I know it’s hard to imagine that pain can be a positive thing, but in my experience working with hundreds of people in pain – as a coach, as a musician, and as a human being – I’ve learned that there is always a way to look at things in a positive light, and the key to healing is hidden there.
The teaching that my work is based upon – the Alexander Technique – was created by Frederick Matthias Alexander, born in 1869. He was an actor who developed vocal issues while performing onstage. He discovered how to cure not only himself but other performers, who would later call his discoveries the Alexander Technique.
[Watch today’s live video, where I discuss how pain can be your friend, below.]
Pain can be physical or emotional, psychic or spiritual, sometimes all of the above. It can manifest in many different ways.
But, as much as it feels terrible, pain can also be a good thing. As we’ve been dealing with the pandemic of the coronavirus and the fears that it magnifies, we’re also seeing an incredible outpouring of generosity and kindness.
“A thing and its opposite live in the same place.” One of my teachers used to say that, and it’s true – it’s a universal law. But WE get to choose which side of the coin to focus on.
What you focus on, you get more of.
So if you’re in physical pain, and you focus on that, you’re almost guaranteed to receive more of that. Instead, if you let yourself get curious about what’s easy and comfortable, your positive experiences will magnify. Actually, these experiences are not equal, thankfully; focusing on the ease and the positive has a much bigger purpose and a much bigger impact upon your life than focusing on the negative.
Pain has a purpose.
When you experience physical pain, it’s simply your body’s way of talking to you and letting you know that something isn’t quite right and you need to manage your thinking differently.
Unfortunately, most of us try to reject and shut off the pain when we experience it. We don’t realize that what we’re feeling is actually US! Our own body is actually providing us with this pain as a wake-up call; a signal which alerts us that we need to do something different. If we don’t pay attention to that, we’re missing a golden opportunity within ourselves.
The main message for today is that pain is not your enemy. Pain is an important, beneficial part of YOU.
This part of you is trying to capture your attention and begging you to take care of it. Your body and mind are one inseparable being and when you experience pain, you need to recognize it and release it. You have the freedom to control your attention on your pain, but don’t dwell upon it.
As soon as you notice the pain, be grateful for it. Say ‘thank you’ and recognize that the experience is helping you! Do some Constructive Thinking, and practice TheCyCle™ twice daily, just as if it were a round of antibiotics. If you’ve never tried it before, just take fifteen minutes to learn it with my YouTube tutorial video, and then do it twice a day for a couple of minutes each time for about a week.
You’ll learn that while it isn’t a quick fix, you’ll experience a subtle shift for the better. Be aware that this is only the first of a step-by-step series of Awareness Etudes. It’s only the beginning of what is possible using my comprehensive holistic method, The Art of Freedom®!
Constructive Thinking isn’t just for musicians or teachers. Anyone can learn to realize their freedom of choice in this way, and put it into practice to heal pain and improve skills. I hope that you can find a way to put this into practice for yourself and learn that pain can truly be your friend!
Love,
Jennifer xo
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