Letting go of pain is EASY!
But…how?!?
Your body hurts when you play, but you’re not quite sure what to do about it. ?
Your friends say… “Stretch! Doctor! Chiropractor! Massage! Acupuncture! Pain killers! Ice! Or…
…Get thee to a surgeon like I did!”
So much advice, and so much uncertainty! So, who should you listen to??
? YOURSELF.
When something hurts, your body is giving your brain very important information.
When I did my three years of training to become a certified Alexander Technique teacher in 2007, we heard this quote from F.M. Alexander over and over again: “Pain is your friend.”
? Pain IS your friend, because it’s simply your body’s way of signaling to you that you need to do something different, and that begins with THINKING differently.
That might sound abstract and unrelated to what you’re feeling down there in your body, but it’s actually the way the mind-body system works.✨Your body doesn’t move without getting the go-ahead from your brain. ✨
First, there’s a thought, and then there’s a movement, which can cause pain if it goes against your body’s natural design.
✅ Here’s an example:
- First, you think, “Uh-oh, here comes the hard part… I can NEVER get to that C#on time…but THIS time I’m going to make sure I nail it…here it comes…here it comes…gotta stretch a little sooner this time!!”
- While you’re concentrating on that, your body prepares to make that stretching motion with your fourth finger, focusing hard on achieving success this time…but by doing that, your neck, arm, and hand tense up, making it HARDER for your finger to stretch to where it needs to go…
- …and you play the C#. But, you’ve just stretched your muscles against a contraction, and now your finger hurts. ?
If a movement hurts, you’ve got to address habitual ways you think and move in order to change your experience and prevent further pain.
But if you’re like most musicians, you don’t give yourself time to stop to really listen to your body, and it doesn’t occur to you to wonder whether how you’re thinking and moving might be causing or perpetuating your pain.
Instead, you blame yourself and your body ? , and you try to get rid of your pain without addressing your thoughts at all (let alone your emotions, which are a big part of the pain-soup, too!).
You react to the pain in the same way you’ve always done – by trying to DO something about it to make it go away as quickly as possible.
? But trying to fix your problem by reacting this way hasn’t exactly worked for you, has it?
How many days, weeks, months (or years!) have you been trying to solve your physical discomfort by reacting and DOING something in the hopes of getting rid of it?
When you’re in pain, it really feels like you HAVE to do something about it, but the truth is, you don’t. At least, not in the way you usually do. This might sound completely wrong and counter-intuitive and impossible…
But… what if you did NOTHING at all when you first notice the pain…? ??♀️
…and instead…
…pause to listen to your body…
…and get curious…
…about whether there’s any part of your body that’s experiencing a bit LESS pain? ?
? What if you could shift your attention with curiosity, and start wondering about Ease in your body instead of focusing on your pain?
This is the very first skill I teach as part of my Art of Freedom® Method when I’m helping musicians out of the pain cycle that keeps them from fully enjoying their music.
⭐ Because if you really want to get to the root of physical discomfort and learn how to PREVENT future pain, you absolutely MUST get a better understanding of how your thoughts, attitude, and emotions contribute to the cycle and keep you stuck in perpetual pain-mode.
Anything else, from self-massages to surgery (and thank goodness for things that feel good, and for doctors and surgeries when they’re truly necessary!), will truly just feed into your habit of REACTING and making externalized movements to DO something in order fix it. ?
Thankfully, Alexander also said, “You can change the habits of a lifetime, if you use your brains,” and I have found that to be 100% true for myself and hundreds of musicians I’ve worked with.
It is incredibly simple and EASY to let go of lifelong habits that produce and prolong pain, once you understand the mechanism and how to think in a way that releases tension and eases pain.
This is what I’ll be teaching everyone on Day 1 of The Musician’s Jumpstart ‘Special Pain Edition’ program, starting in mid-April.
In this 30-day program (with 2 bonus weeks!), you’ll learn how to take charge of your mind-body-self and how to interrupt the pain cycle so that you can start experiencing more Ease immediately. Not only that, but you’ll learn how to apply this mind-body ease to how you approach and lift your instrument, and how you play, practice, and perform.
You’ll learn a new way to respond to your pain and heal – not just your body, but your whole self, while learning how to vastly improve your music-making in the process, with this powerful three-pronged approach:
❤️? A Private Coaching Session:
Get expert feedback and personalized solutions in a private session with me. I’ll help you apply and adapt my process to your unique situation and how you play your instrument for maximum benefit, with the least amount of effort. (This works even if you can’t play right now, due to an injury. THIS is the time to learn how to do this, so you can heal and prevent further injury!)
? Self-Study:
You’ll get my powerfully simple 3-week Jumpstart foundations course, where you’ll quickly learn the principles of The Art of Freedom® Method and the Alexander Technique to create positive new habits and improve your mind-body skills. Practice what you learn for just a few minutes a day, and positive results are guaranteed.
? Live Group Classes & Supportive Community:
Belong to an amazing international community and learn along with other musicians working on the same things you are. Masterclass time includes personalized instruction. Video tutorial archives are included with membership.
In The Musician’s Advantage™ Jumpstart “Special Pain Edition”, you’ll learn how to apply The Art of Freedom® Method and Alexander Technique to promote healing for your whole self while improving the very foundations of your music-making – with noticeable change happening on Day 1.
✨This process is GUARANTEED to help you, or your money back.✨
If you want to learn exactly how to take charge of your own mind and body so you can feel better and enjoy your music again sooner, email me at Jennifer@staging2.artoffreedom.me me to learn more about the The Musician’s Advantage™ Jumpstart beginning in April. If you’re in pain and you want a new, proven way out, just drop a comment below, tell me a bit about your situation, and ask me for the details!
With Love & Enthusiasm,
Jennifer