If you are or have experienced pain you already know that it is a PAIN. Although I do still experience pain time to time, my chronic, deliberating pain, has subsided. Looking back, I know that this pain was in my life to teach me lessons I needed to learn to better live in my body and simply wake up!
Just recently my family moved (Pontus and I have now moved 9 times in our 21 years married…never gets easier!). As I was packing my things, I realized a lot of my ‘stuff’ are tools and gadgets of some sort I have purchased over the years to calm and release pain.
I highlight some of the below listed gadgets* on my new YouTube video …
Gadgets
*Neck pillow
*Pelvic clock
*Acupressure lumbar cushion
*Yoga tune up balls
*Hip flexor psoas release ball
Jade & tourmaline far infrared heating pad
*Foam roller
*Hot water bottle
*Toe separators
*Posture corrector
-dry brush
-Microwave heated pad for neck and shoulders
*Neck shoulder relaxer and cervical spine traction
-Naturapathica oils – aromatherapy
These above gadgets and tools did not ‘fix me,’ however, they did offer some insight and support.
If you know me you may know that I have endured several separate injuries. I have fractured my back between L1/T12, I herniated the base of my neck between C6/C7, requiring a disk replacement, I have broke my right leg and I have also broken my right wrist. I have also grown and birthed 3 beautiful babies(so much respect for all the mammas). All of these injuries and experiences, and have made it easier for me to play a ‘victim’ in my life. Ultimately, making my situation worse off than it needed to be…
Regardless, playing victim or not, there were consequences to my actions and injuries. More than my injuries and actions, I noticed that my non-actions, the ‘things’ I was not doing, have probably caused me the greatest consequences and the most suffering. I realized in my journey, that I needed to heal the emotional and mental parts of me as well to feel better.
When my 2 eldest girls were young, I tried to do it all and truly be a super mom and wife to my husband who was a resident and beginning his career as a physiatrist. Looking back I am in awe of all I did. I was ‘checking boxes off my check list’ and getting stuff done. With an uneasy smile, I asked for no help and was hard on myself if I didn’t do things perfectly. I now understand that it was not asking for help, not taking time to be with friends, not loving, not relaxing, not laughing, not dancing, not singing, and not playing that have caused me the most pain.
This post is a reminder to myself (and anyone else who needs) to keep playing, to take time to relax, and lastly to love, listen and trust in the present moment.
In all my practices including my practice of Pilates, I remind myself to feel and enjoy the movements. Although the details, including alignment, flow, and breath etc. are all important pieces to the practice of Pilates, they are just pieces to the whole practice. Hopefully you love the practice and the practice loves you back.
Read the following posts if you are curious on some more of my insights on the emotional and mental play in our physical body.
We are a whole body and when it starts talking its best to listen as the body never lies!
Keep on dancing.
Brooke
lebureau.live 