Are you experiencing the heavy burden of chronic pain?
We’ve all experienced acute pain that requires an immediate response: we have to take action, which may look like rest, cool packs, elevation of a swollen limb, anti-inflammatory nutrition, asking for help, or taking medication. Painkillers usually work here, but when it comes to chronic pain, they often don’t. It’s a different story when pain has become chronic, as people try to cope with it in their day-to-day lives.
Chronic pain is a complex human experience, and it is always real.
Whether there is a physical correlate of some tissue damage or not, the person in front of me is carrying a heavy, nagging burden.
When I am asked for guidance in the field of yoga therapy, I receive the greatest gift in the healthcare system from the client: his or her motivation and willingness to actively do something regularly for the betterment of their life and well-being.
This is what we can build upon together, exploring gentle movements (asana), breathing (pranayama), and relaxation (pratyahara), as well as compassionate self-inquiry (meditation). We are figuring out together what can be done in a non-strenuous and affectionate way.
Right at the first meet-and-greet, I offer the exploration of the least painful body position. Sitting might not be a good place to start an honest and emphatic conversation! It could be standing, walking, or even sometimes lying down, and hey, the Romans even ate like that. Why should we keep some common behaviors in place when the first minutes already potentially provide some relief and the act of self-efficacy: I can make changes to soothe my pain? Most doctors’ offices have a table, and the Australian doctors I recently met on a hike were so very excited about using my approach in future consultations!
It is the opposite of getting to know the triggers, which most pain patients have learned very well and filled pain diaries with. I teach them to find the “glimmers,” meaning to become aware of times of relief and the outer and inner circumstances around that.
The key is learning to differentiate the experience of pain intensity and cultivate the precious moments of ease. Healing is a process, and processes need time.
Sense, feel, move, pause, repeat.
Which movements can be done without accelerating the pain, and where is a good place to start that provides the opportunity for open awareness (lying on the back, side, prone, all fours, and so on)? These need to be simple enough to be repeated without any insecurity of making mistakes!
What pace allows for non-harming (ahimsa), immediacy, and curiosity (cure is the root word here), with the effects present?
Can we befriend the breath so it might soothe the pain and support strength building?
What posture and duration offer deep relaxation to integrate the experience?
Can affirmations (Sankalpa) point out new ways of perception and inner dialogue?
Through the individualized practice of yoga and my somatic approach together, we direct mindfulness to the subtle sensations of the body, allowing us to tune into the inner signs of vitality and aliveness. You will notice how you hold your body in space, where there are tensions and blockages, how the breath flows, what is happening in the nervous system, and your emotions deeply connecting from within. Contraction and expansion, spirals in the twist, and centering into the midline direct you into a whole new intimacy with the unique signature of your physiology. Out of the head, into the body.
When it comes to observing day-to-day life, I encourage people to become their own scientists. Many findings are accidental discoveries. What we think is helpful or harmful, can we question it and try out something else?
The core questions here are:Is the pain the same day in and day out, or does the pain scale change according to the situation I am in right now? Morning or evening, warm or cold, dry or wet, company or time alone, the work we do or don’t do?
Is the pause or some action helpful, a walk in nature, or lying down on the couch? Be creative with your needs. Question whether you are too tired right now, and try activity instead.
Are you only satisfied when the task is done? Simply interrupt in the middle of it, take a break, and see how you can get back into it differently.
If sleep was more recovering last night, what was different the day before?
When talking to a dear friend, how does pain show up, or even eventually disappear?
Meet yourself with heartfelt curiosity and the knowledge that everything you know about yourself is growing and changing with you.
Question your habits, even the tried and tested, and experiment light-heartedly with small and big steps.
Move differently, learn something new, look closely, and feel, really.
Change a little something in your daily routine. Break the routine to respond differently. Experiment with who you think you are, and you will be amazed at what is possible.
