3 Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Manage Chronic Pain
Jul 08, 20223 Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Manage Chronic Pain
I know you probably suffer from stress and chronic pain and not sure how to reduce and manage it successfully
👉This week I go over 3 Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Manage Chronic Pain👈
In case you're new to me or are just wondering who the heck I am, let me (re)introduce myself and where I'm coming from.
I'm Jen James of Celestial Yoga, LLC, and a certified yoga and meditation teacher for over 18 years now and am a health and wellness coach too.
My specialty is to help empathetic women manage chronic pain and stress through a holistic approach with gentle yoga exercises, mindfulness and self-care techniques.
👉This week I go over 3 Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Manage Chronic Pain👈
❤️ I chose today's topic because I too have suffered from stress and chronic pain just like you. Practicing mindfulness has been a game changer on how I process strong emotions, reduce my anxiety plus manage chronic neck and back pain.
👉Shortly, I will go over more details on 3 Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Stress & Manage Chronic Pain👈
I used to be in constant pain.
My neck and back were always bothering me since I was a child.
By 30 I had barely any range of motion in my neck.
I would have lower back pain that would radiate down my legs and to my feet.
I couldn’t stand or sit for any period of time before I would have flare-ups.
All of this caused me stress and anxiety.
It was a vicious circle.
👉 Stay to the end where I go over practical tips for you to reduce stress & manage chronic pain👈
- Meditation & Mindfulness: Learning meditation is a direct way to begin the practice of mindfulness. Think of your mind as a toddler learning to walk, you need to be patient and gentle with yourself as you embark on this journey. It takes a lot of time and practice to improve these skills and is well worth it.
- Emotional Acceptance: A secondary component to mindfulness is learning to accept our emotions rather than fight them. When we begin to accept our emotions, we can control them rather than risking allowing them to control us.
- Manage Back & Neck Pain: Back or neck hurting? Could be how your twisting & turning when you do everyday things like talking to a friend or coworker
👉Shortly, I’m going to give you some practical tips that have worked for many of my students that I taught in person for many years👈
First, I want to share with you a testimonial from Teri Miller (and her 2 sweet Jack Rusells), a student that I taught one-on-one in person for many years.
“I started taking yoga classes with Jen last year to help relieve life stress and back pain from injuries over time riding horses & playing other sports.
Previously, I had to get chiropractic adjustments on a regular basis but a friend suggested yoga might work better.
Well guess what?
It did and I haven't been back to the chiropractor or had back pain since I started with Jen ... and yoga is much more enjoyable!
She even accommodated my hectic schedule by coming to teach me at my home ... and eventually we included my 2 jack russells in class!
By the end of each session, both of them were so relaxed, they fell asleep.
I would definitely recommend Jen's teachings & techniques to build core strength, balance, flexibility, to relieve stress and find calm.”
Honestly, not to toot my own horn, I wished there was someone like me guiding me a few years back.
👉Read below where I give you some actionable steps you can use right away.👈
- Meditation & Mindfulness:
Set a time to meditate for a minimum of 5min a day. Go somewhere quiet where you will not be disturbed. Sit or lie with a straight spine and closed eyes and focus on your breathing. If thoughts arise, notice them without getting swept away in them and bring your attention back to the breath. - Emotional Acceptance:
This skill comes in handy especially when we are facing difficult emotions. For your first practice week, I’d like you to set yourself a reminder to follow these steps anytime you feel stressed, frustrated, unhappy, etc: - Repeat after me, “It’s ok to not feel ok.” Write this in your phone or on a post-it, somewhere you can easily access and see when you feel unhappy.
- Close your eyes and take five deep breaths.
- Name your emotion, describe how you feel, remind yourself that it will pass. You can do this in your head, out loud to yourself, or best of all write it down.
3. Manage Back & Neck Pain:
When you engage in a conversation turn your chair & your body towards that person – not just your neck – remember to have your heart and hips face that person. This could cut back on pain.
IF YOU ARE INTRIGUED BY WHAT I’M SAYING HERE BUT NOT SURE WHERE TO START
OR
YOU ARE SOMEWHAT AWARE OF THESE TIPS AND ARE LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION AND SUPPORT
👉THEN I GOT YOU COVERED! 👈
I hear all the time how intimidating holistic living can seem to be and how hard it is too squeeze into your busy life.
I have a weekly blog and private group where I cover holistic living and almost every week go live covering yoga, mediation, breathing exercises, and/or self-care.
This blog and community are filled with simple and approachable tips, techniques and practical holistic living advice.
Share your experience with me in the comments below, or send me a private message and let me know how you feel after you try out the tips and techniques I share weekly here. ❤️
Have a beautiful day and Namaste,
Jen James
p.s. ❤️ Feel free to reply back or send me a DM/PM if you have any questions or comments. I'm here to listen.