Now let me place a caveat right here before I get a bunch of angry comments ;-)... I'm not suggesting you should ignore a serious illness or dr's diagnosis, I'm simply suggesting that maybe you might want to take a moment to consider the root cause of your pain symptoms.
Learning to listen to your body and recognizing what it is trying to tell you.
What is pain?
- its an emergency signal designed for protection
- a sensation in your body that alerts you to a potential danger to your system
- it is highly subjective and can be impacted by life events
"The biology of pain is never really straight forward, even when it appears to be." ~ G. Lorimer Moseley
Acute Pain vs Chronic Pain
Acute:
- comes on suddenly and is caused by something specific
- often 'sharp' in quality
- typically does not last longer than 6 months
Chronic:
- ongoing
- can continue after an injury or illness has healed
- its possible there is no known injury or apparent cause to link it to at all
- people with chronic pain often have elevated levels of physical and emotional stress
What is the 'societal norm' when dealing with pain?
* Fight it *Medicate or numb it *Push through/power through *Ignore it *Overcome it *Stand up to it *Shove it down
Resistance to pain only makes it worse
Surrender to the grief, despair, fear, loneliness or whatever form the suffering takes. Witness it without labeling it mentally. Embrace it. Then see how the miracle of surrender transmutes deep suffering into deep peace. ~ Eckhart Tolle #thepowerofnow #surrender #embrace
What if: you stopped trying to fight your pain and simply learned to listen?
What is your pain trying to tell you?
Lets Look at Some Emotional Aspects of Pain
When someone experiences emotional pain, it activates the same area of the brain as physical pain. Pain is always a physical experience as well as an emotional one. And all emotions have a motor component ---> happy = smile ... you get my point.
Trying to hide your feelings still brings on a micro-momentary activation. Furthermore... emotional pain may be located in the body in those places where an expression was meant to happen but failed to materialize.
Body syndromes are trends of issues that can show up in these areas...
Below you will see a drawing I did to give you a bit of a visual, I apologize, I will never claim to be an artist but you get my point :-) Hopefully you can see the color distinguishing between the head/throat/heart/chest:purple, shoulders:red, arms/hands:light blue, mid section:green, hips down:dark blue
Shoulders - responsibility/burdens
Throat - verbal self expression
Heart - grief/sorrow/sadness/loss
Chest - guilt/shame/unworthiness
Upper back - lack of emotional support
Low back - worry/financial stress
Reproductive/lower intestines - rejection/betrayal/insecurity about mortality
Hands - holding on/letting go
Learning to Listen to the Pain
** Set a timer for 3-5 minutes (this part is important, as you don't want to spend too much time dwelling here) Then, get quiet and focus on your breath. Deep belly breaths where you extend your belly and visualize filling your body with oxygen starting at your toes and moving upward, just like you would fill a glass with liquid. Making sure to fully exhale and expel ALL your breath before repeating.
** Tune in to the pain and notice without judgement what you are feeling. Allow. Acknowledge.
** As you start to notice and connect with that pain energy or feeling, ask your body "what are you trying to tell me?"
** Listen. I mean REALLY listen. Your head may want to jump in and say things like 'this is stupid' or 'this isn't working'. Acknowledge your brain for its contribution, then refocus on your breath and your pain energy.
** Take several minutes here, as you need to tune in and ground down. Your body WANTS to tell you what it needs. Honor that, Whatever it is
** Notice what shifts over the next few hours and days
Please feel free to share your experience in the comments, I'd love to hear from you
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