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Yoga for Pain Relief
Kelly McGonigal, PhD, a yoga teacher, health psychologist at Stanford University, editor in chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, once suffered from debilitating headaches
that made her wonder what it would be like to live one day without pain. Now, as the author of the new book, Yoga for Pain
Relief, McGonigal is sharing her tips for dealing with chronic pain through yoga and meditation. The following interview with McGonigal tells about her struggles and how yoga helped her.
Tell us a little bit about how you became
interested in using yoga for chronic pain. How has yoga helped you cope with pain?
I do live with
pain, but it is a pale shadow of what it used to be. For many years I had daily
headaches, often debilitating. My doorway
into relief came first through mindfulness meditation. I took a class for
people with chronic pain and learned a whole to new way to relate to sensation.
It was something no one had ever said in any of the yoga asana classes I had
taken. I learned how to focus on my breath and feel sensations without
resisting them. I remember the first time I tried breath mindfulness during a
bad pain episode, and it helped. I went back to the next class so excited to
explain to everyone how the pain had been so intense, and yet I had the experience
at the same time that it was OK, that I was OK, and I could handle it. What a
revelation!
I started
applying mindfulness acceptance of sensations to my yoga practice. Practicing
mindful yoga extremely useful, because the poses created so many intense
sensations! It was a perfect way to learn a new way of relating to discomfort.
Now, my pain is extremely mild and not daily. I only get a few debilitating headaches a
year. The pain isn't gone, it's just a completely different experience. It has
no hold on me, my emotions, and what I am able to do. And I almost never have
to take pain medication, whereas I used to take it daily. But it's actually
kind of a miracle.
Paying
attention to my body in yoga also helped by making me more aware of how other
things, like food and sleep, influence my pain. It's given me more mindful
awareness of cause and effect in my body and mind. This lets me make better
choices about how I take care of myself. People
with pain often feel betrayed by their body, and this was certainly true for me.
Yoga can help you restore trust in your body, and learn how to listen to your
body.
Why is yoga a good idea for people who have chronic
pain as opposed to other treatment options?
Yoga is so
helpful because chronic pain doesn't play by the same rules as acute pain from
a recent injury or illness. It is more strongly influenced by stress, thoughts,
and emotions. And the pain doesn't necessarily reflect a single identifiable
"problem" in the body, like a compressed disc or an infection. It usually
reflects a systemic change in how you experience pain that may involve your
muscles, nerves, hormones, and brain. So chronic pain is rarely "fixed" with a
single medical intervention like surgery. It is usually a more gradual process
that requires a holistic approach, including medicine, social support, and
mind-body or psychological approaches.
How is the approach in yoga for chronic pain
different from approaching any other kind of pain?
The biggest
difference is you're not looking to fix some part of the body. It's not a
"stretch your back to get rid of your back pain" approach. It involves every
possible tool of yoga, including breathing, relaxation, movement, meditation,
philosophy, and self-reflection. It's recognizing that yoga's healing power
comes from it's ability to change the way your breathe and move, yes, but also how
you feel, think, and relate to yourself and to pain. It's being open to the
possibility that meditation or breathing has a good a chance of reducing your
back pain as a stretch!
How can you use meditation as a tool to help? Can
you share an example of a meditation you might advise a chronic pain patient to
use?
One of my personal favorites is mantra meditation--repeating a healing phrase in your
mind. It gives you something to focus on, which shuts down the usual cascade of
thoughts that make pain worse. It provides a rhythm for the breath. This makes
it easier to slow down and deepen your breath, which can calm the stress
response and make the body and brain less reactive to pain. It gives you a
sense of quiet control, the exact opposite experience that typically goes with
pain or stress. I also like the idea that the mantra itself has a healing
power. I use a Buddhist mantra that resonates with me, and it is believed that
the sounds of the mantra spontaneously awaken the heart and mind. When I work
with students who have pain, I help them choose an English phrase or a yogic
mantra that feels meaningful to them.
For
more information about how yoga can help people with pain, visit
http://yogaforpainrelief.com.
Survey Finds Common Yoga Misconceptions
What prevents people from jumping on the yoga bandwagon? According to a new survey conducted by Yoga Alliance, several misconceptions could be what's keeping non-yogis from trying their first class.Below is an excerpt from the press release:The research sought feedback from people who have never stepped foot in
a studio as well as those who have made yoga an essential part of their
lives. It found that, despite growing "buzz," there are many Americans
who know little about yoga or, worse, have incorrect assumptions which
inhibit them from participation. The three most common misperceptions
are that yoga:
- Is religion-based. 57% of those who do not currently practice yoga believe that it requires mantras or chanting related to a form of worship.
- Requires flexibility in order to practice. Nearly 3 in 5 Americans - 59% of respondents - who do not practice yoga think that it requires a person to be in at least "decent" shape. In truth, however, anyone - of any size, shape or physical state - can benefit.
- Is not really exercise. Half of men who have never practiced yoga believe it "isn't a workout." In contrast, 73% of people who do practice believe it is just as effective as running, swimming or weight lifting."
Yogis Help Haiti Relief Efforts
In the aftermath of Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, many yoga studios, teachers, and practitioners have forces to send aid and help soften the blow of the tragedy. We encourage you to lend your support--monetary contributions, participation in relief events, raise awareness, or simply dedicate a yoga practice--to the people of Haiti. Below is a list of just a few yoga events that aim to help with the relief effort in Haiti. I know there are many more all over the country. I need your help to publicize other opportunities to get involved!
Please add the list by commenting below with local events or efforts in
your community-- please include dates, times, and URLs.Laughing Lotus Clothing Drive in San Francisco, California -- through Sunday, January 17Bernal Yoga Haitian Relief Benefit Class in San Francisco, California -- January 18, 12 pmYoga Tree Benefit Class in San Francisco, California -- January 17, 4:30pm; Studio will match donations.Piedmont Yoga Studio Clothing Drive in Oakland, California -- through January 17Haitian Relief Class with Spiritual Gansters 305 in Aventura, Florida -- January 17, 10:30amRiver's Edge Yoga Classes for Haitian Relief in Alexandria, Virginia -- January 18, 11am, 12:30pm, and 6:30pmBlue Lotus Yoga Studio in Raleigh, North Carolina set up a fundraiser page with Mercy CorpsBy Donation Yoga for Haiti Core Strengh Vinyasa Master Class in New York, New York -- January 24 12-2pm and Benefit for Haiti with FELA! and other celebrities on January 22ndYour Yoga Community Center in Hamden, Connecticut will donate the proceeds from classes on January 16 and 17th to Doctors without Borders or Americares.
Boost Your Immunity with Yoga
The following clip, featuring yoga teacher Rainbeau Mars, recently aired on a San Francisco news station. Not only does it share yoga's immunity boosting benefits with a wide audience, but it also shows that you can do yoga any time (even when you're at work and wearing a tie!).
Do you think your yoga practice has helped you avoid a cold this season? What poses do you practice when you're feeling under the weather?
More Yoga = Less Jail Time
Today, the BBC reported that inmates in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh will be released from 15 days early for every three months they spend practicing yoga. "The authorities say the lessons help to improve the prisoners' self-control and reduce aggression," according to the article.4,000 inmates are taking advantage of the program, and many of the prisoners go on to become yoga instructors after they are released.That sounds like a good deal to me. In the Yoga Journal offices, we get a lot of letters from prisoners across the U.S. who seem to be really dedicated to practicing yoga while they do their time. It's hard to measure how big the impact really is on aggression and self-control, but a little self reflection (yoga style) can only be a positive thing, right? What do you think? Obviously there's a lot of controversy about the perks inmates should receive while they're in jail. Would you support this kind of program if it were to be proposed here in the U.S.?
It's (Almost) Yoga Day! How Will You Celebrate?
This weekend, there is no reason not to get your asana to a yoga class! Saturday, January 23rd is Yoga Day USA, which means there will be lots of opportunities to practice yoga for free or at reduced prices.Yoga Day gives people new to the practice an incentive to give it a try, but we can all take advantage of a free class. Find a participating studio or teacher near you. Try a new studio or a new teacher. Bring a friend who wouldn't join you for a class otherwise. Then, please remember to come back here and share your experience with the rest of us.
Desk Yoga
Last week, I posted a great video of local news anchors doing yoga. This week, I thought I'd follow up with an adorable video of a CBS news anchor practicing desk yoga with Kristin McGee. If you're sitting at your desk while you watch, give these stretches a try!
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Can Foodies be Yogis, Too?
Possibly the biggest debate in the yoga community is around food, ahimsa (non-harming), and health. Today's New York Times includes an in-depth article on the wide range of ideas and philosophies surrounding yoga and food. Can you be a yogi who also appreciates a burger every now and then? What about wine? Chocolate? Some say yes, some say no... The debate continues.No matter where you stand on the issue, it's hard to argue with this quote by Dave Romanelli: "What yoga teachers do and what chefs do is not so different. We take everyday actions like moving and eating, and slow you down so
you can appreciate them." Achieving stillness and peace amid the
distractions of life, he said, has always been the higher goal of yoga.How does yoga inspire your diet?See also:Are You in the Closet?Exotic Chocolates + Fine Wine = Meditation Do Plants Have Feelings, Too?
Yoga in the Bedroom?
If you've ever had a sleepless night, you know how frustrating it can be to lay in bed wide awake, mind spinning or body aching, when all you want to do is sleep. Insomnia affects 54 percent of adults in the United States at one time or another. Luckily, studies have shown that yoga can help—and you don't even have to get up out of bed to do it, says a recent article on TheGlobeandMail.com. Try reclining poses like Balasana (Child's Pose), Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose), or Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose) if your bed is beside a wall."It's not a magic button," Graydon Moffat, a yoga teacher who suffers from insomnia, told The Globe and Mail. "But I know that I'm not just
lying down there and tossing and turning - I'm restoring my body."Have you ever tried doing yoga when you couldn't sleep? What poses helped you most?
Ask a Yoga Teacher
Today, The New York Times City Room blog posted that Bryn Chrisman, a vinyasa flow yoga teacher in New
York City, will be responding to readers' questions "about her path to
yoga, her current job, her practice, kirtan and other matters of
interest."
I think anything like this that gives yoga teachers exposure and lets
them explain their story is great. But when I scrolled down to look at the
questions that were asked I was a little surprised to see questions
seeking answers to serious medical questions (how to lower high blood pressure?), spiritual guidance, and how much
meditation practice is required to be "be a good yoga practitioner." (Check the City Room blog again on Wednesday to see her answers to some of these questions.)I'm sure Ms. Chrisman is very knowledgeable--but surely she doesn't have the answers to all of those questions! Who does!? It just makes me wonder, why is there such a big misconception out there out there that all yoga teachers are experts in all things medical and spiritual? Do you trust your teacher enough to ask him for medical advice? Where do you draw the line?
