Mind-Body Coaching

TEACHING

We can jumpstart our healing by teaching ourselves everything there is to know about the mind-body connection.

TEACHING is the foundation for the TRANSCENDING approach to healing mind & body.

Having a basic understanding of the neuroscience behind the mind-body connection is an instrumental part of the healing process. Neuroscience demonstrates that chronic pain and symptoms exist due to learned neural pathways in the brain. In order to create new positive neural pathways in the brain, therefore eliminating chronic pain and symptoms, we must understand how neural pathways work in the first place.

Before we can learn how to reprogram the brain to get out of pain, we have to understand how it’s creating pain to begin with.

We learn how the brain, nervous system, and body work together – how the stress response creates real physiological changes in the body, how neurons that fire together wire together, and so on.

With this knowledge, We can begin to understand how the existing neural pathways were created and how they are responsible for chronic pain and symptoms.

With this understanding, we can move forward in learning how to go about reprogramming the brain to TRANSCEND pain and symptoms.

RESPONSIBILITY

We can take responsibility for our healing by making a commitment to recovery.

In order to TRANSCEND chronic pain and symptoms, we must take RESPONSIBILITY for own healing.

For many of us, we placed our trust in the hands of medical professionals to heal us, which didn’t work.

In studying the neuroscience of the mind-body connection, we find we have everything within ourselves to find healing.

Taking our power back is so important to healing mind & body.

It’s our responsibility to put in the work necessary to reprogram the brain.

When we take responsibility for our own healing, we set ourselves up for success.

AWARENESS

We can heal through awareness of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, symptoms, and belief systems.

Before we can begin to TRANSCEND chronic pain and symptoms, we must develop awareness.

Learned neural pathways are the reason for acute symptoms turning chronic. The fight or flight stress response turns habitual, and the fear-pain response persists. To eliminate symptoms, we must reprogram (re-wire) the brain to interpret internal and external stimuli differently, as to not trigger the stress response.

In order to create new positive neural pathways, we must gain awareness about what we’re actually experiencing.

When experiencing a symptom, we can ask ourselves different questions in the moment to help gain awareness:

– What symptom am I having? Where is it located? What’s the quality of this sensation?
– What emotion am I feeling right now? Where do I feel this in my body?
– What has happened today, leading up to this symptom?
– What activity am I doing?
– What are my present life circumstances?

When we gain awareness, we can start to see how our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, actions, and symptoms are related, and with this information, we can start making new connections in the brain that will lead us on a path to true healing, mind & body.

NEUTRALITY

We can live in a state of neutrality by acknowledging and experiencing our feelings and symptoms.

When we can neutralize symptoms, the new positive neural pathway strengthens. As the new pathway gets stronger, we start to TRANSCEND chronic pain symptoms.

We want to distance ourselves from the relationship we have with symptoms. We do this by changing our language, which will neutralize our symptoms and help interrupt the fear-pain cycle.

We can refrain from using the symptoms themselves in conversation, words like: pain, headache, itching, etc. We can replace the symptom with a neutral word, such as “sensation.”

We can stop using strong negative adjectives, such as: horrible, awful, horrendous, terrible, or excruciating.

When asked how our health is, we can simply say: “I’m learning ways to improve. I am hopeful about my future.”

When tempted to complain about symptoms, we can replace that by sharing gratitude.

Language is a very important tool when it comes to neutralizing pain and symptoms. When we can live in a state of neutrality, the brain will start to feel safe, which is required to TRANSCEND chronic pain and symptoms.

SAFETY

We can communicate messages of safety to the brain by becoming objective about how we feel.

In order to TRANSCEND pain and symptoms, we must communicate messages of safety to the brain.

When the brain perceives danger (stress), it triggers the fight or flight stress response, which can result in pain or symptoms. When the brain gets stuck in the pain-fear cycle, symptoms become chronic.

In order to break the pain-fear cycle, the brain must feel safe, that it’s no longer in danger. In an effort to break the cycle, we can communicate messages of safety.

We can communicate messages of safety in so many ways, including:
– catching our fears
– challenging negative thoughts
– practicing somatic tracking
– leaning into positive sensations

Each time we communicate a message of safety to the brain, we strengthen the new positive neural pathway.

CHANGE

We can create lasting change by redirecting our negative thoughts.

In order to create lasting change, we must change. We cannot expect change to occur in our lives, if we are not willing to make changes. Whether it be our thoughts, behaviors, belief systems, or something else, changes must be made.

Sometimes, this change could be reframing our thoughts. It’s important to acknowledge our thoughts and feelings. However, dwelling on negative thoughts reinforces old neural pathways and makes healing much more difficult. If we can reframe our thoughts, our brain activity switches to the new neural pathway. The new positive pathway will strengthen. Eventually, the new pathway will become the automatic pathway.

If I am thinking about today being hard, that it sucks and I’m not sure how I’m going to make it, I can stop and pause.

I can acknowledge my thoughts. I see you. I hear you. I understand today is hard.

Then, I can reframe my thinking.

Yes, today is hard, AND it’s also an opportunity. The only way I can get better is by having hard days. Hard days allow me to practice mind-body tools. If I want to heal, I have to practice. In order to practice, I need hard days. Hard days are good days to practice. Today is a good day.

Reframing thoughts neutralizes the negative thinking and sends messages of safety to the brain. Thought reframing disrupts the fear-pain cycle and strengthens the new positive neural pathway. Making changes like this allows us to TRANSCEND pain and symptoms.

ENGAGEMENT

We can facilitate healing through engagement of positive activities.

Engagement is such an important element healing mind & body.

You might have heard the saying:
“What you resist persists.”
Thank you, Carl Jung, for your wisdom.

This applies to symptoms of the mind and body. The only way to transcend pain and symptoms is to experience them. We do this by leaning into our symptoms; engage them.

When we sit with the sensations we feel, whether that be uncomfortable emotions or physical symptoms, we teach the brain there’s nothing to fear. These are just sensations. They are not dangerous.

Next, we can turn our attention to something positive. When we engage in pleasant activities, the brain switches focus. The pain-fear cycle is interrupted, and we start to experience feel-good hormones.

We want to engage in entertaining and absorbing activities. We want these activities to feel fun and relaxing, free of stress or pressure, which looks different to everyone.

Some might enjoy playing a team sport, while others would prefer a creative activity like painting or writing a poem. You could explore a new walking path or watch a comedy show. Playing board games or building a sand castle could also be enjoyable.

Engaging our minds and bodies will help us build new neural pathways to transcend pain and symptoms.

NARRATIVE

We can live our narrative in a way to fully embody life as a well person.

The latest research shows that mindset has a significant impact on the outcomes in an individual’s life. This all comes back to the plasticity of the brain. The story we live and tell will dictate our healing experience.

Our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviors. Our emotions influence our behaviors and thoughts. Our behaviors influence our thoughts and emotions.

Our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors determine what we experience in life.

If I’m constantly thinking about being such a failure, I’m probably not going to be very happy. If I’m miserable and think I’m always going to fail, I’m not going to have the motivation to change. If I don’t make changes, I reinforce the thoughts of failure and feelings of unhappiness. The cycle continues, and I have a negative experience in life.

If I’m happy, I’ll have more motivation to try something new. If I face my fears and try something new, I’ll feel good about myself. If I’m feeling good about myself, I’ll think of myself as successful. If I think of myself as successful, I’ll be happy, and the cycle will continue, leading to a positive experience in life.

If I think of myself as a sick person, I’ll feel afraid of my pain and symptoms. My fear will lead to avoiding activities. Avoiding activities will reinforce the idea I’m a sick person. The cycle continues, and I remain a sick person.

If I start living my life as a well person, I’ll experience what life has to offer. This will bring feelings of joy. Feeling joy will reinforce the idea I’m healing. The cycle continues, and I heal.

My narrative is incredibly important. In order to transcend pain and symptoms, the character I play in my story is crucial. I must embody life as a well person, if I truly want to heal.

DISCIPLINE

We can use discipline in these principles for healing mind and body.

Discipline is the ninth principle in the TRANSCENDING approach to chronic pain and symptoms.

To find true healing, we must be disciplined in the eight principles that come first because this will strengthen our new positive neural pathways.

We must:
– Educate ourselves on the mind-body connection
– Take responsibility for our healing
– Be aware of our emotional and physical symptoms
– Practice living in a state of neutrality
– Send messages of safety to the brain
– Create change by redirecting our thoughts
– Engage in positive activities
– Live life as a well person

Discipline requires consistency, and to be consistent, we need to make this process easy. We do this by fitting our mind-body practices into our everyday lives. We simply add practices to our existing routines. When we do this, we can be disciplined and strengthen new pathways to transcend pain and symptoms.

INTEGRATION

Once we begin to  transcend our pain and symptoms, we can integrate this new approach with every aspect of our lives.

The more we can integrate the principles used to TRANSCEND pain and symptoms, the more healing we will experience, as this reinforces the new positive neural pathways.

We can do this in so many ways:
– Be mindful in the present moment
– Find opportunities to practice gratitude
– Reframe negative thinking
– Catch, challenge, and change our thoughts and behaviors
– Listen to recovery podcasts on our daily commute
– Use downtime to watch educational YouTube videos
– Read a book on the mind-body connection
– Take notice of mind-body issues in those around us
– Feel the sensations in our bodies
– Experience the emotions that come with everyday life
– Observe the thoughts that come and go from our minds
– Use words of affirmation
– Visualize what we hope to achieve and experience in life
– Live according to our values
– Engage in playful or creative activities
– Pay just as much attention to neutral and positive sensations/emotions as we do to uncomfortable emotions/sensations
– Associate physical discomfort with an emotional cause
– Interrupt the pain-fear cycle with messages of safety

The more we can integrate these tools into our everyday lives, the better we will maintain our healing. Repetition is key in helping our new positive neural pathways become the dominate driving forces in our lives.

NEWNESS

To maintain our healing, we can carry this new mind-body perspective with us as we encounter new challenges.

Once we begin to transcend chronic pain and symptoms, we need to maintain the new neural pathways associated with safety and positive sensations. Carrying the mind-body perspective with us as we encounter new challenges will reinforce the new positive neural pathways.

The brain is plastic, which means it can reorganize itself by forming new neural pathways and alter its existing pathways, in order to adapt to new experiences and knowledge.

This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, can certainly work in our favor, but it can also work against us. In the same way it helps us master a new skill, it can also help us adopt poor habits and cause our bodies to overreact to certain stimuli.

For those suffering with chronic pain and symptoms, this is especially relevant. Each new experience we encounter is an opportunity to strengthen the new positive neural pathways, signaling to the brain it isn’t threatened. When the brain does not feel in danger, it will begin to accept new experiences as safe, keeping us out of flight or fight mode.

When we’re able to get out of the pain-fear cycle, new pathways are strengthened and true healing occurs. Calming the stress response that comes with new experiences helps us maintain all the work we’ve done at TRANSCENDING pain and symptoms.

GRATITUDE

To reinforce our healing, we can find opportunities to practice gratitude. 

Gratitude has been studied in a variety of fields, including biology, psychology, and neuroscience. Research suggests gratitude positively impacts physical and mental health.

Studies demonstrate that grateful individuals experience more positivity:
– More happiness
– A feeling of satisfaction
– Better sleep
– Less fatigue
– Reduced inflammation
– Greater resilience
– Less depression
– Stronger relationships
– Higher self esteem
– Boosted immune system
– Improved mood
– Lower pain levels

Scientific research reveals the expression of gratitude is associated with certain feel-good neurochemicals: dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. With an increase in these feel-good hormones, science shows individuals who express gratitude experience a reduction in cortisol, the stress hormone.

The stress response creates real physiological changes in the body. When the body stays in this flight or fight mode, it can lead to a dysregulated nervous system. This chronic stress state can further lead to neuroplastic symptoms, as a result of the brain misinterpreting signals from the body as dangerous.

The TRANSCENDING approach aims to reprogram the brain to process differently, leading to a reduction of chronic pain and symptoms. As we transcend pain and symptoms, practicing gratitude reinforces positive neural pathways, which is essential to maintaining the relief of neuroplastic symptoms.