Pain, is it your friend or foe?

The Pain in your brain is ready to wane.  Your body deserves to be heard!

Pain is a huge problem for us as humans! It is incredibly distracting and uncomfortable…or is it? Depending on what kind of pain you have, chronic or acute, and the severity of it, this can be a major factor in your life.  I have been in the practice of moving towards my pain, at the suggestion of my yoga teacher.  When experiencing mild to moderate discomfort, I focus my attention at the sight of my pain, and surprisingly it helps to manage it, and I learn a lot! It seems to me if we turn away from pain, in addition to any anticipation of pain, our bodies tense, we contract our muscles, and pain takes a greater hold of our consciousness.  Moving towards the sensation allows it to be just that, more “sensational”, full of feeling, and can take on so many different kinds of feelings that it expands away from only “pain”.  This is not the easiest practice I am inviting you to take on, until you get into the habit of it.  Once you experiment with this, your body will tell you so many detailed stories about itself and how you and your physical vessel can best live harmoniously.

I think of my sensations as a variety of talking people, usually children.  When I have an aching back and I find myself saying “go away, go away, I don’t have time for you now”, I catch myself and wonder “what if I were saying that to a hungry child?” That would have a serious and negative impact their life.  Just as a child making a basic request, YOUR BODY DESERVES TO BE HEARD! When taking the time to let my attention settle into my aching back, I remember that I am moving too quickly, with less than ideal posture, and I could use my abdominal muscles more to support my body and the impact of daily life, and gravity.  This has an immediate effect.  This also gives me further information that I need to do more strengthening, especially in my abdomen and also get more sleep and drink more water…all from the sensation in my back while doing the dishes.

It has taken me years to be honest with myself and willing to actually listen to my body in this way, but acupuncture has greatly supported my exploration and enhanced it.  It feels so empowering to have this relationship and communication with myself.  I realize that my body’s talking all the time!

I also realize the amazing sensations I experience when I receive an acupuncture treatment.  I used to turn away from the sensation or mild “pain” of the needle, but by focusing on the area being needled and also by deep breathing, I can feel the energy, or qi moving though out my body.  This is one of the most amazing and indescribable sensations I have ever experienced.  It truly feels magical.