Taking Command of Your Pain

Pain is a complex  interaction of body, mind, heart, and spirit.

Pain is defined as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is associated with actual or potential tissue damage” by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

This video discusses why pain is a complex experience and how the vicious cycle of pain is created.

Today we would like you to consider that pain is a habit.  By that we mean that a majority of your perceptions, your reactions, and your behaviors are automatic and conditioned.

The following video describes how each of us are Creatures of Habits and provides education about how habits develop.  This video is NOT specific to pain!

Current Pain Management Techniques

The intent of this activity is to bring awareness to your current pain management techniques and to help you identify which are effective for you and which are not.

Use these reflection questions in the lower portion to become aware of your experience when using each of the techniques listed.

1. What is your experience [body, mind, heart, spirit] when you use the pain relief mechanisms listed above? What bodily sensations do you experience?  What thoughts do you experience?  What emotions do you experience?

2. What are the benefits you experience by relieving your pain in these ways? What about these work?  How do they serve you?

3. What are the costs [body, mind, heart, spirit] of relieving your pain this way? What about these don’t work?  How do they rob you of vitality and wellness?  How do they impact your quality of life?

Which of the following techniques do you currently utilize to relieve your pain?

• Meditation/Mindfulness

• Yoga

• Massage/Facial

• Music

• Social Interaction

• Physical activity/Exercise (Walking, Swimming, Dancing, etc

• Sex

• Eating

• Drink alcohol

• Tobacco/Nicotine Use [smoking, dipping, vapors, etc.]

• Take prescription medication/drug

• Take Illegal/Illicit Drug

• Distraction with TV, social media, games, other.

• Other: ___________________

The goal is to use pain management techniques that have few costs, consequences, and side effects. We will be exploring tools which have great benefits with few, if any risks, in later sections of this module!

In this activity we are using a Mind Map to distinguish your Pain Story.  Mind Maps are used to see the overall picture of something using words, diagrams, images, colors, etc.  This method is particularly helpful in seeing thought patterns and their impact on our experiences, in this case your experience of your of pain.  Allow yourself to be creative and really be honest with yourself!  There is no right or wrong way to do this!

We have provided questions to guide you in SEEing your pain story.  Do this over time, not just in one sitting to get a clearer picture of your pain story.  We will be spending the next several days on this.  By SEEing your pain story you can begin to question and rewrite your pain story, loosening the hold your pain has on your life.

Today, start by printing this form and becoming familiar with it!  Set your timer for 5 minutes and begin!  You will continue to add to this over the next several days!

Click Image to view and print form!

Pull out the mind map that you started yesterday.  Take a moment to review what you have written already.  Set a timer for 10 minutes and add what you notice. Use the inquiry questions to guide the way.

Click Image to view and print form!

Print the tool above and take a  few moments to familiarize yourself with it.  Keep this tool and your mind map with you whenever possible and write down what you notice!

As you begin to SEE Your Pain, you can begin to Create Pain Tolerance.  We will be devoting most of the remaining days to Creating Pain Tolerance.

So what is Pain Tolerance????

Simply said, pain tolerance is the ability to cope with pain that reduces the damage that pain does to the body, mind, heart, and spirit.  We teach you activities that have been scientifically proven to actually reduce pain AND reduce the impact of stress on your health and well-being.  Most of these activities can be done anywhere you are.

The Creating Pain Tolerance Tool is used to identify the adaptation methods you will utilize when you find yourself experiencing pain. When you take your pain temperature and find yourself in yellow or red, you will be able to take action to bring yourself back to green.  Increasing your time in the green zone increases your wellness.

Click on image below to view and print!  Take a few moments to select activities that will work for you.  You will be learning some new actions and techniques that correspond with this activity in futures sections of this module.

The activities in the Red section are intended to jolt you back to the present moment and remind you that you are alive and well.  You may need to use an activity from the yellow zone along with one of these.

Print this form and review it.  It includes a monitoring activity that will allow you to track your pain level and what activities reduce your pain level!

Today begin to consider what activities might work for you and beginning to create a plan for creating pain tolerance. We will be PRACTICING several of the activities listed on this tool in days to come!!!

Mindfulness is being aware of the body, mind, heart, and spirit in the present moment.  Mindfulness activities are about turning off the auto-pilot and becoming conscious of the present moment.  It is about bringing awareness, without judgement or trying to change what is.  We can apply mindfulness without any special tools or techniques.  We can just be.  We can engage all 5 senses and experience the moment.  We can become present to our emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations.  Mindfulness includes meditation, yoga.

Mindfulness includes many of the activities that are included in this module, including relaxation activities, diaphragmatic breathing, and body movement.  We can apply mindfulness to eating, walking, and exercise.

Mindfulness and Pain

Science is finding that activities like mindfulness can reduce the pain and suffering, particularly secondary pain and suffering which is the mind’s interpretation of the physical pain that is experienced. Many  of the activities included in this module are mindfulness based.

By exploring and inquiring into your pain and suffering, you can release some of the thoughts and tension that are contributing to your experience of pain. This does seem counterintuitive, being as we are designed to withdraw and escape pain, but it does work!

With practice the use of mindfulness will actually retrain the brain patterns that lead to have us trapped in this vicious cycle. Over time and with practice, mindfulness alters the structure of the brain so that you no longer feel pain with the same intensity.

Mindfulness is being used to help patients cope with the suffering arising from a wide range of diseases such as cancer (and the side effects of chemotherapy), heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. It is also used for back problems, migraine, fibromyalgia, celiac disease, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome and even multiple sclerosis. Providers in hospitals and clinics around the world prescribe mindfulness for pain management, stress management, and other illness management.

Yesterday you learned about Mindfulness.  Today practice mindfulness again! Follow the instructions from yesterday and practice using this audio.

Why Progressive Relaxation?

Progressive Relaxation is an activity intended to bring awareness to the tension that exists in our bodies and to bring relaxation to the body and mind. The exercise involves purposely tensing specific muscles in the body, then relaxing the muscles.  Through the regular use of this activity, you can begin to identify tension in the body and develop the skill to relax the tension and identify the source of the tension.

We discussed previously that pain is a vicious cycle! Muscle tension causes pain and pain causes more muscle tension, which causes more pain.  Releasing and relaxing the tension in our muscles can reduce pain.

This activity may also improve emotional states as well, including anxiety and depression.  Progressive relaxation has been found to reduce stress, pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and side effects from radiation and chemo.  Relaxation activities such as this reduce heart rate and cortisol, which become elevated in a stress response.  This activity may also be used to relax the body and mind as part of a pre-sleep routine.  We provide audios to assist you in learning this skill.  As you become more comfortable doing this relaxation activity gradually work up to approximately 15-20 minutes to obtain the maximum benefits.

Occasionally, people experience discomfort as they create body awareness.  As people become more relaxed, some individuals may experience unexpected emotions or physical discomfort.  Allow the emotions and discomfort to be present and witness them. Notice the tension that is affiliated with the emotions. If you experience any distress around these emotions or discomfort, please contact your healthcare provider. If you have an acute injury, please avoid that area until it is healed.  If you have a chronic injury, contact your healthcare provider before completing this activity.

Allow for uninterrupted time [5-10 minutes] to complete this activity.    Have a journal or monitoring activity available.  Before starting, take a moment to scan your body and note any obvious tension in your body.  Notate this in your journal.

You will need a space to lie or sit comfortably with no distractions [TV, radio, telephone, people]. We encourage you to silence your phone and close programs on your computer that may cause a distraction while doing this activity.

Ensure that your legs are comfortable, using a bolster or pillow under your legs if you experience lower back discomfort with legs straight out.  Allow your arms be relaxed at your sides with palms up.  If you are unable to lie down, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your head supported, and your arms resting comfortably with palms up.

When you are ready play the audio.

We will start with a short [4 Minutes] Progressive Relaxation activity today!  When you are ready play the audio click the play button below.

Today we are practicing Progressive Relaxation.

Allow for uninterrupted time [10 minutes] to complete this activity.    Have a journal or monitoring activity available.  Before starting, take a moment to scan your body and note any obvious tension in your body.  Notate this in your journal.

You will need a space to lie or sit comfortably with no distractions [TV, radio, telephone, people]. We encourage you to silence your phone and close programs on your computer that may cause a distraction while doing this activity.

Ensure that your legs are comfortable, using a bolster or pillow under your legs if you experience lower back discomfort with legs straight out.  Allow your arms be relaxed at your sides with palms up.  If you are unable to lie down, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your head supported, and your arms resting comfortably with palms up.

Play the audio when you are ready! This video will last 7 minutes!

You may have noticed on your Creating Pain Tolerance Form we recommend listening to music and even singing along!  Music has been proven to be a pain reducer!  And guess what, researchers have found any type of music will work, as long as the listener likes the music!  It can be classical, rock, hip-hop, sounds of nature (stream, ocean), spa/ambient.  Imagine the benefits if you incorporate music, with mindfulness AND physical activity!!!!

How does it work?  Listening to music causes:

• A Decrease in stress by decreasing cortisol and stabilizating  it’s release (reduces the amount of cortisol released in subsequent stressful events!)

• A shift in perspective.  Reduces the perception of secondary pain and suffering.

• Trigger activity in the areas of the brain related to emotional regulation and pleasure/reward centers.

Today, pick a piece of music you love and reserve 5 minutes of private time to simply listen to the music.  Put all of your attention into it.  Don’t multi-task.  Do just this.  If you feel the desire to move your body, move your body.  If you feel the desire to sing along, sing along.  Be present to your experience!

Today we invite you to incorporate these activities into your life!  Aim for SEEing your pain 3 times today!

Pick a way for you to remember to do your SEE Your Pain Activity during your regular day.  That might be:

• using an alarm on your phone or computer

• using the mindfulness bell app

• putting it on your calendar with a notification

Use whatever works for you!

When the alarm goes off, take the time to really take your pain temperature.  Look for any thoughts or perceptions that may be contributing to your pain experience.

Then, choose one of the Creating Pain Tolerance activities that you have learned so far OR one listed on the tool for at least 5 minutes. For example:

• Progressive Relaxation

• Autogenic Relaxation

• Mindful activity in nature

• Singing, Dancing

• Watch a funny YouTube video

Use the monitoring tool on the Creating Pain Tolerance activity to document what you experience!

Our goal is always to empower to use the tools we provide in your everyday life!  That is how we begin to create wellness, one day, one action at a time!

Autogenic relaxation, sometimes called imagery or guided imagery, is based on the notion that relaxing the mind leads to relaxation of the body.  Imagery and body awareness are combined to guide an individual into a state of deep relaxation.  The person relaxes herself by using her imagination!  She use her mind to imagine changes in the body, which often produce similar result in the body.  Try this guided imagery audio specific for pain.

Allow 10 minutes to complete this activity.  For maximum results do this activity lying down in a quiet, dim location that is distraction free!  Ensure that your legs are comfortable, using a bolster or pillow under your legs if you experience lower back discomfort with legs straight out. Allow your arms be relaxed at your sides with palms up.   If you are unable to lie down, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your head supported, and your arms resting comfortably with palms up.

If you are congested or have difficulty breathing through your nose, please breathe through your mouth.

Take your pain temperature and notice the signs and symptoms your body, mind, heart, and spirit are experiencing prior to the activity, then record the results you notice on your monitoring activity.

Guided Imagery for Pain Audio:  When you are ready play the audio click the play button below.  This audio lasts 5 minutes.

Yesterday you learned about Autogenic Relaxation.  Today we are going to practice!

Allow 10 minutes to complete this activity.  For maximum results do this activity lying down in a quiet, dim location that is distraction free!  Ensure that your legs are comfortable, using a bolster or pillow under your legs if you experience lower back discomfort with legs straight out. Allow your arms be relaxed at your sides with palms up.   If you are unable to lie down, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your head supported, and your arms resting comfortably with palms up.

Guided Imagery for Pain Audio:  When you are ready play the audio click the play button below.  This audio lasts 5 minutes.

Today we are going to practice Autogenic Relaxation again!  Doing an activity multiple times allows you to begin to do it independently without the need for the audio and allows you to become more comfortable with the activity making further progress each time!

Allow 10 minutes to complete this activity.  For maximum results do this activity lying down in a quiet, dim location that is distraction free!  Ensure that your legs are comfortable, using a bolster or pillow under your legs if you experience lower back discomfort with legs straight out. Allow your arms be relaxed at your sides with palms up.   If you are unable to lie down, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your head supported, and your arms resting comfortably with palms up.

Guided Imagery for Pain Audio:  When you are ready play the audio click the play button below.  This audio lasts 5 minutes.

Pain impacts how we breathe!  When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, our breathing becomes shallow and rapid.  We use our chest muscles to breathe.  This type of breathing actually leads to less oxygen exchange in the body.  Chest breathing can also perpetuate the perception of pain and experience of pain, causing a vicious cycle…pain begets pain.

We can use our breath to reduce the impact of pain on the body, mind, heart, and spirit.  Slowing and deepening the breath stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system.  This allows the body to experience less pain and the mind to reduce suffering associated with pain.  And the best news is we have access to our breath at all times!  Breathing activities can be practiced anywhere, anytime!

The healthiest way to breathe is using the diaphragm.  Have you noticed the way babies and animals breathe?  Their bellies move up and down rhythmically, while their chests barely move.  This type of breathing is called:  Diaphragmatic Breathing, Deep Breathing,  Abdominal Breathing, or Belly Breathing depending on the source.

Unfortunately as we age, chronic pain, stress and life experiences cause many of us to adopt a pattern of chest-breathing.  Diaphragmatic breathing requires conscious effort.

The easiest way to know that you are breathing with the diaphragm is to see if your abdomen rises when you inhale.  Today we will be doing a short breathing assessment so you can be aware of how your breath is right NOW!

Breathing Assessment

This activity is intended to be about noticing your breathing pattern in multiple positions.  Do this in an area where you can sit and lie down.  You may do this using the audio or by reading the text below.  If you have a medical condition that restricts your ability to sit or lie in multiple positions, adjust the positions as you need to.  Following the activity take a moment to write your experience in a journal or on a monitoring activity.

Tomorrow we will review a simple breathing activity that can be done anywhere, anytime to create pain tolerance!

Four Square Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing is used in many types of meditation and yoga practices.  Four Square Breathing is an easy way to learn deep breathing that can be used anywhere.

This is a SIMPLE breathing activity that can be utilized where ever you are.  In traffic, in a stressful meeting, at your desk, during an argument with a loved one…ANYWHERE.  The intent of the activity is to slow the breath and deepen the breath.  It can be used to reduce pain, reduce stress, reduce fatigue, improve focus.  This can also be used to calm your mind before sleep.  Even doing this 2 or 3 times can make a tremendous difference.  For maximum results, lie down in a quiet area with no distractions and with dim light and do for 5-15 minutes.

We have provided a guided audio that you can use to begin your practice and to help you stay focused, but the instructions are very simple:

Sit, stand or lie comfortably with aligned posture to allow for free movement of the chest and abdomen.

Breathe in for a count of 4, Hold for a count of 4, breath out for a count of 4, then hold for a count of 4

REPEAT.

Tips:

• Breathe with your abdomen not your chest. Your abdomen should rise, while your chest moves minimally.

• Breathe gently, not forcefully.

• If any discomfort exists, either count faster or reduce the count by 1.

• If a visual image helps, imagine a square and watch the edges with your mind’s eye.

• Keep your timing consistent.

• You can choose to breathe through your nose or mouth, whichever is comfortable for you. Just be consistent!

• For some people breathing this way is uncomfortable at first, as they are so accustomed to their chest breathing patterns.  It may take some time and practice to become acclimated to this type of breathing.

• Over time you may wish to extend the timing to 5, 6, 7,  or EVEN 8 counts

The following audio provides a 2 minute demonstration of how to use Four Square Breathing.  Take your pain temperature before doing the activity!

We love Four Square Breathing because it can be used ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!  Let’s practice it again…

Set a timer for how many minutes you want to practice.  The audio is only 2 minutes long–see if you can do 4 or 5 minutes!

There are many issues over which we have little control.  We cannot change the situation right now.  It is just what is at this time.  We often resist these circumstances, wanting them to be different, thinking they should be different, that it just isn’t “right” or “fair” that things go this way.

Resisting what is leads to additional pain.  Resistance furthers the impact of the pain and contributes to physical and emotional fatigue.  Don’t be confused, accepting what is right now is not affiliated with defeat or condoning bad behaviors.  It is simply letting go of the resistance of what is occurring right now.  Illness acceptance has been associated with reduced psychological symptoms and improved self-reported health status and reduced stress during hospital stays.

How do we bring more acceptance into our lives?  How do we let go of our resistance?

The first step is to become aware of the resistance.  Being aware of the thought patterns we have.  Notice when you think the word should or when things are wrong.  You may wish to use the inquiry portion of the SEE Your Pain Story activity to build your awareness.

A key question to ask is “Can it be any other way than it is right now?”  When we see the answer is no, we can be in the moment as it is and see our experience of the moment for what it is.

Notice your posture and body sensations when you are in a state of resistance.  Do you find that you are closed up, arms crossed, shoulders forward, tense muscles, lower back pain, neck pain?  What happens when you take on a pose of acceptance and openness, with your arms relaxed, palms up or forward, back, head and neck upright and in neutral position?

Use the following meditation to guide you towards acceptance.  Consider using a journal or monitoring activity to notate your experience following the activity.  For this activity you will sit or lie down in a comfortable position.  Your head, neck and back should be aligned, with your legs and arms supported, with palms up.

Play the audio when you are ready.  This audio lasts 5 minutes.

For some, the Serenity prayer, supports them in accepting what is.

Let’s practice Acceptance again!  We could all use practice in this.  Did you notice anywhere since the last time you were here where you resisted a circumstance?

Play the audio when you are ready!

Physical Activity
When we are in pain we tend to get stuck in our head and try to think our way out of it.  We tend to want to be still or move less to prevent pain.  This often contributes to or worsens pain.  When we are physically active we often experience a brief increase in our pain, and most often the benefits outweigh the costs.

Why does it work?

• Contraction of muscles uses up excess blood glucose.

• Reduces cortisol, the stress hormone!  Reducing cortisol can lead to reduction in inflammation which contributes to pain.

What else does it do?

• Cognitive function is improved by 30% within 3 hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity and lasts up to 48 hours later. You are better able to process visual images and recognize patterns.

• Dopamine and serotonin are released in the brain. These are chemicals that allow us to feel pleasure and reduce sensation of pain.

• The more muscles that are moving at once the more work the nervous system does, which helps it to make more efficient connections.

Laughter
Laughter is good medicine!  Studies show that laughter improves mood, reduces stress, and reduces the perception of pain.    Laughter releases physical and mental tension that builds up over time.  Laughing stimulates multiple systems in your body, then causes a relaxation response in the body.     Laugher also stimulates a change in our breathing pattern, in particular allowing a longer exhale, thus releasing more carbon dioxide from the body.

A recent trend is laughter yoga or therapeutic laughter.  This system does not rely on humor, partly because humor is based on perception.  It is laughing just to laugh!  This type of laughter is initiated from the body and leads to changes in the mind, as laughter is contagious.  The physician who created laughter yoga expresses that the largest benefit from this is increasing the amount of oxygen in the body because we are able to exhale more air when laughing, resulting in increased air and oxygen intake.  You can learn more about what he discovered here.

You may feel a little silly doing this, so try it for the first time in a private area to discover if it works for you!  This 10 minute video will give you the experience of laughter yoga! More options are available on YouTube.

Yesterday we discussed how physical activity has a dramatic impact on how the body experiences pain.

Today, put that into action and notice what your body feels like after movement.  We encourage you to combine mindfulness and physical activity together!  Mindfulness is simply about being present in the moment.  Be present to how your body feels when you move. Notice the experience of all 5 senses when you move. Bring a sense of childlike wonder!

Pick an activity that you want to do – walking, dancing, running – bring your attention to these areas when you do this activity:

• Your breath

• Your muscles

• How does the air/sun feel on your skin?

• Notice how your feet move/impact the ground

• Engage and notice what all 5 senses are experiencing

• Notice how amazing your body is!  Notice how your muscles move, how your heart beats without reminder, how you breathe more or less depending on activity level.

You may wish to use this walking meditation as a guide! This is a walk that can be done at your own pace!

Your tribe are the friends and family that provide social support for you.  Your tribe can be good medicine!  Studies find that social support is beneficial in reducing pain and suffering, improving the wellness of the body and mind!  Positive social interactions with others:

• provide support during times of transition

• improve our self-esteem and self-worth

• improve our confidence that we can manage and cope with pain

• improve our ability to problem solve

• contribute to sense of being nurtured and loved.

These interactions cause a physical response in the body.  One response is the release of oxytocin, a hormone that actually increases our pain threshold – the level of pain when the body becomes aware of pain.  This hormone has other benefits, such as:  reduces blood pressure and cortisol levels, reduces anxiety, and promotes growth and healing.  Hugging, receiving gifts (even kindness), touching, orgasm, food, and social interaction lead to oxytocin release.

What can you do to create more social support?

• Call someone with whom you have a positive relationship when you are in pain.

• Hug/kiss someone you love.

• Laugh with someone you like.

When you are adopting new healthy lifestyle habits it helps to surround yourself with a tribe who are doing the same!  They will provide a sounding board for solutions, provide moral support, provide accountability, and reinforce your skills.

Consider Selecting an accountability partner AND/OR creating a support group or regular gathering.

Wow!  You have come a long way in learning about pain, what is pain for you, AND practicing pain tolerance techniques.  So how do we put it all together?

Taking Command of Your Pain is about first being aware that pain is a complex interaction of your body, mind, heart and spirit.  You are then able to take action to reduce your experience of pain and suffering.

The most impactful way of Taking Command of Your Pain is to identify thoughts and perceptions that are leading to secondary pain and questioning if they are really true.  Often our reactions are based on misconceptions and judgments from our past that we are unaware of.  As we identify the thought patterns, we can learn new patterns of thought that have us react differently!

We will still experience pain, but hopefully we can reduce the suffering that occurs with the pain.  That is where creating pain tolerance comes into play.  Pull out your Creating Pain Tolerance tool  you have been documenting on your  monitoring tool how effective each activity is for you.

Now it is time to take what you learned and Take Command of Your Pain. What are the best activities for YOU to Take Command of Your Pain???  We did not cover all of the items on the tool, as some require no instruction at all!!!

What can you do daily, no matter what your pain level that will make a difference for you body?  What Audios worked best for you.  What will you use when you are not close to a computer?  How will you remind yourself to do it daily?  What do you need to put in place or have available to increase your success?

Print this “Sticker” and put it in places where it will remind you of your commitment to wellness!

Now you have learned strategies that will help you mange your pain!  How do you  Live the Alternatives and Take Command of Your Pain regularly?

Situations and circumstances in our daily lives make it difficult to maintain our commitment to the alternatives we are creating.  These circumstances drain our mental energy and the will power we rely on when changing or creating new routines.  By exploring what hurdles and obstacles will get in your way, you can develop strategies to overcome these barriers.  Proactively planning for these barriers will improve your success in creating the routines you desire.

To help you identify what the hurdles and obstacles are, consider the following questions:

• Where are areas that will make it difficult for you to complete your routine as you envision it?

• What has caused you to fail instituting the change in the past?

• What stressful situations do you anticipate in the near future?

• Will you have exhausted your will power before doing this routine? How can you not rely on will power?

• What could you put in place that would help you succeed? [See the strategies listed below]

• By when will you have these in place?

Consider planning ways to add the following strategies:

• Maintaining your commitment to your new future by completing the form entitled Living My Commitment to Wellness (Below) and posting where it will be visible regularly.

• Substitute your habitual perspective with a mantra that represents the future you are creating for yourself and including the mantra on the Living My Commitment to Wellness.

• Review the Living My Commitment to Wellness form each morning and periodically throughout the day!

• Create a reminder system for yourself! Schedule it on your calendar.  Use an alarm on your phone.  Use the Mindfulness Bell App on your phone.

• Create a reward for yourself! How will you celebrate your success???Intrinsic rewards are more successful than extrinsic rewards over time.  Intrinsic rewards are those that come from within, like feeling accomplished or successful or pleasure from completing an activity. Extrinsic rely on external circumstances, like rewarding yourself with food, money, prizes etc.

• Visualize what you will experience when you Take Command of Your Pain!   What will your feelings/thoughts about yourself be when you have accomplished the routine?  How will your body feel?  What will you be able to do?  What will you have?

• Avoid the “I must do this alone” mentality by enrolling a support partner in this journey!

Living My Commitment To Wellness

Use this form to keep your commitment to Taking Command of Your Pain vibrantly alive. Print it and keep it somewhere where you will see it regularly!!!  Maybe even multiple places where you will see it regularly!

• Continue inquiring into what perceptions lead to your secondary pain.

• Share your commitment and use a support network to hold you accountable

• Consider the following Mantras:

  • I choose peace and ease in all circumstances.

  • I breathe, accept, and let go.

  • I powerfully take command of my pain.

Monitoring your progress leads to success!  Get real with yourself!  Be authentic about what you are doing and what you are not doing!

Get Real Authenticity Assessment

Click on the image to open and download the activity.  Use the following activity as a guide to support you in assessing what when well this week and what didn’t go as well as expected.

You have completed the Taking Command of Your Pain Module!  We honor your commitment to your wellness.

Pain is not going away – it will continue to be a part of our lives.  We hope you have found these tools valuable for reducing the impact pain and suffering has on your body, mind, heart, and spirit.

With practice and continued use you will master the tools and truly Take Command of Your Pain!