There are people who, at the first hint of painful sensations (both in the body and in the soul), try to get rid of the negative sensation. And there are people who are literally saturated with pain: they got used to it and, it seems, can no longer live without each other. How to build a relationship with pain? Is it really needed for some reason?
I teach spinal workshops that help people deal with back pain. Therefore, I, as Doctor Strange said, with someone else’s pain on «you.» And I know for sure that this is a great development tool. How can it be useful to us? How to build a relationship with pain so that it becomes an engine of progress, and does not plunge you into chronic suffering?
Step 1: Recognize that she is. It would seem that it could be simpler: it hurts! But we are so arranged that we can ignore almost any sensation (unless it suddenly fell on us). For example, back pain often develops gradually: it hurts here, it pulls there … “Well, okay! Then I’ll figure it out.» This is how habitual tensions are formed in the body, which the body learns to perceive as the norm. They negatively affect blood circulation, increase, slowly undermine health, but are ignored to the last. Therefore, I urge you to face the fact that pain — in the back, head or soul — is not the norm. If something ached somewhere, it is necessary to recognize this as an unnatural phenomenon that requires attention.
The attitude towards pain for many is at the “medieval” level: it is felt, interferes, but does not cause disgust
Step 2: Stir up resentment. We know that people didn’t brush their teeth before. The first toothbrushes appeared in Europe at the end of the XNUMXth century. Can you imagine how people smelled from the mouth before this happy moment? Horror! But then it was considered the norm, and no one noticed anything. Gradually, the rules of the game changed, and if suddenly a person forgot to brush his teeth in the morning, he should rather buy chewing gum, or at least rinse his mouth as soon as possible.
The attitude towards pain for many of us is at the “medieval” level: it is felt, interferes, but does not cause acute disgust. I urge you to kindle within yourself an aversion to pain, indignation towards it. It objectively prevents us from enjoying life every day to the fullest! How many days do we have? And how much of it are we willing to spend on a sad existence with a bad back? The brighter the indignation flares up, the faster the transition to the next step occurs.
Step 3: Find a way to deal with the pain. Only very lucky people manage to immediately find their own method of relieving pain. Normally, one has to go through several rakes before experience is gained, the results are analyzed and what is needed is found. And you need to be ready for such a search: search, experiment, ask, be interested. This is an interesting work, and it leads to a new standard of living. And if the zeal weakens, we return to step 2.
Step 4: Practice regularly. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill that eliminates the cause of the pain. Therefore, in most cases — in particular in the case of back pain — some kind of regular practice is needed for healing. Osteopath visits, exercise, lifestyle changes — without regularity, the result will only be temporary.
Studying the success stories of my students who practice Qigong for the spine “Xinshen”, I know for sure: at this stage, you need to build a radically new relationship with pain. From it you need to turn off your attention and switch to tracking pleasant sensations. Now the stage when it is gradually fading into the past. And for the successful implementation of this project, it is necessary to look ahead — to the future. Through the present.
During the exercises, I recommend asking yourself questions: “How relaxed am I doing this movement?”, “How pleasant is it?”, “How much easier and more enjoyable is the exercise today?”
Small steps add up to global results: from pain to recovery, from grief to joy
If you ask yourself the question “How much less does it hurt today”, the person remains within the category of pain. If he looks towards pleasure, relaxation and health, then he is moving towards them. This approach does not negate the adequacy of the assessment of what is happening: if the pleasant sensations from regular practice increase, then it suits you. If not, then you need to look for something else.
Step 5: Praise yourself for small victories. A woman who did not raise her hand went to my classes. Her shoulder joint hurt, and she did exercises on a very limited scale. Every day of classes, I insisted: pay attention, the hand rose 1 cm higher. “Anechka, what is 1 cm, these are trifles!” she objected. But I kept insisting. After 2 months of training, the arm moved in full and did not hurt. Why? Because I stood my ground!
Not only is regular practice important, but also your willingness to accept and celebrate small results. Small steps add up to global results: from pain to recovery, from grief to joy. No one can get rid of the pain that has accumulated over the years in a day. But if you pay attention to small achievements, you speed up this process, start moving by leaps and bounds.
Believe in yourself, build a relationship with pain correctly, because it helps to understand how we can become better. Take action and everything will work out!