel like an old friend? You may find it hard to remember that anger is not a friend.

Just notice the sensations in your body. Let them come and go as they wish.

If you notice you have started to feel better after a while, then you have acknowledged the experience of pain and begun to offer kindness to yourself.

Continue with this practice for a few minutes. If it feels like the thoughts are starting to fade away, just acknowledge the experience as best you can. You may even choose to bring your attention back to your breath at times.

Click here to get back to the list of self-compassion meditation scripts

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