08-28-2017, 04:50 PM
Chronic pain is a prevalent and potentially debilitating condition. Carla dealt with it for much of her life, and few people have the natural grace to do that as well as she.
Although not in pain myself, I have recently asked for and received some very clear spiritual guidance on how to deal with pain, and wanted to share it with you - for yourself or someone you know.
This technique works by transforming how your brain interprets signals from your nervous system: what was once perceived as an alarm, can become a more gentle signal.
Method: Focus internally on the pain, and allow the pain to wash over you in waves, like the ocean, while remaining perfectly still and centered emotionally. "Relaxed" is somewhat of a misnomer for the state involved, but more composed as opposed to panicky, frantic or desperate to do something about it.
One way to achieve this calm and centered state is to allow yourself to become gently curious about the quality of the pain, as opposed to emotionally intense about it. (Clearly, having a sound foundation in a mindfulness practice will be helpful).
Doing this in 15 minute intervals, then getting up and moving around and focusing on something else is advised.
As you are able to relax and allow the pain to wash over you, the aversive quality of the pain will diminish as the brain retunes itself to accept the signal as normative, as opposed to disordered, or as signaling indicative of a problem.
The consequence is that the pain becomes less of a bother and you will be able to experience the pain, but not be so strongly impacted by that experience. Instead of being highly disruptive, it could become just a nuisance - more like an itch than pain.
How does this work?
When we focus a calm and welcoming mind on a sensory experience, we are transforming its meaning at the physiological level within the brain matrix. We are saying that this is no longer an aversive experience -- this is an interesting experience. Circuits associated with interest and curiosity, rather than circuits associated with danger, avoidance and fear, become active. The more you pursue this approach toward pain, the more the quality of the pain will be transformed.
Although not in pain myself, I have recently asked for and received some very clear spiritual guidance on how to deal with pain, and wanted to share it with you - for yourself or someone you know.
This technique works by transforming how your brain interprets signals from your nervous system: what was once perceived as an alarm, can become a more gentle signal.
Method: Focus internally on the pain, and allow the pain to wash over you in waves, like the ocean, while remaining perfectly still and centered emotionally. "Relaxed" is somewhat of a misnomer for the state involved, but more composed as opposed to panicky, frantic or desperate to do something about it.
One way to achieve this calm and centered state is to allow yourself to become gently curious about the quality of the pain, as opposed to emotionally intense about it. (Clearly, having a sound foundation in a mindfulness practice will be helpful).
Doing this in 15 minute intervals, then getting up and moving around and focusing on something else is advised.
As you are able to relax and allow the pain to wash over you, the aversive quality of the pain will diminish as the brain retunes itself to accept the signal as normative, as opposed to disordered, or as signaling indicative of a problem.
The consequence is that the pain becomes less of a bother and you will be able to experience the pain, but not be so strongly impacted by that experience. Instead of being highly disruptive, it could become just a nuisance - more like an itch than pain.
How does this work?
When we focus a calm and welcoming mind on a sensory experience, we are transforming its meaning at the physiological level within the brain matrix. We are saying that this is no longer an aversive experience -- this is an interesting experience. Circuits associated with interest and curiosity, rather than circuits associated with danger, avoidance and fear, become active. The more you pursue this approach toward pain, the more the quality of the pain will be transformed.