a simple exercise for Chronic pain & fatigue

I have experienced chronic health challenges for much of my adult life. I know what it’s like to be in pain and feel stuck there. There can be times when everything feels impossible but after years of trying many different methods, modalities, and practices, I have discovered that it possible to develop a new relationship with your own body, even when living with chronic pain or health challenges. It may sound strange, but being more connected to your body is the key here. It’s not the hypervigilance that pain sometimes forces on us, rather it’s about learning to understand the language of our own bodies and how we can respond to what our bodies are trying to tell us.

There are many complex causes of chronic pain. Trauma can sometimes be a factor and then on top of that, living with chronic pain or fatigue can become traumatic, with the stress, anxiety, pain and exhaustion all feeding back into each other. Even more challenging, we live in a society that may not see or acknowledge your pain. Sometimes pain and illness are invisible. You might look well to others but be in pain or you might have chronic fatigue or another “invisible” illness. All of this can contribute to feeling isolated and at odds with your own body - either hyper aware of the pain and unable to think of anything else, or disconnected from your body. 

Somatic methods can be one part of your care plan for yourself if you are experiencing physical pain or fatigue. Learning to work with your nervous system, learning about what is happening in your brain and physiology, and using simple gentle exercises are all part of somatic practice and contribute to gradual change with improved quality of life.

What is somatic practice? Somatic practice may include breathing, connection, presence, gentle movement, visualization, grounding, resourcing and rediscovering the feeling sense of the body. Because it is experiential it is best to find out by trying some of the methods for yourself. These methods may help us heal pain, or in cases when the pain isn’t going to go away, we can learn to live better with the pain. 

One somatic method you can try is called Orienting. It helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system which can lower blood pressure, decrease stress, increase feelings of relaxation  which then eases the way to be able to pay attention to what you would like to pay attention to (not just your pain). 

You can try out Orienting by using the audio on the Resources page of our website www.embodiment.institute/free-introductory-course-and-resources

May you feel safe. May you feel valued. May you get what you need.

Andreanna

Embodiment Institute Somatic Healing Programs

Somatic Movement Teacher and Coach