Episode 26: Somatic Tracking, a Meditation for Pain

Podcast Notes:

This is a special episode where I take you through a 15 minute somatic tracking/meditation exercise.

Chronic Pain is mainly neuroplastic pain (pain creasted by the brain and felt in the body).

It is usually interpreted with certain thoughts or emotions

-fear, frustration, uncertainty, despair, sadness,

There are thoughts like what did I do? How long will this last? How can I get rid of the pain? How can I avoid it?

We may think there are certain positions that are safe and some that are dangerous.

These thought and feelings reinforce to the brain that there is something to be scared of, which strengthens the neural pathways that produce more pain

Somatic tracking is a way to reframe the sensations in your body from a lens of neutrality or safety.  It helps you change understanding of what the actual sensation is.  In chronic pain the brain is over reacting to perfectly neutral totally safe sensations.  When pain is no longer dangerous, the brain stops making more pain.