Relax Into Instead of Resisting or Reacting To Chronic Pain
One of the biggest issues with chronic pain and other chronic health ailments is that the sympathethic fight or flight nervous system is commonly in overdrive. We need to learn to activate the parasympathetic rest and digest branch of the nervous system for healing. I’m including a handout here that gives some perspective on how to do on a daily basis in regards to physical symptoms and uncomfortable feelings in the body.
Our goal is stop Resisting what our body gives on the front end and also stop Reacting to symptoms and uncomfortable sensations on the back end. There is a middle path of Relaxing into what you feel. This activates that parasympathetic healing nervous system. In many cases, chronic pain is not dangerous or threatening like with acute pain, where there may be tissue damage, However, in a lot people I see, the brain and nervous system have become the problem with chronic conditions and they both remain in overdrive. The goal is to calm the overactive brain and fight or flight nervous system for healing. Please access the link below for a PDF of this handout.
