On pain in the body…it happens. Then what?
When it happens, how do we deal with it? What kind of judgment do we add to the pain, creating more stress and a less than optimal healing environment?
So many things in life we take for granted until they are no longer like they used to be. As a yoga teacher I see this often. People don’t think about their bodies until something isn’t working well or there is pain. Once this happens the typical reaction is to feel frustrated, angry and a bit frightened.
Why can’t I count on my body anymore?!?
Is this condition reparable?
What if it never goes away?
Am I getting old?
Well, yes you are getting old, older anyway, and the good news is you have great company. How you deal with that, well, that’s where the juice is. シ
When I turned 50 I decided after years of practicing and loving yoga, I was ready to become a teacher. I went off to a month long intensive training (in Tuscany, because well, because I could) and did six days of yoga a week. On our day off we would take a 30 minute walk into town and drown ourselves in Italian food and Tuscan treasures. There were about 30 of us and it was a fabulous experience.
And, at the end of it, I had some knee pain. Well, considering the jumping we had done a few nights before (how to get into an altered state without drugs, yes it was an unusual training シ and perfect for me.), I wasn’t shocked. I did wonder what to do about it. I remember meeting with a friend for drinks soon after. I mentioned the knee pain and remember her response. “Well Rylla, you are getting to be that age!” Oh I was not happy with that!
First of all, she was right. I was that age (now it’s been almost 10 years so now I’m THAT AGE!). However, I wasn’t resisting being 50. I was pretty jazzed to have made it that far and was excited about the next chapter in my life. What I was resisting was assuming that just because I was a certain age, it automatically meant that I was going to live with this pain in my knee and there was nothing I could do about it.
Being stubborn doesn’t always serve me (just ask my husband, family, friends) but in this case it did. I began research into the type of injury I had and learned what I could try to help it improve. I knew it might, or might not. I knew that at age 50 it might not be as likely as at age 20, but I had to try.
It did work. I strengthened and gently stretched the areas around my knee so that when I did a particular movement the painful area of my inner knee (which isn’t elastic) was less likely to be stressed. This worked for me. My knee healed and I learned a valuable technique that I have used again and again, and shared with my students on countless occasions.
The pathway I endeavor to take when I experience pain or discomfort due to changes in my body is to accept fully without judgment, then take considered action without attachment to the outcome. Oh, and no attachment to a timeline. Pain in the body can take a while to happen, often due to continuous poor movement, posture, etc. Just as it takes a while to develop, it takes a while to heal.
Non-judgment and the being patient are challenges for me. No beating up on myself for being out of shape or being old, just simple awareness and acceptance of what is happening. No rushing my body and adding stress by telling it to hurry the hell up!
Then comes listening in to my body. The pain is there to bring me back to myself and check in. When I had pain in my foot, I recognized it was time to stop wearing uncomfortable shoes and do some exercises to strengthen it. When my back went out I was reminded to slow down, get back to basics and stop trying to do it all. My body is my friend, and when it is in pain, it is simply trying to get my attention and keep me in balance.
Sigh. Seems so easy and yet.
What about when the pain doesn’t go away? Well, then I get to have a new relationship with pain and notice my reactions. Are the reactions helping or hurting? Can I practice releasing what isn’t working? Yes, I can. And so can you. It’s another form of mindfulness practice. I kind of love how the body, heart and mind all work together and how to heal one, you really have to address them all. Pretty good system.
I have trained in therapeutic yoga as well as mindfulness so if you ever want a helping hand to walk you through pain in your body and releasing judgement, I’d be happy to walk with you.
Thanks for reading/listening, and a special thank you to my paid subscribers. ❤️
Namaste, and make it a good day.
シ
On some days I am so challenged by my resistance to patience with my hamstring injury - hurry the hell up with the healing so I can get back to zumba. Some other days I surrender. Such is life.