how much pain is okay in yoga practice?

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HOW MUCH PAIN IS OKAY IN YOGA PRACTICE? YogaHub 2012

Neil Pearson

Outline 1. Understanding of pain and chronic pain. 2. Guidelines for how to approach Yoga and asana p practice in the face of pain. p 3. Important techniques for changing pain.

Outline       

Pain Chronic pain The lived experience of pain Pancha maya koshas Th fi The first six i lilimbs b How to approach Yoga in the face of pain How much pain is okay

Practice

B d Scan Body S

The body and pain 

What image do you have of your body?

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Do you see it this way?

The body y and pain p

P i Pain 

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Close your eyes eyes, and think of a time when you had pain. Remember the experience as if you were witnessing g everything y g about the pain, p , rather than experiencing it yourself. What is pain?

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Pain is complex Pain is horrible Pain is invisible Pain is an individual and multifaceted experience

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Pain is protection

UNDERSTANDING PAIN Pain changes everything Chemistry Ch i Cells Tissues Organs Systems Organism Community

Pain changes g everything y g

UNDERSTANDING PAIN The pain system is an alarm system 

It can warn you …  when you have been damaged. damaged  when you are approaching damage.

UNDERSTANDING PAIN 

The system can also warn you … if you are in a situation ssimilar a too a pas past experience e pe e ce in which you experienced pain.

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Remember your pain experience – this time, do your best to re-experience it, and as long as you feel safe to do so, really feel it. Notice what happens in your breath, in your body, in your thoughts, in your emotions. Was the pain you felt just now real? How did it change you?

Pain is an accurate indicator of tissue health 

True?

False?

Neurons – nerve cells

Sending Danger Signals

Synaptic Transmission 18

Sending Danger Signals

Longer calmer, Longer, calmer smoother

Y BBrain Your i RReceives i Many M Inputs I t       

Danger signals All other sensations Fight or Flight Hormones Immune System Thoughts, emotions, memories,… ….

A SENSIBLE STORY

All of the incoming g information is processed in the spinal cord & the brain. brain The brain’s job is to come up with A SENSIBLE STORY .

P i is Pain i NOT an accurate indication i di i of what is happening pp g in your y bodyy

The intensity  The location  The Th quality l 

… of our pain do not accurately tell us what is happening in our body.

Brain freeze

Hammer meets thumb

Hold arms out from shoulders   

Calm your breath Soften your body Ignore the pain

Hold arms out from shoulders   

Calm your breath Soften your body Change the pain, pain any way you want

Hold arms out from shoulders   

Calm your breath Soften your body Be mindful of the pain

When Pain Persists Chronic Pain Everything becomes even more complex

Y adapt You d t to t persistent i t t pain i 

Changes in:  The

nerves in the tissues

 The

nerves in the spinal cord

 The

neurons and chemistry of the brain

Body schema changes

Body Awareness 

Experience sensations in your body

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Place your body or your hands in a mudra  Eg

anjali mudra – feel your hands, feel your body

Hold arms out from shoulders     

Feel your shoulders Raise your arms Calm your breath Soften your body F l your shoulders Feel h ld

Persistent Pain 

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maladaptive responses of the organism’s protective systems, in which the experience of pain motivates the individual to consciously perform protective actions that limit recovery, and in which the automatic responses of the organism also limit recovery. recovery

P i ti pain Persisting i produces…. d 

Maladaptations – interoception and exteroception Posture Breathing Body perception Movement patterns Thoughts

Muscle tension Motor control Body awareness Tactile acuity Emotions

What maladaptations can we change h in i yoga?? 

How can we make changes in … with Yoga?  Body ody

image age  Physical strength  Flexibility y  Helplessness  Fear  Grief  Isolation  Body tension

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Everything y g changes g p pain

Options p 

View pain from a biomedical, biomechanical or pathophysiological perspective.

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View pain from a psychological perspective.

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View pain from a yogic perspective.

Yoga g tells us…    

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Practice P ti th the yamas and d niyamas i Practice pranayama and asana Practice pratyahara Practice dharana and dhyana Each may be equally important while assisting this student with their pain experience.

How much p pain is okayy in Yoga? g   

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“Yoga Yoga is not pain pain” “There should be no pain during Yoga Practice” “There There is a difference between good pain and bad pain” “Pain Pain doesn’t doesn t mean tissue damage so so, itit’ss okay to ignore it” “As As long as you can smile smile, itit’ss okay” okay

How much p pain is okayy in Yoga? g 

Ask yourself – is this safe? Ask yourself – will I pay for this later?

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Do your best with the following:

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 Calm C l

b breath th  Calm Body  Monitor the pain

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Science says that pain is not an accurate indication of what is happening in your tissues Science says that pain is a biopsychosocial experience Science says there is no linear pathway between the physical you and experience Yoga and science are in agreement!

Practice wh t you w what wantt tto gett good d att     

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Connect to your body sensations, including pain Control your energy Be who you want to be Become more fearless and agile I fl Influence your existence i through h h your wisdom i d and d spirit Fi d more peace Find

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