Welcome to our approach to getting out of pain.
We call it The Method.
We urge you to take the time to explore all 6 areas of The Method. The process is integrative and experiential rather than strictly linear. As you become skillful in one area of The Method, you enhance your ability to become skillful in others. The Method supports a rebalancing of all the layers of your being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It is impossible to shift one layer without shedding light and awareness on others.
Learn how The Method can empower you to reduce or resolve your persistent pain.
1. INTEROCEPTION
We disconnect from our bodies, particularly when we experience persistent pain and tension. Add to that the demands of our busy lives and our bodies become secondary while our brains work overtime. We get so disconnected from our bodies that we lose the ability to recognize when we are hungry, thirsty or tired. Often we are not even aware that there is tension in our bodies.
When we are in pain we get frustrated, we learn not to trust our bodies and we push through pain. We become disembodied.
In order to heal from pain we must learn to get quiet and listen, tap into our nervous systems and re-orient/rebalance that which is misaligned.
Pain creates a disconnect and disassociation from the body and this is the biggest obstacle to healing. As therapists, we teach clients how to re-establish a level of intimacy with their bodies. As this happens their mind gets quiet, they begin to listen to the wisdom of their inner voice, and self-healing occurs.
The reality is that we cannot heal when we are disconnected from ourselves. We need to connect with our inner self; listen and surrender to its wisdom.
Interoception allows us to get quiet and current with ourselves.
It is an essential skill to begin to truly heal.
Interoception Practice
Take the next 9 minutes out of your busy life to enjoy this audio designed to help you build the skill of Interoception and soothe your overactive nervous system. Turn off your computer, put your phone on silent and enjoy!
2. NOURISH YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM
As pain resolution therapists with over 20 years of combined experience in private practice, we believe that the skill that is most essential to counteract chronic nervous system overdrive is the ability to Interocept. Interoception is our lesser-known sense that helps us understand and feel what’s going on inside our bodies. It is a doorway to shifting the body into a rest and digest nervous system response.
If we really want to heal on a deep level, we must tap into and spend time nourishing our nervous systems.
Much has been written from professionals about the challenge our society faces with not being able to “shut off”. Our nervous systems were never designed to be in a continual state of alert dictated by the demands of our overworked, busy, competitive, attention diverting, multi-tasking, social media oriented lifestyles. With our nervous systems and minds in low level perpetual sympathetic response, it is no surprise that even getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge.
This state of perpetual busyness and stress leads to a deep disconnect from mind, body and spirit. Our muscles, minds and hearts become rigid and inflexible. Our energy is depleted and our capacity to be present is compromised.
The Method skillfully teaches you how to self-soothe your nervous system, to breathe and to be. Body, mind and spirit are intricately weaved together and when you shift one layer you shift them all.
Breath Awareness Practice
Practice this skill set by listening to the audio below. Practice it regularly and notice the effects.
What changes do you experience with this practice?
3. Mind study
We create stress in our lives when we get attached to our beliefs, likes, and dislikes, and this holds us back and keeps us trapped in repetitive, habitual behaviors.
For example:
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Do you always need to be liked?
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Do you get defensive when criticized?
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Do you judge others?
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Do you eat to soothe yourself?
Every one of these behaviours is created by your past collection of memories and experiences.
The way to create permanent change is developing your awareness of how you behave in your world. As you cultivate this awareness change begins to happen.
Start to observe your reactions, habits and language, and then explore what you sense and feel in your body in relation to that behaviour. Get curious about it.
Awareness creates change. Observe your internal dialogue.
Loving Yourself and Pain
To support your learning in this area Nicole has recorded a great podcast on Self-Love. Take the time to listen and reflect on the teachings she shares.
If you feel inspired send us an email, we’d love to hear from you.
4. RE-ignite Neuromuscular communication
Years of stress, traumas and repetitive movement patterns, lead to chronic muscular holding and pain. The good news is that we can address the underlying causes of pain through an active learning process called Somatic Neuromuscular Re-education.
Somatic Education was developed by Dr. Thomas Hanna Ph.D. Dr. Hanna studied neurophysiology and movement and came to understand how stress, trauma and habitual muscular patterns lead to chronic muscle contraction, pain and degeneration. He explored and developed groundbreaking self and assisted movement techniques, to reverse the damaging muscular reflex patterns that left unchecked lead to many conditions across our population. He applied the techniques in his own body and watched his yoga practice blossom, and he spread this revolutionary practice, debunking what he called, “The Myth of Aging.”
Pandiculation is the technique he discovered that will easily and efficiently help you release chronic muscular holding by shifting the unconscious patterns that hold the body and mind in tension and pain.
This gentle and mindful technique requires you to actively participate in the re-education of your muscles. Since your muscles and movement patterns are under the control of the brain, we quickly see that devoted attention of our brains to how and what we are doing, quickly replaces old and unsupportive patterns with new ones.
Pandiculation is an easy 3 step process:
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The practice will bring you deep into your body to reignite neuromuscular communication, reawakening places in the body where energy has been stagnant and movement has been restricted. The end result is ease, freedom and relaxed resiliency in the body, mind and spirit.
Learn Pandiculation!
Do you experience low back or
low belly tension and pain?
Try the most powerful movement in Somatics...
Arch and Flatten
5. FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT Re-education
Functional movement retraining involves challenging several muscle groups during an exercise letting the muscles react to movement as opposed to focusing on one muscle at a time.
These functional movements often reflect our day to day activities challenging the muscles we would use for sitting or walking. We refer to this as retraining because when the body has been dealing with pain for a long period of time single muscles or groups of muscles forget how to work properly.
Once the pain/tension is released the goal is to re-educate or retrain healthy movement patterns back into the brain and body. This type of training optimizes neuromuscular communication, core stability, strength, flexibility and coordination. In addition, you will learn how to move well using healthy biomechanics to keep you out of pain.
It is empowering to have the strength and stability to meet your needs and goals. As we gain better function movement becomes enjoyable, effortless and life becomes a lot more fun!
6. MAINTAINING
Through The Method you will learn how to reduce or resolve your tension/pain. You will also have gathered a tool box full of knowledge so that you can maintain vibrancy and resiliency in your body and mind.
In the Maintaining Phase, you will have a home practise that takes only a few minutes several times a week that will keep you moving and feeling well. In addition, when life inevitably throws you that curve ball you will know how to help yourself to stay current with what you are sensing and feeling and know exactly what to do to feel better.
This is a small sampling of what have to share with you. We invite you to continue to learn through the membership area of this site. There you will gain access to videos that you can follow in the comfort of your own home so that you can soothe the nervous system, learn how to breathe well, resolve your pain, regain mobility and strength, and maintain relaxed resiliency.