Managing physical pain

It seems to be a human trait to seek pleasure and avoid pain. And that the avoidance of pain/discomfort is a stronger pull than the desire to move towards pleasure/fun. It may go back to a primal thing…survival first, play later.

Furthermore, it tends to be easier to be present at times of enjoyment and positivity, but it’s all to easy to find an escape as soon as pain arises.

We touched on a similar subject back in April when we focused on listening to the body as part of sharpening the senses series. That was more focused on the mind/emotions and this week is more about awareness and management of physical pain.

You may have gathered this already, but here’s the primary Dojiva message in one sentence:

“Above all else, my goal is to provide inspiring writings and embodied classes that awaken and develop presence”.

Why? Because presence increases your potential for so much. E.g:

• A body that functions with efficiency
• A mind that is clear
• Focus and productivity at work
• The opportunity to know your purpose
• Stress management
• Emotional wellbeing
• Better food choices
• Reducing ‘fear of future’ and ‘regret of past’
• Relationship to self and others (through listening, compassion and empathy)
• Overall happiness
• Pain management 

This week we are focusing on this last point

I believe these can all be affected by how much you embrace what’s happening now. However, with so many distractions from modern life, being in the here and now can easily get forgotten. And when you do become present, sometimes it’s only the pain in your body that tells you that you are here. Not only do I want to see you experience less pain..

I want to see you enjoy your body as you move and interact through life.

There is an art to presence

And it does get better with practice and patience. To help you, I added the mindfulness tab to the membership site and it’s why all our exercise classes have body-listening throughout.

The truth is, it can be difficult to remain present during the more painful/stressful times of life. And that’s because it’s downright uncomfortable to be in pain and that’s when distractions become tempting. 

Distractions are the opposite to presence

So watch out for those times when you might be masking unwanted body sensations with pain killers, TV, food, alcohol, exercise, work, hobbies, etc. These may offer temporary relief, but for more lasting peace you might need to stop, listen and embrace your experience right in the moment.

And if you can to listen to your body during discomfort, it will help you to appreciate your body at other times. As with all things, it’s a journey, but I am trusting that you will be able to manage and reduce both acute and chronic pain.

Presence starts with what’s here

Here is a place of being grounded, body/breath aware and in a relaxed way, you are attentive to what’s happening.

But, mind and body can not be separated and on some level the mind is involved too. If allowed, it can amplify pain and also be what keeps pain alive.. effectively letting it ‘live on’ in the body.

Conversely the mind can be a tool to help manage pain and that simply involves being prepared to be quiet. Then, to notice present moment sensations in a non judgemental way.

Sensing in

A couple of this week’s classes have a more refined version than those first couple of minutes of sensing that open of our Dojiva exercise classes. They offer the potential to go deeper… an opportunity to clear out some old facets that maybe tainting your physical comfort and performance.

Summary

Here’s a seven step plan what to do now:

• Become more conscious of using distractions to mask pain. Noticing this is the first step 
• Then if possible, take time (even if just a few moments) to be with any pain from a calm and non-judgemental way
• Practice meditation everyday (this can be from 5 to 30 minutes)
• Get better at being present at mundane times such as chores
• Get support from body workers, postural coaches, masseurs. But during a session, be fully present to the treatment, otherwise it just becomes another distraction.
• Think positive about the potential for healing and being pain free
• Join in with all of this weeks 10 classes! 

Ok, that’s it for this week, thanks for reading

Take care

Danny