PESI Meditations
The following mediations are from The Psychotherapy Toolbox for Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain.
Meditation 2.12.2 Imagine Wellness
Imagination is a powerful way to help your brain remember what being well feels like. Use this following meditation to imagine how you would feel if you were well.
Sometimes our minds get really busy and we keep thinking about things that aren’t important or that don’t feel good, especially during illness or pain. This meditation helps you practice noticing your thoughts and feelings and letting go of them without paying attention to or engaging with them. This practice helps you gain control of your thoughts by dismissing unwanted thoughts and staying focused on the present.
Meditation 2.14 Staying Calm During Medical Procedures
Practice the following guided meditation several times a day until you can do it easily and effortlessly. The more you practice it when you aren’t experiencing any worry, fear, panic, or claustrophobia, the easier and more effective it will be to use when you are feeling distressed. Then you can use it before—and potentially during—any medical test or procedure that is difficult for you.
Meditation 3.9 Remembered Wellness
During illness or pain, it can be difficult to remember a time when you felt well. This meditation uses the power of your imagination to think back to a time when you felt wholly and completely well—with no painful or uncomfortable symptoms—so that you can bring along this “remembered wellness” into the present day.
Meditation 3.10 Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a simple and effective way to relax your body and decrease pain. To begin, find yourself a comfortable position and take three deep belly breaths, exhaling slowly each time. As you exhale, imagine that the tension throughout your body is beginning to flow away.
This body scan meditation will help you become more mindful of your bodily sensations and reduce tension that you are holding in your body. It is a great antidote to stress, as it quickly gets you out of your head.
Meditation 3.12 Relaxation Response
The relaxation response is a simple practice that can significantly improve your mental, emotional, and physical health, especially during chronic illness or pain. It involves two simple steps (1) repeating a word, sound, or phrase to yourself as you exhale, and (2) dismissing everyday thoughts that come to mind and returning your focus to your repetition.
Meditation 4.A.1 Awareness of Pain Without Judgement
Noticing your pain without trying to change, resist, or judge it can help you avoid tensing up in reaction to pain. This can allow you to better accept the pain and gradually lessen pain perception. Use this meditation to practice being aware of your pain and accepting it without fighting it.
Meditation 4.A.2.3 Mindfulness of Surroundings
Focusing your attention on your surroundings is an effective way to distract yourself from stress, illness or pain and bring your attention to the present moment. Use this meditation to practice noticing everything there is to notice about your surroundings.
Meditation 4.A.5.4 Self As Observer
This exercise is intended to help you develop your “observer” skills so you can release any labels or self-judgments you have created that may not be helpful. This can help you separate yourself from your thoughts, surroundings, and pain and become an observer rather than a participant. By practicing this, you can learn to observe your pain without letting it define who you are.
Meditation 4.B.3 Change Your Relationship to Pain
This meditation will help you change your relationship with pain so your body stops reacting to the danger signal that your brain is generating. With time, you can rewire your brain so it stops generating pain that doesn’t exist.
Meditation 5.6 Healing Meditation
Meditation can be a powerful tool to calm you and set the stage for healing. Use this meditation to imagine a white light clearing out and healing your illness or pain. You may picture the light as simply a warm light or, if desired, give it meaning such as divine love and healing or a powerful force that erases illness.
Meditation 5.7 Tapping Into Intuition/Inner Wisdom
Connecting with your intuition can provide useful information that may help you with your chronic pain or illness. Use this meditation to practice tapping into your intuition to request and receive guidance that you need to make important decisions, to assist you with a difficult issue, or for clarity.
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