In responding to many of you about pain, I have discussed some points that I would like to share will everybody. Usually, I focus on pain as the “good” pain one experiences when toxins are being cleansed from the body. Today, I want to focus on pain from a different perspective…actually feeling pain and its relationship to the body’s electrical impulses.
Feeling pain means you are feeling something. In a non-Parkinson’s pain sufferer, I believe the thought process is like this: “I feel okay, and when I feel pain, then something is wrong.” I learned, when I was a Parkinson’s sufferer, that the thought process had taken on a whole new life: “There are areas where I feel nothing, but I know that something is wrong with me. When I feel pain, at least I know the electrical impulses are alive and going to the area where I have been feeling nothing.” Much to many of your regret, I also see this as “good” pain.
It means that the electrical impulses are alive and prepared to carry the messages. That is very good news, albeit in some cases, painfully good news. My most overwhelming experience with this was one morning when I felt horrible pain in my left side. My initial panic (yes, I had those, too) was that the Parkinson’s was getting worse. Once I settled down, I remembered years earlier when I had pulled a muscle doing side bends, and this pain was remarkably similar to that pain.
After moving around a little to see when the pain would become pronounced, it hit me: As a result of having had no feeling in my left hip and surrounding muscles, I had pulled a muscle doing the Medical Qigong for Liver, and NOW, for the first time, I was experiencing the pain. As I am certain all of you have experienced, this is a doubled-edged sword. “Yes, I am feeling pain where I have felt nothing for months so I am happy to know the nerves are working, BUT this really hurts.” I know, I know, now it is your turn to smile at me and say, “But Howard, that horrible pain is ‘good’ pain.” Happy we can agree!
The pain disappeared after one day, telling me that although my nerves were working, they were not getting the correct messages flowing on a regular basis. Clearly, I knew that a pulled muscle of that caliber did not go away after one day, so I was mindful of the pulled muscle and I did an abbreviated bend to the right side when doing the Medical Qigong for Liver even though I felt nothing once again.
This experience had re-enforced my faith that recovery could be achieved. Why? Because without my dopamine flowing a little, I would have continued to feel nothing, and now I felt something. However, a little dopamine was not enough and I needed to get more of a flow. So, I circle back around to the importance of the Adrenaline-Dopamine relationship, and the fact that I did the Adrenaline-Dopamine prayer/meditation every day for a few weeks leading up to the day of my full recovery. Click Here to read it again.
Being your own cure takes faith, courage, action, and heart-felt compassion for yourself and for others. Your negative emotions come from the mind (adrenaline). Your positive emotions come from the heart (dopamine). The more you can transform negative emotions into positive emotions, the more you assist your body in finding the correct Adrenaline-Dopamine mix, and the closer you will be to your full recovery.
Transform anger and frustration into acceptance.
Transform fear and worry into faith.
Transform stress and anxiety into calmness and compassion.
Transform your half empty glass into gratitude that your glass is half full.
These are choices. Choose wisely, and choose from your heart.
One day in my recovery, I started viewing the world from my heart with compassion for everybody’s suffering, including mine, instead of viewing the world with judgment and criticism, for others and myself. It felt like the whole world had changed.
And then I realized, I was the one who had changed…and it changed my life forever. And, it helped me finish my recovery.
You can do this, too.
You are worth it!
All my best,
Howard
Hi Howard, I’m running on empty so have little to offer. Thank you for your relentless efforts, encouragement and wisdom. The reality just sucks right now.
Big love to you and fellow warriors.
Karen xx
Hi Karen, I always read and appreciate your postings, and want to join with others in the community in sending you an extra dose of love and support today. Wishing that by the time you read this, your reality is shifting a bit…or a lot! …and that you are filling up, feeling more energy and strength with every breath.
Hi Marie, bless you and thank you for your kind words. The highs and lows amaze me at times on this journey Marie. Your words have given me great comfort at times from your posts pre recovery especially. I was refreshed by the fact that you mentioned that in finding Howard and The Recipe, it gave you something else to focus on rather than how you were going to exit. It showed me that you too became overwhelmed. When I am frozen, stuck, getting weaker by the day and can’t move, the tears just take over. I know it’s all fear but I feel there is no turn in the road and I need a glimpse of light in this tunnel, cos doubt just screams the loudest. God always steps in through Howard or a fellow warrior and I ground myself and marinate myself in my heart again. Thanks for your care Marie, your words mean a lot as does all the others too. Love you all. Karen xx
hola KAREN, usted es un espiritu muy fuerte , que nos contagia con su luz siempre, ahora yo regreso un poco de su apoyo y sus lindas palabras a mi. todo esto sera superado y entonces tal vez nos reuniremos en algun lugar del mundo a reir, pero empecemos a reir desde hoy. Como en todo trabajo espiritual, se descubrirá que la mente se resiste a dejar ir los programas negativos a pesar del sufrimiento que ocasionan. El origen de esta resistencia es la secreta recompensa que el ego obtiene de la negatividad. El ego obtiene placer de los `justificados’ resentimientos, el culpabilizar, la autocompasión, y todo lo demás. Por lo tanto, lo que ha de ser entregado es la gratificación que la mente obtiene de la negatividad. y permitir que nuestro corazon se abra a la vida y a la energia universal, con esto se abrira el flujo dee dopamina que tanto necesitamos. usted es grande Karen.
Translation:
KAREN hello, you are a very strong spirit, which infects us with your light forever, now I go back a little of your support and kind words to me. all this will be overcome and then maybe we will meet somewhere in the world to laugh, but start laughing today. As in any spiritual work, you will find that the mind refuses to let go of negative programs despite the suffering they cause. The origin of this resistance is the reward secret that the ego gets negativity. The ego gets pleasure from `justified ‘grievances, the blame, self-pity, and everything else. So what is to be delivered is the gratification that the mind gets negativity. and allow our heart opens to life and universal energy, with this flow the much needed dopamine will open. you are great Karen.
Thank you Jimmy for that very insightful message that makes so much sense. Time for my ego to be ignored me thinks. Hope you well my friend, thank you for caring. Karen xx
Hi Karen sending you warm sunshiny vibes and much love . Thank you for all your posts you are a true warrior woman. Best wishes Helen from my verandah in Aussie land.
Hi again Karen I was feeling for you and just wanted to say when you are feeling pain and your body feels weak and exhausted , can you watch a movie light hearted one, sit outside , sleep, just do very little and allow yourself this rest. You deserve it. You help us all so much with your truth , you! We love you and care. Helen Aussie
Helen thank you for your love and kind words. Love the advise, will do just that. 🙂 Karen xx
Hi Karen,
I hope that I can say something that will help you feel the love, choose and hold on to the faith, and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Your comments in the past have been a blessing to all of us. Let our comments lift your spirit and help you through this hard time. Let the love and compassion that you have showed towards all of us in the past, now be be turned inward and directed towards yourself. Have patience. I believe that sometimes we move forward in our efforts in life, and sometimes we just hold on very tight and weather out the storm, doing what ever it takes to allow us to just make it through the violent turbulence. The storm will pass. Please be kind to yourself and know that your best is always good enough. Thanks for being you.
Sending extra love and blessings your way today
Debbie
Hi Debbie, what a fabulous message. Yes Debbie, I truly feel blessed, loved and humbled by all the love, support, wisdom and beautiful words of advise and encouragement from all my fellow warriors. Everyone has wrapped me in a cosy blanket of warmth, love and reassurance, I feel very humbled and grateful. When I cross the finish line, I can HONESTLY say, I have made Friends and a special bond with each person here and it is my intention to meet all of you at some stage in my future. I am placing that intention with God and the Universe. For today I can only give thanks and Bless you ALL. Big Love. Karen xx
Hang in there, Karen!….this whole army is with you!!…
Cheers Judy, that made me cry bless you. Xx
Dear Karen,
Your honesty and vulnerability are also precious things you offer. This is when God comes in and carries you through. Sometimes the healing requires resting and quietness in faith and assurance. Balance is being restored and an opportunity for the dopamine to flow, quite apart from your own efforts.
My favorite meditation is “be still and know that I am God”.
Love to you and every member of this community.
Daring to believe, even when I can’t see,
Pat
That’s beautiful Pat, thank you! Be still etc is one i am familiar with. Xx
Bless you Karen, this army marches as one. I too am having to learn to be still, not always easy when the mind never shuts up. In spite of the tears, know that your best days are ahead of you xx
Bless you too Cynthia, thank you for your lovely words. I love the thought of this army of warriors marching together. Judy said something similar. Love it.!
Karen xx
Good timing once again Howard. I’m being thankful for feeling the pain, thanks to you.
Caterina
Thank you Howard and fellow PD heroes for yet another illuminating post. What a wonderful community we are creating as we share our experiences on this blog. I am particularly grateful for these insights concerning pain. I often experience pain when I’m out walking … I’ve found it very helpful to adjust the length of my stride and to concentrate on a more upright posture when this happens… and to express gratitude to my pain not only for alerting me to consider different ways of supporting myself to walk with more ease, but also for inviting me into the present where I can more fully respond to the beauty of nature … and all life.
I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes about ego vs. heart:
“We are not responding to this instant if we are judging any aspect of it.
The ego looks for what to criticize. This always involves comparing with the
past. But love looks upon the world peacefully and accepts.
The ego searches for short comings and weaknesses. Love watches for any sign
of strength. It sees how far each one has come and not how far he has to go.
How simple it is to love, and exhausting it is always to find fault, for
every time we see a fault we think something needs to be done about it. Love
knows that nothing is ever needed but more love.
It is what we all do with our hearts that affects others most deeply. It is
not the movements of our body or the words within our mind that transmits
love. We love from heart to heart.”
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Lovely quote Barry. So true
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Barry I love your favourite quote about ego vs heart. I copied it into my notes on my iPhone so I can read it often. Have copied many of Howard’s paragraphs there too. Cheers for the share. Karen xx
Well once again we are all together on this page thanks to Howard. I am so grateful for the love in my heart today. It feels good to be alive as I don’t have to work I can do the exercises etc as I can. I have almost got used to pain . Thank you that we have each other to support each other thru the changes. Patience , faith and every day a new day. The sun is shining here then the clouds come. Then the wind blows and still I sit here knowing I am alive. Cheers Helen Aussie
So good to read everyone’s post. It opened my heart! Blessings to all of you for your continued presence on this journey.
Hi Howard,
Thanks for your post on pain. Some how I thought that I was one of a very few with Parkinson’s that suffered from pain. (Silly me 🙂 🙂 ) I knew that it would eventually go away , but today’s post has helped me to see things more clearly. Thanks so much! I am grateful for all your love, support, and unfaltering guidance and direction that you give to me. I am so grateful to have the recipe and to have the ability to work on it each day. Thanks to everyone else for sharing.
Have a fabulous week
Love and Blessings
Debbie
Hi Everyone ,
Here is a quote that I just read today. I loved it, thought it was appropriate with this weeks post, so decided to share 🙂
Ring the Bells that still ring, Forget the perfect offering, There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen
Have a wonderful healing weekend
Debbie
I love that one, too, Debbie. Thanks so much!