Many people deal with physical pain on a regular basis. It can be hard to function when one's body is feeling such discomfort.

The good news is that something can be done about this.

It starts with learning about aligning the mind to help heal the body, through positive visualization, stress reduction through meditation, addressing anxiety or depression with coping strategies, and removing negative thoughts/associations/beliefs that have been received by the body and are manifesting as illness/pain. 

Some questions to consider in examining the roots of this are: 
- What negative beliefs do I hold about myself that may be contributing to my symptoms? 
- What “blocked” emotions may be contributing to this physical illness, especially as connected to relationships with others? 
- Who have I not forgiven (including myself)?

There are many studies that show that working with the subconscious mind (especially through hypnosis) can help with medical conditions. One study (Check and Lecron, 1968) showed that “reducing emotional intrapsychic conflicts associated with one’s health and illness can be worked through with hypnotherapy,” and another study (Hall, Longo and Dixon (1982) indicated that the “capacity of hypnotic suggestion to modulate the function and activity of the immune system by changing the number and response capacity of T and B cells.” (Torem, 2007) 

One can learn self-hypnosis to manage discomfort with: disassociation (imagery of a peaceful place), visualizations for pain control (turning down a dial or closing a gate), glove anesthesia (imagining your hand as numb and putting your hand on the discomfort), metaphors/symbols/imagery (like going through a tunnel) to “talk to the pain.”

I am delighted to offer a Managing Pain meditation to offer you some strategies and visualizations that help with discomfort you are experiencing in your body. I hope it is helpful in some way.
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Merging the spiritual with the real world, Rachel Horton White helps people release negative patterns in their lives, with practical tools like mindfulness, energy and intuition exercises, to connect with their true, inner selves through this massive, planetary shift in consciousness. Through her work in Soulful Work Intuitive Consulting, Rachel facilitates groups of soul-seekers and spiritual entrepreneurs, has a meditation podcast called The Courageous Path and writes for various online publications. With a diploma in Integrative Healing Arts from the Southwest Institute for Healing Arts, Rachel is a certified clinical hypnotherapist, mindfulness teacher, life coach, reader of the Akashic Records, tree-hugger and loves connecting with angels. Rachel also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Wellesley College and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia, yet claims her true education came from studying abroad in Dakar, Senegal. Her new book, Tools for the Awakening Soul: A Guide to Activate Your Intuition and Uncover Your Life's Purpose, has just been released! Rachel now lives on a homestead in mid-coast Maine where she and her husband homeschool their two bright, energetic children. You can find Rachel, along with meditations and writing tools, at www.soulfulworkconsulting.com.

Music by Chris Kemp White (www.chriskempwhite.com). Image by Nitish Goswami of Unsplash.

Managing Pain Meditation

10/25/2025, Dainin Marsha Angus, dharma talk at City Center. Dainin Marsha Angus teaches about cultivating and mental and physical capacity to settle into stillness.

Cultivating Stillness in Turbulent Times

11/01/2025, Zenshin Florence Caplow, dharma talk at City Center. Zenshin Florence Caplow offers stories and teachings from her life as both a Zen practitioner and person with chronic illness, and readings from her new book, “Tend to Your Spirit: Mindful Living With Chronic Illness.”

Tend to Your Spirit: Teachings from Illness

11/02/2025, Gyokuden Stephanie Blank, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Gyokuden Steph Blank honors the effort and awakening of our ancestors and calls on us—the living—to rise up in support of Decency, Dignity and Awakening.

Awakening Together is APT

10/26/2025, Sessei Meg Levie, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm.
Sessei Meg Levie reflects on Suzuki Roshi’s dedication to zazen, his work with early students in San Francisco, and the creation of the San Francisco Zen Center.

Suzuki Roshi's Legacy and Our Path of Practice

11/16/2025, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho teaches that sometimes it is necessary to be for or against but there is a broader context in which this is not always necessary.

Arising in Unimaginable Awareness

12/07/2025, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler reflects on a line from the Song of the Trusting Mind, “If you want the Way to manifest, then hold no opinion for or against,” by drawing on five aspects of practice in Suzuki Roshi’s teaching: posture, breathing, warm heart, empty mind, and oneness with things.

Opinions and “The Way”

12/13/2025, Keiryu Liên Shutt, dharma talk at City Center. Keiryu Liên Shutt presents an informal comparison of Soto Zen and Insight practices within the context of The Three Marks of Existence.

Two Directions, One Way: Reflections on U.S. Soto Zen and Insight Buddhism

12/17/2025, Shundo David Haye, dharma talk at City Center. Shundo reflects on two recent deaths in his family, and what our practice can teach us about facing death and cherishing life.

Great Is The Matter

12/27/2025, Nyokai Kristin Diggs, dharma talk at City Center. Nyokai Kristin Diggs talks about the non-separation of feeling, sensing, and thinking as they relate to giving, as a whole-being practice and a state of mind that reflects the always-unhindered, underlying truth of our undivided lives.

Undivided Giving: Empty Hands, Full Life

This meditation will help to clear away old, stuck stuff that is ready to be removed from your body, to make way for the lighter, freer future self just waiting for you.

In this meditation and musing, we work with the energy of Ganesha, the remover obstacles. With his gentle guidance, we do some breathwork to cleanse and clear stuck energy.

Then, the gentle light and beauty of Lakshmi comes in to help us be rebirthed like a lotus flower in spring. Through the pathway of light out of our hearts, we see and feel ourselves awakening to a new day, with lightness in our step and with hopeful hearts, moving forward in a path of light into our highest and best future.

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Merging the spiritual with the real world, Rachel Horton White helps people release negative patterns in their lives, with practical tools like mindfulness, energy and intuition exercises, to connect with their true, inner selves. Through her work in Soulful Work Intuitive Consulting, Rachel facilitates groups of soul-seekers and spiritual entrepreneurs, has a meditation podcast called The Courageous Path and writes a lot. With a diploma in Integrative Healing Arts from the Southwest Institute for Healing Arts, Rachel is a life coach, hypnotherapist, mindfulness teacher, intuitive reader, tree-hugger and loves to talk to angels. Rachel also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Wellesley College and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia, yet claims her true education came from studying abroad in Dakar, Senegal. Her recent book is a spiritual toolkit called Tools for the Awakening Soul: A Guide to Activate Your Intuition and Uncover Your Life's Purpose. Rachel lives on a homestead in mid-coast Maine where she and her husband homeschool their two bright, energetic children. You can find Rachel, along with the book, meditations and writing tools, at www.soulfulworkconsulting.com or www.rachelhortonwhite.com.

Music by Chris Kemp White (www.chriskempwhite.com). Photo by Timur Kozmenko of Unsplash.

Meditation: Energy Clearing and Future Self with Ganesha and Lakshmi

I am a seeker of truth, intuitive counselor, hypnotherapist, and homeschooling mother. I created this podcast to share with you guided meditations to help us quiet our minds and find the courage to access our true, inner selves for our expanded consciousness and collective healing. I also share some past interviews I've done with inspiring and brave people. I'm also the founder of Soulful Work Intuitive Consulting. I recently published a guidebook, called Tools for the Awakening Soul. Music is by my talented husband Chris Kemp White (https://chriskempwhite.com/). You can learn more about me at www.soulfulworkconsulting.com, for free handouts, meditations and the guidebook Tools for the Awakening Soul, to help you to release, expand and just feel better. I hope you enjoy.