Understanding Pain - Pt. 2

Now back to this pressure applied to my hand. If I increase the pressure, eventually I invoke a sensation that I would describe as pain, here a threshold of input from tissues to brain has been reached where the brain now interprets a problem. The pain experience has begun, a message to my conscious self to say, please pay attention here, something is not right. 

This is an example of mechanically driven pain. Now in the case of an infection, the pain is chemically driven, where nerve endings in infected tissues are responding to chemical changes and pointing out the problem area.

We feel chemically driven pain during and after a big training session, where so much lactic acid has been produced in tissues that nerve endings become chemically irritated and send these messages to the brain.

Some pains are relatively easy to understand, they are ones we expect, like when I have rolled my ankle, torn a ligament, the ankle swells, it hurts, I rest it, get some treatment on the local tissues to help healing, I get moving again and the pain goes away.

If however the injury causes me to have a large fear response, say I injure my back at work, and the injury has an impact on my ability to provide for my family and say my dad has suffered form low back pain for the last 20 years and I have watched it cripple his life I am going to be very afraid of what is going on, and when I am very afraid I am going to get over protective, create adaptive movements to avoid further hurting anything and I’m likely to become more sedentary. Further more, my nervous system is going to heed these fear messages and sensitise itself, so that I will in time feel more and more pain as part of my brain’s attempt to protect me.

Fear increases tension as it seeks to protect and in doing so can facilitate and perpetuate pain. It must always be considered when working with pain.

Education, creating understanding and empowerment has a huge impact on reducing fear and pain.

There are many things that can contribute to the creation of pain. You can get tummy pain from infected food; you can also get it from stress, and chronic anxiety. You can get a headache because you’re dehydrated, or because you’ve got a viral infection but also because you’re  holding onto a build up of frustration or anger.

Chemically driven pain can be created by poor nutrition. If we don’t eat well, we’ll hurt more. Other lifestyle factors too contribute. We are more sedentary now than ever before in history, and when we do exercise, our exercise is often uni-dimensional, jammed into a short time frame, and often ineffective in relaxing the tensions and moving the stagnancies in the body that drive pain. 

As kids we explore and express so much more physical freedom, we run and jump and hop and wrestle and roll around and dive and climb trees and as we get older, things become more serious, less fun, less play, more work, more responsibility, more burdens and so our bodies follow our minds into the contraction.

One of the biggest generators of pain both chemically and mechanically is stress. Under stressful situations stress responses involve suppression of the immune system, increase in heart rate, suppression of digestion, increases in biochemical’s like adrenalin and cortisol, which are involved in inflammatory pathways and the creation of tension.

Stressful emotions like frustration and anxiety are contracting of the body.

Anxiety for example is a fear, based emotion. It is generated within the body following a perception within the mind of threat or danger. The emotion drives an action. All emotions want to become actions. Anxiety wants to move, it wants to run away or race around and fix stuff or control stuff. If we wake ever day with challenges that strike worry and fear in us then we are constantly generating anxious tension.

Likewise the emotions of frustration and anger generate tension in the body for fighting. These are emotions of fighting. We have them not just in conflict with people but also in conflict with situations; at times when we feel powerless or out of control, which for many is often. Sometimes we might feel really angry and feel that we cannot express it. The body has been told to fight and then told to block the action of fighting and so a tension is created in the body. This is another pathway to pain.

We also commonly suppress the expression of the emotion of sadness. The emotional body lives within the physical body. When we suppress emotion we create conflict, tension and stagnancy in the body – all lead to pain.

So, when you have pain, pause before you hate it or become afraid of it, and instead, seek to understand it. Can you see its message and respond accordingly? In your search to understand the messages you may be confronted by things you’d rather avoid. Things like the origins of your stress. This is not pains fault, but rather, your challenge.

Get more connected to your body so that you can pay more attention to the messages it conveys, maybe you’ll pick them up before they have to speak so loud as to become pain. Be mindful of the way you move, how you live, what you eat, and what stresses you, and importantly learn about how to meet stress, release stress and reduce stress. This will be the greatest thing you can do to reduce your pain and help your health.

Written by Adam Cootes of Arising Self

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Personal Authenticity.

It’s one thing creating a world around you that appears to the outside world to be a certain thing. Does that make you a slave to society by creating an external reality that’s fit for them, but is not necessarily in true alignment to your own authenticity?

Being a “perception engineer” for the outside world doesn’t necessarily serve your own life or internal happiness, joy and truth. To truly be “free”, live authentically and happily, you have to address and live your own truth first.  That begins with working from the inside out; not the outside in. 

If you’re driven by certain things, such as creating the perception of being wealthy, sophisticated or successful, you must ask yourself first, where do your own personal values stand amidst that perception, and are you living as a wealthy, sophisticated or successful person within your own life, heart, mind and soul first? Are you clean, tidy, fit, healthy; do you take pride in your living environment; in your relationship with yourself? 

There’s nothing wrong with “branding” or “personal branding”. But if you’re goal is to succeed, achieve and be happy; ensure that the truth you’re living behind closed doors is the very truth that guides your genuine health and happiness - not the perception of it that others might or might not accept. 

Becoming Your Own Guide

Lets not kid our selves, creating positive change isn’t easy; personal transformation isn’t easy. It’s not hard to feel stuck and powerless in changing things about your own behaviour. There is often a great weight or gravity to your own patterns and your own desires for things to be the same.

In essence, to change you must firstly want to change; there must be sufficient reason, creating sufficient desire. You must know the why, the reasons and want to change badly. You must build this ‘fire of desire’, this want for change by reflecting on the reasons regularly. Without doing so there will not be the energy required to overcome the barriers to change.

Then, you must identify the barriers and break them down. To do this, you must learn to watch yourself – you require self-awareness first.

You have to be able to watch yourself, watch your old patterns of eating poorly or ‘being lazy’ or not exercising, or stressing out about things unnecessarily.

You can cultivate the ability to watch yourself through meditation and self-reflection. If you don’t meditate already, learn to – an untrained mind is as useful at creating personal transformation as an untrained violinist is at playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Find a teacher or source instruction on the net. You can find my introduction to meditation at www.arisingself.com

The self-reflection part can take many forms. Personally, I think it’s nice to keep a journal, this really helps you to be accountable and to call into question what your perceptions, feelings and actions are. You might for instance keep a food diary and call into question why you have consumed in a day what you have. Did you eat because you were hungry? Was it a genuine hunger, or was it stress driven, boredom driven or because of an emotional feeling of emptiness? Are there poor eating patterns because of a fundamental lack of regard for self?

In asking these questions of yourself you find your barriers to change; stress, boredom or loneliness as examples. These are the things that need further work if you are to change your patterns.

Another very useful tool of self-reflection is watching back the movie of your day in your mind. Slowly. Observing yourself: the way you move and feel, your mood, your reactions, your patterns and so on. On the first run through, just watch and observe.

On the second run through ask yourself questions like, “Why did I act like that, feel that, respond like that? Could I slow down, be in the moment more, not rush so much? How often to I actually deeply experience something in the moment? What perceptions, stories or beliefs do I need to change in order to feel less stress and enjoy my day more? Can I accept the nature of my reality and the things I cannot change and pour my energy into changing those things that I can?

On the third run through, press the pause button as you go, and this time seek to guide yourself. Consider putting on a different set of glasses, metaphorically speaking as you step into your day. What if this set of glasses allowed you to enjoy everything in your day, allowed you to see meaning and purpose in everything, see the opportunities for learning and growing and the connections and the enjoyment? Can you watch the movie with this set of glasses?

By Adam Cootes of Arising Self

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Battlefield or Playground?

The Hypothalamus is a master gland in the brain. It is a peptide-producing machine. Peptides are little protein chains and are essentially information carriers. 

The hypothalamus produces a different neuro-peptide for every different possible emotional experience. When you perceive a change in life you have an emotional response. In this emotional response the hypothalamus releases the corresponding neuro-peptides into the blood stream. This is one of the primary examples of the inseparable Mind-Body relationship. 

The neuro-peptides travel throughout the body via the blood stream and are able to connect to receptor sites in the cell membranes of cells in the tissues of the body including organs, muscles, skin and so on. This protein-receptor interlocking influences the activity and function of the cell. No prizes for guessing the differing influence of “angry” neuro-peptides compared with “joyful” neuro-peptides.

In this way the emotional body lives within the physical body and is constantly influencing it. Your emotional responses are a major determinant of your health. And your emotional responses are governed by your perception. 

Do you perceive your life as a battlefield or a playground? In the battle field you may be hurt, traumatised, victimised, lost, fighting, striving to control things, angry when you can’t or afraid of what is coming next: Probably not ideal for creating a healthy internal environment.

In the playground, life is for exploring, it is seen as a play or a dance, one to enjoy, there is fun and adventure, learning and creativity: Wonderful for a healthy internal environment.

If the battlefield is about survival, the playground is about exploring and learning.

Your perception determines it all. When you learn that you can be in control of the way you perceive and therefore respond to what is arising in life you will be happier and healthier.

Carry these questions with you: Playground or battlefield? If battlefield, why? Does it need to be so? How can I perceive it differently? What am I fighting for, fighting to control, fighting to protect? Am I fighting a losing battle? Can I let go and see it all differently?

Adam Cootes, Integrated Health Practitioner, Arising Self

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A Reminder of Why We're Here.

This morning I’ve been reminded that light and love emanates outside around and through you at all times in all ways - only if you choose to connect with and recognise it. If you want to connect with feelings of peace, stillness, empathy, compassion, happiness and energy in your day-to-day life (I know I certainly do), find time to commit to listening to your body, mind and your heart. Your intuition is your greatest guide. However, if you’re not still enough and make yourself too busy rushing around and choose not to listen, you’ll miss a greater path of clarity, focus and precision within your daily existence, and miss the whole point to the experience of life - living, breathing, inner peace and the reason why we’re all here - love. To love and allow ourselves to be loved. To embrace the experience of love at all times in all ways. 

Daily Commitment to Humility.

It's simple: I do not want an ego but understand that ego resides within the mind. That, we cannot escape. Fear exists within the mind, therefore, to live a humble existence, every day I strive to relinquish attachments (emotional, mental, physical) and to objects, ideals and expectations of myself and in turn others. I have a commitment to living this way each and every day through stillness, reflection, trust and intuition. No matter where I am or what I’m doing within my spirit, I express gratitude and deep thanks every single day regardless of all circumstances or situations.  

Lessons.

We are all continually learning. I realised a long time ago that you can teach an old dog new tricks, as long as he is willing and open to grow. As long as he is aware...of who he is and of the ever changing world that surrounds him. Life's lessons are continually teaching and however insignificant an experience or moment may seem at the time, the impact it can have on our choices and our approach to life can be great. But to learn, we need to be open to change; to be bold and never scared to face something with a different attitude than what we have always known. Growth requires just a little provocation. Learn to be 'you' and do things 'your' way but always consider the impact on others, whilst remaining true to the person you are and choose to be. It is a choice. Wisdom comes through living each experience with awareness and being open to advice and external influence - within positive reason. We are continually growing into ourselves and hopefully better versions each time we massage in the new layers of daily experience. Like moisturiser; nourishing, feeding, thickening, yet softening the skin and beautifully refining the mind...there comes growth. Reflection is important, but never indulge in too much negative evaluation. Be happy with what we have experienced in the past and be proud of the awareness that increases our ability to do things with greater understanding next time. 

By Hayley Lentz. 

The Beauty in Natural Disasters.

We cannot control or decide when nature inflicts damages upon our towns and cities. We’re not in a position to bargain, decide or control when mother earth chooses to make her mark to varying degrees. Think Sendai, Japan. New Orleans hurricane and most recently, the Oklahoma tornado. Because we have to relinquish control, all we can do is ultimately look to the positives out of these situations that arise. I love seeing fellow neighbours, colleagues and towns come together to lend a hand. I love seeing various not for profit’s campaigning to save lives and providing resources. I love seeing every day people become heroes: Rescuers and life savers. In many ways, people and land have the opportunity to re-paint their lives. Lessons of all kinds are learned. Gratitude, love, hope and humility deepens. A sense of community widens. It’s mother earths way of cleansing and flushing the earth, demanding and commanding change amongst us. Whilst the pain of loss is unbearable for many throughout these challenging times, there also comes an opportunity for change, growth and new perspective. Life is not supposed to be easy. We will never have control over mother earth and we’re not supposed to. All we can deal with are the cards that have been dealt for us all, and be grateful and thankful for the life we do have. We can only control so much. At the end of the day, we all have to learn to let go, no matter the situation or circumstance, and grieving is a part of that and that's okay. There is beauty in absolutely everything, including loss and pain. 

Gratitude.

If we really wanted to, we could find fault in absolutely everything in life. If we wanted to, we could also be grateful for absolutely everything we have in life. It’s a choice and it takes a while for all of us to realise this. In the past I’ve read - “The more I understand the mind and the human experience, the more I begin to suspect there is no such thing as unhappiness; there is only ungratefulness.” And when you truly focus on every single thing you can be grateful for, each and every day, you’ll soon see, know and trust that it’s a choice to be unhappy, just as much as it’s a choice to be truly happy. What are you grateful for today? Are you going to choose happiness over ungratefulness? 

Faith.

What’s the point in not having faith? What else are you going to have? Sometimes we lose perspective of the faith we’re capable of having and that’s okay. But faith in its grand meaning encourages us to be still and to trust ourselves, to trust our intuition. To listen to the quiet voice inside with love. Our heart and soul always knows best. 

Two Parts of You.

Your body and your mind are one, two-parts of the one YOU. This might not be news to you, but even if it isn’t news to you, you may not still be living as though they are one. You may still blame or reject your body when it is unwell or when it is in pain.

Un-wellness and pain are messages from the body to your conscious mind, messages from one part of yourself to another part of yourself. They are messages about problems. How often do you pause to listen, to enquire, and seek to understand what the messages are about?

One of the communication systems that connect the mind and body is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS has two main arms: The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). The SNS is our “Fight and Flight” nervous system, and the PNS is our “Rest, Digest and Repair” nervous system.

The SNS is responsible for quick responses to threat and danger. It is the system that stimulates, that creates alertness. It is our stress response system.

These two-systems can’t both be running fully at the same time. When the SNS is on-line, the PNS is off-line. Because most of us lead busy, overstimulated fast paced lives with little focus on rest and relaxation and plenty of focus on stress, trying to keep up, keep on top, stay in control and prove ourselves our SNS is hogging the airwaves.

When this happens, our immune systems become suppressed, our digestive function becomes compromised, there is a rise in inflammation in the body, and biochemical imbalance occurs. All of which drive illness and pain.

If we want to be healthy, we have to look at our lifestyles, the choices we make, the ways in which we push ourselves, and the beliefs and stories we operate our lives by.

Slow down, be kind to yourself and learn to say no. What’s the worse thing that could happen if you do? You might be healthier, happier and more at peace.

Written by Adam Cootes, Arising Self - http://arisingself.com 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arising-Self/153987954634003 

Wanting It All.

Why can’t I have it all? There have been so many things I’ve wanted in life. So many things I’ve lusted for and craved. But if we all had everything, what would be left for us to create? There is nothing good in having everything, and what is “everything” anyway? Different things have different meanings for everyone; things serve us at different times and stages in our lives when we most need them. Nothing is permanent or “a given”. So whilst I think at times to myself, “I want it all”, I realise that there is absolutely nothing that I don’t already have, or cannot at least work towards in my time. 

Never Give Up.

Everything in life is always only a lesson. Everything happens for a reason. Don’t judge it, just learn from it. And no matter how much it’s hurt you, always, always, always try again. Never give up. 

Breathe.

Every morning and every night, I lay in bed or sit quietly in my room and just breathe. I listen to my breath. And when I do, I hear 101 stories. Stories from my head. Stories from my heart and the dreams of my soul. The breath creates pathways into the imagination. It creates opportunity to design a life, future and moment unique unto itself. The breath saves me from disconnect. In my breath I find peace, love and gratitude. To find happiness, all I have to do is remember to breathe a slow breath. 

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost.

Not all those that wander are lost. I choose to be free. I choose to not know. I choose to let go. I choose spontaneity. I choose intuition and inner guidance. I choose change and different perspective. I want to see it all through your eyes. I want to get lost, just so I can be found again. If not by me, then maybe by you. The joy in life is to explore, experience and relax. The joy comes from anticipation and an unexpected outcome. Love the journey of life. Wander. Allow yourself to get lost. Often. 

Letter To A Friend.

Hi darling,

I hope you've arrived safely and the trip is going well.

In response to your Monday night musings... 

We all experience things in life to different intensities at different times in order to awaken our spirit and soul journey. Don't ask me why. We'll never truly know. But what this requires from us as human beings, is to truly embark upon a journey of healing...at all times. To heal, this requires letting go, acceptance, patience and gratitude for the things we do have and the blessings we have had, at all times. But to understand how to let go and accept in the first place is often a big journey within itself. The bottom line is, being human means living in pain. But we can only strive to reduce the pain by actively healing and treating ourselves with love. To do this, we need to start partaking in "things", "exercises", "awakenings", "healing’s" to get there. That's why the world is full of various mind, body, soul, spiritual healers that can aid and assist the rest of us on this journey. And the truth is, we’re all our own spiritual healer. We have the power to make all the change we want and need. Have you started reading your "You Can Heal Your Life” Louise Hay book that I bought you? It's a gem. Please take the time to read it. I know that in theory, you understand all of this, but what also comes with your intellectual understanding is the resistance to let go, because in your own mind, you feel you already "get it all". However, like I said, the pain won't dissipate until we put love and energy into its dismissal. It just won't. We are both "thinking" people. This also means that often we're "fear based" reactive people too. Your journey is to heal your perception, understanding of men; forgive yourself, accept all that has been done and what hasn't been / wasn't. Your journey is to find love again for yourself and in turn men. To see them as people, human beings and not just "men" who essentially all "fail you". As I've said you in the past. YOU MUST FOCUS ON YOU first before you will get any shifting externally. IF YOU DON'T GO WITHIN YOU GO WITHOUT - one of my favourite sayings. Life is simply a journey - an ongoing one. It's a game of snakes and ladders. Sometimes we're climbing and many other times we fall. You just have to keep on the SPIRITUAL journey otherwise life’s pain will continue to get the better of you. TAKE ACTION FOR YOU. FOR YOUR LIFE. FOR YOUR FUTURE. FOR YOUR HAPPINESS. Don't just try and "rationalise", "control" and "resolve" in your head. It's your heart that needs to do the work. 

Love you and we'll chat again soon.