Male Announcer: You’re listening to From Pain to Possibility with Susi Hately. You will hear Susi’s best ideas on how to reduce or even eradicate your pain and learn how to listen to your body when it whispers so you don’t have to hear it scream. And now here’s your host, Susi Hately.

Welcome and welcome back. I’m so glad that you’re here because today we continue the healing and synergy miniseries. And this is a practice of R&R sleep meditation and the reason why I’m walking you through this practice is because oftentimes in the healing process we can find ourselves kind of wrapped up into the kind of back and forth-ness of getting better and then not, and getting better and then not.

And I’ll sometimes draw this when I’m teaching trainees or my clients where we can fall into this pattern of, okay, here’s a symptom, and then we find something to fix it. And that fix it provides some relief, but then it doesn’t stick. And it’s easy to fall into this place of, ugh, like a resignation or like, ugh. Whatever word you want to describe, ugh. And there might be frustration.

And then because there’s this inner knowing and deep knowing of like, I know I can get this fixed, then there’s going back to fix it. We get inspired by somebody else who went through something similar, or we see something that innately we feel is going to be the right thing and we try that. And then it might work for a period of time and then it doesn’t. And it’s like, ugh, right?

And then a number of times back and forth through the spectrum we can then land into a place of resignation. We can land into a place of toleration and maybe it’s just not for me. And maybe it’s just my age or maybe it’s just my anatomy or maybe it’s the fill-in-the-blank, and onward this goes. And this is classic through the healing process. It’s classic for human beings.

And so this practice is one of exploring this spectrum, and I call this the opposites. And I’ve spoken about the opposites in other practices. I’ve done Yoga Nidras that incorporate the opposites. It’s very, I find, for clientele, for myself, for the trainees that I work with, the opposites are a really powerful practice.

And here is one reason I think it’s so powerful, because when we are moving in between those so-called opposites, the fix it to the whatever, fill in the blank whether it’s resignation, denial, tolerating, whichever. When we’re moving between those spaces it’s very much in our conscious mind. It’s like our logical, left side prefrontal cortex, that’s all kind of running along also our left amygdala. So it’s like left-sided brain stuff.

And that’s only part of the conversation. It’s a reasonable part of the conversation, but we can solve all of our problems with that side of our brain. So when I’m working with people, one of the reasons why yoga therapy is so powerful is because it incorporates the right side of the brain as well.

So when we can allow the right side to help downregulate, to help body sense, to help settle that left side down, we kind of come into this embodied interoceptive state where we feel more. And we’re thinking, it’s not that we’re taking away thinking, but the thinking is coming from what feels to be a different space.

The insights and the a-has, people will say they just sort of bubble up or they emerge or there’s this, I don’t know, other feel about them. Another quality to them that is slower. That is, I want to say more true because when I taught this with clients and with trainees, the responses or the answers that come have a more rooted indelible response in terms of making progress. As opposed to this fix it resignation. There’s just this different clarity and a different impact.

So with this practice today I want to help nurture this along for you. You can get a feel for how I teach it so you can start to explore it in your own self. You can explore it with your clientele and just notice the feel of it. Like notice the experience and how it lands.

Now, if you are interested more in this I’m going to be listing the other R&R sleep meditations that I’ve done on this podcast, as well as an interview about the opposites that I did earlier this year with Anne Douglas who’s the creator of the R&R Sleep Meditation, and she’s someone in our certification program who certifies people in the R&R sleep meditation process. The opposite practice is a really big piece of that.

All right, so let’s get rolling. Where you can take yourself now is into a comfortable position. And you can pause me while you get your stuff together in terms of what will bring comfort to you. Comfort might be a sitting position. It might be a standing position. It might be laying on the ground, on your side, on your belly. It might be curled up with your pooch. It might be anything, really.

I’ve done sleep meditations with a body pillow. I’ve done them on my belly. I’ve really done them in a lot of arenas. I’ve even done them walking along the street, so long as you are going to be clear in your mind and you won’t kind of fade out. Just make a wise choice on that one. But really, the key is are you in a space that can be comfortable, that can cultivate alertness and engagement?

Now having said that last sentence, sometimes what happens with these sleep meditation practices is we fall asleep. And that’s completely okay. I figure if someone is listening to this and is falling asleep, then that is really what their system needs. And that is fantastic if that is what you need and that is what you can give to yourself.

So if you wake up later and you’re like, oh, I missed all of that or some of that, it’s all good. You’ll find that as you nurture and nourish yourself maybe with more of these types of practices and as you’re able to sustain your ability to be alert, it just becomes a different experience. Not a better experience, just a different experience.

All right, so once you’re ready we’ll get rolling. And again you can pause me if you’re not quite ready. Let’s get going here.

Welcome to this practice of R&R sleep meditation. And in this practice, everything that I’m offering is an invitation. So the words that I’m choosing, the directions that I’m offering, you have the choice at any moment to follow that invitation, to follow that offer or to not. To choose something that feels more appropriate or more interesting to you.

If you feel uncomfortable with anything that I am offering, then you can go back to the previous one. And if any of my words don’t work for you, you can replace them with your own words.

And as you’ve settled into this relaxed position that you’re in, scan your body and notice if you can be even a little more comfortable. I like to say 10 or 15% more comfortable. And your eyes can be open or closed.

Now imagine you can make a wish for anything right now. What might it be? What might be your best intention or outcome for this practice? And it can be anything at all. Whether it’s for health or healing, whether it’s for meditative insight, anything at all.

And you can formulate that into one sentence that is in present time, as if you have already received this wish. I am... I have... And once you have this in a one sentence affirmation say it to yourself three times. And we’ll come back to this wish or intention toward the end of the practice.

Take a moment now and recall or imagine a place where you feel a sense of calm or ease or safety. It might be a room in your home or a place in nature, with someone you love, a pet, a spiritual being. Imagine anything here that contributes to a sense of ease and well-being.

As you imagine yourself in this space or with this being or pet or person, notice how it is that you feel. Perhaps there’s a soothing or a calm. You can come back to this state, to this feeling at any time throughout this practice.

Now become aware of the sensations through your whole body. Feel the surface on which you are positioned, whether you’re laying down or seated or standing. Feel the contact points between the part of your body that’s touching the surface. Feeling the air on your exposed skin.

And then bring your attention to the sensations in your left foot and feel the whole of the left foot and simply feel it, whatever is there. The sole of the foot. The top of the foot. The big toe. The second toe. The third toe. The fourth toe. The baby toe. Now feel the whole left foot at once. Feel your ankle, the left ankle, calf, shin, knee, and thigh. Feel your left hip.

And now feel the sensations in your right foot. All of the right foot. The sole of your foot. The top of your foot. The big toe. The second toe. The third toe. The fourth toe. The baby toe. And now feel your whole right foot at once, feeling the sensations in your right ankle, calf, shin, knee, and thigh. Feel your right hip.

Notice as you’re feeling these sensations in each part of your body that it spontaneously relaxes without even trying to. Feel your pelvis. The sides of your pelvis. The back of your pelvis. The whole pelvic bowl. Now feel the sensations in your lower back and abdomen. The lower rib cage. Your chest and upper back.

Feeling the whole torso now at once, the front and the back, the inside and outside. Feel it all at once. And as you continue to follow my invitations to feel sensations in your body, you might be aware of a deeper sense of inner calm and peace as your body relaxes deeper and deeper, your mind quieting, captivated, and focused, nurtured by sensation.

Feel your left shoulder. Left upper arm. Left elbow. Left forearm. Left wrist. Palm. Back of the left hand. Left thumb. Index finger. Middle finger. Ring finger. Baby finger. Feel the sensations in the whole of the left hand.

Feel your right shoulder. Your right upper arm. Your right elbow. Right forearm. Wrist. Palm. Back of the right hand. Right thumb. Index finger. Middle finger. Ring finger. Baby finger. Feel the sensations in the whole of the right hand.

Feel both of your shoulders at once now. Feel both of your arms and both hands. Now feel your neck. The whole of your neck. The back of your neck. The front of your neck. The connection of your neck to your head. The back of your head. Top of your head. Your forehead. Feel your head relax.

Feel the sensations in your left ear. Ear lobe. The whole of your left ear. And then feel the sensations in your right ear. Ear lobe. The whole of your right ear. Feeling both ears at once.

Feel the sensations around your left eye. Eyelid. The whole of your left eye. And your right eye. Eyelid. The whole of the right eye. And feel both eyes at once. Feeling the sensations around your nose, the movement of your breath in and out of the nostrils. Feeling both your nose and the air, the breath, at once.

Feeling the sensations in and around your mouth. Your tongue. The roof and the floor of your mouth. The left side wall of your mouth. The right side wall. Feeling the lips and the muscles around your lips. And now feel your whole head at once.

Feel your whole body now, all the sensations in your whole body at once. Noticing how relaxed your body and mind are simply from feeling sensations.

Bring attention to your breath now, feeling the inhale and the exhale. Feeling the breath move in your body. Notice the rhythm. Inhale and exhale.

Begin to notice the right side of your body again. Become aware of the sensations through the right side of your body. Feeling the right side of your body. Now feel the left side of your body. Feeling the left side of your body.

Feel the right side of your body. Feeling the right side. And then feel the left side of your body. The left side. Now feel both the right side and the left side at once. Your mind can’t do both at once. You can’t think your way into feeling right side and left side at once. This is a feeling inquiry, expanding your awareness to feel both right and left at once.

Now tune into the sensation of heaviness in your body. Notice where you feel a heaviness, the sensation of heavy. Where does this live in your body? Now feel the sensations of lightness in your body, feeling light or buoyant. Now feel heaviness again. Feeling your body as heavy. And feel light again, feeling light in your body.

Now feel both heavy and light at once, allowing your awareness to feel both heavy and light at once. Notice what emerges as you expand the aperture of your awareness.

Now bring into your awareness a feeling or a sensation that you would like to fix. Maybe it’s a pain or a tightness or tension or a strain or any sensation. Consider the quality and what that sensation feels like and consider what its opposite is. Where does that opposite live in your body?

So let’s begin. Notice that sensation, that sensation that you would like to fix. Where does that live in your body? Where do you feel that sensation? Feel its sensation. And now feel the opposite. And where do you feel that in your body?

Now go back to the original sensation, feeling that in your body. And its opposite. Where do you feel that in your body? Move between these on your own rhythm. Allowing both to be present. Allowing both to be experienced.

Now feel both at once. The mind can’t do both at once. You can’t think your way into both at once. This is a feeling inquiry. Sometimes there’s an expansion of awareness or enlightenment or insight or a-ha, or a new level of awareness arises.

Now come back to the intention or wish that you began with at the beginning of this practice. And restate it to yourself in this new state. And what new insight or awareness may have arisen as you state it to yourself three times?

Imagine your wish or intention is true. Take a moment and imagine your life with this as true. How does it change the way you live your life? What else do you notice? How do you feel? What do you feel?

Taking a moment now and coming back into your body, feeling it resting here. Aware of the sensation. Aware of your wish or intention come true. Feeling your inhale and your exhale. Connecting with your feet, your hands, your head.

Gradually begin to deepen your breath, bringing gentle movement to your fingers and toes. Slowly opening your eyes. And if you’re settling into a relaxed state and nap, or perhaps sleep, then have a lovely rest. And if you’re carrying on with your day, have a great rest of your day, allowing for the sensation and insights into your wish to percolate through you. Happy exploring.

If this episode has resonated and you’re looking to deepen this idea of getting your body back on board, of listening deeply to your symptoms, of listening to the whispers so you don’t have to hear the screams, and you’re looking for one to one support or professional training, then reach out to us at [email protected] where we can customize your learning path. That’s [email protected]. Looking forward to hearing from you.