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Stillness and Non-Judging
This meditation borrows a technique from a chronic pain study that researched the effects of equanimity on chronic pain. Though the study was small, the effect was very encouraging.
Gunas Meditation
This is an incredibly valuable practice. It is a wonderful introduction to mindfulness but also enhances interoception. Interoception is the sense of ones body and it has been shown in research to reduce pain intensity in those suffering from chronic pain and augment self compassion. I assign this to nearly every chronic pain client at some stage of their program.
Free Floating Awareness Meditation
This is one of the first meditation practices that I discovered for chronic pain. I have adapted it from Tinzen Young’s version and used it hundreds of time for myself and frequently with my clients as well. Free Floating awareness encourages you to look at your discomfort through a lens of safety which is an important element in healing.
Dhyana Meditation
Pain Science tells us that when you have been in pain for awhile, you can have trouble feeling non-pain sensations in the body. This meditation is a gateway into a fuller spectrum of body feelings. developing interoception and accuracy in detecting sensations is an important step toward healing.
Sitting Meditation on Sitting
For anyone who has suffered from back or neck pain, the innocent state of sitting can be a special kind of hell. Even for our pain free friends, sitting is so frought with controversy. It seems that no matter what, we can’t seem to do it right. This meditation is a gentle period of somatic education and an opportunity to observe the incredible body as it supports you in your seated position.