Over the past week I have been nursing a lower back pain injury that I got from trying to push 320lbs on the leg press(i don’t know how ants do it!) all because I wasn’t present, wasn’t aligned and like a lightening bolt, it hit, it slowed me down, first exercise so walked in discomfort from machine to machine to finish what I started. I could have went home then, but determined to finish what I came for, despite injuring myself. Over the course of a week this pain has been a great teacher.
What this back pain has taught me, to be more present, to slow down, both my movements and mind, to be still and listen to the pain, feel into it, relax and loosen up a bit. Stop trying to lift, carry and do too many things at once. Sometimes it gets a little heavy, ask for help, it’s ok to ask for help and allow others to help and support me. We’re not meant to go through life alone but have learned the most during that alone time.
We are meant to feel, and I want to feel everything, to slowly move around and really feel into the pain, to greet it tenderly. Although I still went to the gym, still did morning yoga and walks, I eased up a bit and went a lot slower or cut it short. Just letting my body be the guide, not my mind or my ego. My back felt the very best after the gym or yoga, the natural endorphins flowing through. Natural pain killers. Not pain numbing. Taking a pain killer would not allow my body to send me the signals I needed to adjust my routine. Delaying or hindering healing or giving possibility to re-injure or make the injury worse because of numbing the pain. The body wants to heal, we just have to aid in the natural process.
What did I do?
•slower modified yin yoga
•twice a day ginger, turmeric in the form of tea and golden milk
•slower walking, biking in nature, elliptical with support (although I probably shouldn’t have been doing the elliptical, my back would give out, hence the support)
•massage
•meditation
•gentle rebounding
•Hemi sync and 528hz healing frequencies with headphones
•red light therapy with a vibrating plate
•magnesium spray with CBD oil and homemade essential oil blend for muscle tightness
•no processed sugar, no alcohol, no gluten, no dairy, avoiding anything processed (causes inflammation) organic plant-based diet. Fruit, veggies, salmon, nuts and seeds, lentils, bone broth
•slow intuitive stretching while deep breathing -targeting the low back area
•pineapple, ginger, tart cherry smoothies with collagen
Tips for moving through pain without medication.
Be curious, where did it come from, why is it here, how can I help? Breathe deep into the pain, relax into it. Savor it. When you can see the pain you can see the possibility.
Do I need more sleep, less screen time, more nature, less caffeine, more relaxation, less sugar, more nourishment, less noise, more silence, less stress, more boundaries, less control, more acceptance, more love, leas hate, more self care, less neglect, more patience, more presence.
It’s always good to remember that when we feel that pain in the body, this pain can be such a great teacher. When we are able to slow down enough and connect with our body, with compassion, we can genuinely care for this magnificent body we live in. To be curious and really take care of what needs tended to within our life.
The main reason that I don’t take medication, because I want to listen to what my body is expressing, to adjust to what it really needs. Pain killers, pain relievers work by getting in between the nerve cells so they can't transmit the pain message to one another. The message isn't able to make it to the brain, and this keeps the person from feeling pain, if we nullify that voice all together, then we miss our opportunity of really learning what the body is trying to communicate to us, if there’s some sort of imbalance, or adjustment that needs made. When we can listen and honor that voice, then we have the opportunity to learn, to grow, to understand and hopefully, to make wiser choices.
See if you can look at the pain as a positive thing, allow pain to be the teacher, although it can be very challenging and also very humbling as we move through pain.
To TRUELY savor life, is to embrace it all, the pleasure, the pain and everything in between. Allow what is happening, to happen, not to control, that’s when tension and tightness or rigidity happens. The only way to move through with ease, is to accept what is happening, and breathe through the discomfort. Breathe, Release, soften, and let it go, it will pass.
Below is a link to natural pain relief techniques.
