Following is a guest blog by “Fibro Warrior” Melissa Swanson on her relationship with mindfulness. Read about how her setbacks became the foundation for understanding mindfulness.
Melissa's Blog
The day that I started to write this article it was an
amazing coincidence I was watching 60
minutes with a interview with an expert on
mindfulness. I reached down into the basket I keep next to my living
room chair and pulled out the his CD. I had purchased it well over a year ago
when I had been told probably for the third time by my friend that I
should try it.
As we watched the report on 60 minutes I told my family
that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I have tried it and had not
been successful at it.
I can not count how many speakers or friends have told me to
try mindfulness. Try asking a Type A person with ADD to lay down, shut your
mind off and concentrate on your breathing while releasing each part of your
body.
I was getting stressed out just trying relax. My mind would
wander to the noises being made in our living room, the things I needed to
do, then “STOP IT” “CONCENTRATE”. “Relax, breathe, shoulders, arms, “need to
email the Volleyball parents” Ugh!!!
Each and every time I would try to relax I would get so
stressed because I couldn’t focus on only my breathing and
relaxing my body.
While attending the NFMCPA LAPAN
advocacy training seminar, Dr.
Michael Olpin was one of the speakers. Dr. Michael Olpin is
a professor of Health Promotion at Weber State University and is the director
of WSU’s Health Promotion Program. He is also director of the WSU Stress Relief
Center. He earned his Ph.D. in Health Education from SIU, and his Master’s and
bachelor’s degrees in Health Promotion and Psychology from BYU.
We were told his focus is stress management, mind/body
wellness, mental & emotional wellness, and wellness coaching.
He said “a nice quiet room is best” and to forget using
relaxation tapes like sounds from the rainforest.
He sat in his chair, closed his eyes, exhaled and let his
body relax. “Silently focus and repeat a specific word for 10-20
minutes. This word you choose is called your mantra. Choose a
single calming word like peace, serene, silence. He chose the word (one).
Allow your mind to whisper your mantra over and over at a pace of about one
repetition every 3-4 seconds”
He softly said the word 1 took a slight pause and then
repeated the process 1..1..1…
He was in the middle of counting and started talking the
thoughts that had popped into his head. “I need to remember to call so and so
and I need to do…. Then when he realized he had loss focus he stopped and began
again 1….1…1
What he said next was the turning point for me. “It is okay
for your mind to wander”. “The important thing is to not get upset if you lose
focus”.
Once you realize that you have lost your focus just start
again 1..1..1
It was ok if I my mind wandered? Someone just told me I
didn’t have to be perfect.
Then it was our turn… Softly he said
“Close your eyes, let your breath out, feel your body go limp and start
counting 1,1,1.
Okay for the next 5 minutes we are going to try it.
Sitting in this uncomfortable chair in a conference room
with all these people my body actually began to relax.
Yes, it did wander but as soon as I caught myself I started again.
“Slowly return to normal waking consciousness. Take at
least 2 minutes to return.”
I had finally discovered something that worked for
me. I needed to have someone tell me it was okay to get off track
without stressing about it. Also, like every other treatment, medication,
diet we have to keep trying new things until we find the right one that
fits us. I now have success with the CD’s that I had stressed out
every time I had tried.
The last issue of the NFMCPA’s magazine Fibromyalgia &
Chronic Pain Life’s Winter 2014 issue has a very informative and helpful
article by Kim Jones and Mary Casselberry.
In addition to Dr. Michael Olpin’s website and his books
~ “Unwind; 7 principles for a Stress-Free Life & “The World is
Not a Stressful Place; Stress relief for everyone” my friends also
recommend Jon Kabat-Zinn ~ Full Catastrophe Living Using the Wisdomof Your Body and Mind to Face the Stress, Pain and Illness and Dr. Bernie Siegel.
It seems that everywhere I turn someone is talking, tweeting
or blogging about the benefits of Mindfulness. I don’t know about everyone
else but my life is so busy once I trained myself on how to do it finding the
time was the next hurdle. I found the time. I chose to practice
mindfulness during the time that I am waiting in my car for my Teenager after
practices and games, in my office at school during my lunch and even as I soak
in the bathtub. It is a cold winter and I do need to find time ways to help my
body get through until Spring and Mindfulness is one of those ways.
How can mindfulness work in your life?
About Melissa
Melissa Swanson is a chronic pain patient, advocate, and author.
through her Facebook page, she offers positive encouragement, medical
information, resources, and support to 10,000 + fibromyalgia and chronic pain
patients. In addition to her own blog, Melissa has been published in
"Living Well with Fibromyalgia" and the NFMCPA "Advocate
Voice". Graduate of the 2014 Class of Leaders Against Pain
Scholarship Training sponsored by the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain
Association. Member of the Leaders Against Pain Action Network.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/survivingfibro
Twitter: MelissaSwanso22
Email: swansonmjs@gmail.com
A Gift
I give many thanks to Melissa for sharing her heartfelt story
on mindfulness and her personal journey with chronic pain. Her support means to
world to me as a friend, fellow patient, and author. I couldn't possibly think
of a better way to introduce you to the helpful tips in Broken Body, Wounded
Spirit: Balancing the SeeSaw of Chronic Pain, Spring Devotions. Thank you Melissa for being my friend, for your collaboration, for your leadership and your support.
Other Tips:
What’s New in Mindfulness Research from Health Central
Editor
Fitness Magazine, Meditation for Beginners: How to Meditate
If you need additional help, visit George Green’sMindfulness Advantage
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
Update 2015
"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see
opportunity."
Celeste Cooper, RN
New Website
Learn more about what you can do to help your body function to its
potential in the books you can find here on Celeste's blog. Subscribe
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All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and
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