A Fall Lesson on Mindfulness: Brain, Body, and Busters

Our mind shifts without provocation, taunted by thoughts of something real or imagined. Neuroscience can't tell why this is per se, but it does show us our thoughts can affect the way our body feels. This is especially important for those of us who experience chronic pain. There's little doubt between us that we experience "chronic background noise" which surfaces to our conscious mind when it finally screams out for attention. As an example, I often experience a sudden tightening of muscles in my buttocks, hard as a rock. But when I examine the experience in my conscious mind, now called to attention, I realize it's been tight for a while, it's been running in the background. It takes intentional relaxation methods to calm things down. But, that’s the wonderful thing about our mind, we can bust through harmful thoughts with intentional mindfulness.

The Still Rippling of Sunset©

Biofeedback gives us physical evidence that our mind does have an effect on our body, and we know mindfulness boosts our defenses against the myriad of problems living with chronic pain and illness can create. So, what can we do to calm down the brain when it wants to take on a mind of its own?...  We can learn to be mindful. 

“Mindful awareness expands my being

and encourages me to live consciously, without judgment.”

~Celeste Cooper, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit, Fall Edition

Our pain is not the villain here; it is the result of a bad character invading our body. It doesn’t want to exist anymore than we want to experience it. So, being hard on it isn’t helpful, it won’t make it go away, and it won’t make us feel better.

If we cultivate mindfulness in our life, we see everything has value… Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the UMMC Center is the author of Full Catastrophic Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness, and numerous other books to ease suffering by reducing stress and pain through meditation. He tells us we may not always like the sensations we are experiencing from pain, but by acknowledging our pain without judgment, we bring ourselves to a higher level of self-awareness…

Think of a bright fall day, briskness on the edge of arriving, leaves a colorful artist’s pallet, and migrant birds are flying overhead in the backdrop of a crisp blue sky. These are examples of being mindful. All we have to do is be present and aware in the moment admonishing our role as critic.

Excerpt, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain, Fall Devotions, Day10, Being Mindful of Our Thoughts and Body.

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We can learn to be mindful of our pain without judging it. After all, it is our body crying out for attention, love, and caring, not ridicule and disturbing dialogue. Learning to be mindful can redirect our thoughts to create an environment that is appreciated fully.​

Other articles you might find helpful:

Getting Physical with Our Body Talk Health Central

Meditation, Cortisol, and Fibromyalgia ProHealth

In healing,,Celeste

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Celeste Cooper, RN

Author—Patient—Freelance Writer at Health Central & ProHealth —Advocate

Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com

Learn more about Celeste’s books at her website or find links here on Celeste's  blog. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others.

All blogs and comments are based on the author's opinions and are not meant to replace medical advice.