Pain is something we all go through. Whether its physical, emotional, or spiritual, every single person on the planet experiences it. The natural perspective of pain is that it’s some sort of punishment, but in actuality it’s an opportunity for powerful growth. Pain holds energy that can be shifted into healing, strength, and self mastery. There are many different holistic modalities to do this, but I have found meditation to be one of the most powerful tools to turn suffering into empowerment. In this blog, I would like to share with you different meditation techniques and how they can help you reclaim your power.
Mindfulness Meditation: Embracing the present to release pain
“What if instead of fighting pain, we simply observed it?”
Have you ever noticed when you’re distracted by something, your current pain isn’t there or isn’t nearly as intense during that distraction? This is because we get in our heads and judge the pain. We question it and ask why must we go through this. Why is this happening to me? When will this end? Will it ever end? Our focus is the pain. Where your focus goes, energy flows. Your fight against it makes it bigger. Mindfulness meditation teaches us to sit with our pain, acknowledge it without judgement, and allow it to pass like a cloud. When I’m doing this, especially with physical pain I notice the pain comes in waves. It will have a moment of intensity but will taper off. I often feel gratitude in the moments that it eases.
How to do this?
When you have a moment that you won’t be interrupted find a place that makes you feel comfortable. For example, I have my own little area that I call me safe haven in my bedroom. Try out the following:
- Once in your quiet space sit in a comfortable position or lie down if it’s more comfortable.
- Close your eyes and focus on your breath. It may help to count your breaths. With your inhale count 1, with your exhale count 2. Count up to 10 and then repeat.
- When thoughts or pain arise, simply acknowledge them: “This is a thought. This is a feeling.”
- Return to your breath, knowing that everything (including pain) is temporary.
- Do this for 5-10 minutes a day to start if you’re new to meditation. With practice you’ll notice you stay in the meditation longer with ease.
By being fully present in the moment, we remove the power pain has over us and cultivate inner peace. The fight against the pain gives it power over you, but when you accept that it’s there and are able to just sit with it, knowing it won’t last forever, you strip the pain of its hold over you. The acceptance of the pain helps your mind to stop focusing on it.
While meditating I often hold crystals/gemstones or wear a piece of jewelry with stones that carry energies to help with my intent. Amethyst, Selenite, Howlite, and Tree Agate are just a few stones that work beautifully with this meditation.
Pair with:
Empathic Stress Relief – Amethyst and Selenite Stretch Bracelet
Inner Peace – Tree Agate and Howlite Stretch Bracelet
Loving Kindness Mediation: Healing through compassion
“Pain shrinks in the presence of love”
When pain has been long lasting we begin to feel resentment towards ourselves which only makes pain of any kind worse. Negative self-judgement can start to invade our thoughts; thoughts like “I’ll never get better”, “Maybe I deserve this”, and “I’m weak”. With loving-kindness meditation, also known as metta meditation, we begin to develop and strengthen unconditional kindness and compassion towards ourselves and others. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety which leads reduced tension in the body.
How to do this?
Again, once you’re in a space that’s quiet and you won’t be interrupted get seated in a comfortable position or lie down. Take a few deep cleansing breaths and try the following:
- Close your eyes and place your hand over your heart.
- Breathe deeply and silently repeat
- “May I be free from suffering.”
- “May I be strong.”
- “May I find peace.”
- Repeat this process one more time.
- Now think of someone you’re grateful to have in your life and repeat the following:
- “May you be free from suffering.”
- “May you be strong.”
- “May you find peace.”
- Now think of someone you feel neutral feelings towards, like a co-worker and repeat the words above.
- And lastly think of someone you have challenging feelings toward, who may have hurt you and say the same three sentences.
- If it feels right to you after that last set, send forgiveness to that person.
This is especially great for emotional pain. For physical pain I like to replace the specific people with specific parts of my body. For example, I might choose my hands for the grateful aspect since they help me draw, paint, craft, and write. I might choose my toes for what I feel neutral about because although I do know they help provide balance and stability, they are not an area of my body that I think of often. And of course for the last, I choose the part of my body that is causing me the most pain in that moment.
This practice helps you hold space for yourself, aspects of yourself, and others. Love and compassion is a powerful healer as it feels the body with a softness. When we walk around carrying hate and resentment for ourselves, our body parts, or for others it makes the body tight, stiff, and tense. Making a regular practice of sending yourself and others love and compassion helps to bring acceptance which makes you less reactive to the pain you’re feeling.
A few crystals and gemstones that work well with this type of meditation are rose quartz, pink zebra jasper, morganite, rhodonite, and rhodochrosite.
Pair with:
Pink Zebra Jasper and Rose Quartz Stretch Bracelet – A Grounded Loving Heart
Morganite and Rose Quartz Stretch Bracelet – Loving Serenity
Guided Meditation For Chronic Pain
A guided meditation is a wonderful tool to help keep your mind focused during the meditation because you’re focused on the direction of the voice. Guided meditation usually uses breathing and visualization techniques. For example, in some they guide you to breathe in light and watch it gather around the areas that are hurting you, cleansing the energy in that area. Then you visualize black smoke that contains that pain coming out of your mouth as you exhale. I find these very helpful, especially in the moment. I’m sharing a video below but you can search for “guided meditation for [enter ailment here]” and I’m sure you will find something for your specific needs.
A Few Final Thoughts
It’s important to remember that your pain isn’t the end of the story and won’t last forever. It is here for your growth, not your suffering. These are just a few types of meditation to use when managing pain. I hope you have found these helpful, but if you’re looking for something a little different, I will be sharing a few more types of meditation in the next blog.
I’m sending you all of my love and I’ll see you in the next one.
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