One thing I have learned from working with people with chronic pain is that it is very challenging for them to trust their own Bodies. They tell me things like: “my body has let me down”, “I am afraid that if I move too much, or in the wrong way, my body will hurt even more”.
In this common scenario of mistrust, it is not surprising that people will try to ignore the messages coming from their body so that they don’t have to feel the pain. The thing is though….they also end up ignoring all of the other sensations coming from their body!
This is why it is so important to start to feel your body once again in order to start your healing journey. If the pain and other sensations are being ignored, how will you know when and if there has been a change? If the pain and other sensations are being ignored, how will you know if the exercise, or treatment, or medication is providing the desired result?
It is only when you are able to feel again, that you will be able to experience that spark of hope that is ignited when you notice, for the first time in a long time, that your pain can change!
Just last week I had the honor of witnessing and acknowledging this moment with a client who has chronic SI joint pain. It was our second session working together, and she had just done a movement I like to call the goddess squat. As she moved from where she had completed the exercise over to another place in the room, she seemed a little brighter, a little lighter on her feet, so I asked her how her SI joint pain was feeling? She paused (her response to all previous questions about her SI joint had been a quick “it’s fine”)…..placed her hand over her SI joint area and said “I think it might be a little better?”. There it was! The moment when she realized that change might be possible. The spark of hope that comes from her being able to feel a shift, even a small one, in her pain levels. It is a truly beautiful thing.
Once that spark of hope has been light, it’s like a mindset shift occurs and thoughts of “my body has let me down” can slowly start to shift towards “my body and its sensations might be able to help me feel better”. There is trust growing between the person and their body.
Here is a short video of me teaching the Goddess Squat – give it a try if you like!
VIDEO
There are a couple of options for you to learn more about working with a Physiotherapist who does physio differently by integrating Yoga Therapy into her practice:
- Check out the Movement Experience Lab where we are always learning how to listen to and trust our bodies through mindful movement.
- Download my Do Physio Differently guide to learn more about working with me 1:1
Questions? Click here to email us. We are always happy to hear from you.
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