In my previous post, Fighting Parkinson’s, and hope, faith, plus action, I discussed why hope and faith without action are meaningless in Parkinson’s recovery. In that post, I discussed action of the body. Today I am discussing action of the mind.
The best way I can demonstrate for you what it is like to experience pain and then to take action in a positive way in your mind is to share with you exactly what was happening in my mind when I had Parkinson’s and was experiencing pain.
Here is Fighting Parkinson’s, It fights me back, posted May 2, 2010, eight years ago today when I had Parkinson’s and had been doing the Recipe for seven and a half months:
“I got out of bed yesterday morning and had to sit down on the floor for a while because my hips and lower back hurt. The pain was greater than the usual achiness I experience when first getting out of bed. I went to the living room and sat in a chair so I could close my eyes and focus on the pain.
Odd as this might sound, I find pain to be good for me. The first reason is that in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pain often is related to releasing of toxins…that is what I meant in my title…I am fighting Parkinson’s and it is fighting me back. The second reason I find pain to be good for me is that most of the time I feel nothing. At my skin’s surface level, I do not feel if I scratch or cut myself, mosquito bites do not itch, and I cannot differentiate hot and cold until the sensation penetrates below the surface level. Pain lets me know my nerve endings are working, so I welcome pain even though it is a double-edged sword.
As I focused on the pain and noticed three other places where I felt pain: 1. The right edge of the nail of my big toe on my right foot; 2. The outer part of the knee area of my right leg; and 3. The base of my left thumb toward the webbing between the thumb and forefinger. Sally and I looked in the Integrative Acupressure book and the pain related to exact acupressure points on the liver, gall bladder and large intestine meridians.
Those are the three organs on which I have been focused with my dietary considerations and Qi Gong exercises. So, I am going to view the pain as a result of progress in those areas and continue doing what I am doing. I woke up with the same hips and lower back pain this morning, but not the other three. Fighting Parkinson’s comes in small steps, sometimes one step forward and half-a-step backwards.
All my best,
Howard”
Please consider these words very carefully:
“I am going to view the pain as a result of progress in those areas and continue doing what I am doing.” That is action of the mind in full force in this recovery. I had hope and faith, and I took action to control my mind and say that I was going to “view the pain as a result of progress…and continue doing what I am doing.”
Hope and faith without action are meaningless in Parkinson’s recovery. I knew that doing the physical part of the Recipe was going to result in pain and discomfort. Even though I had hope and faith in my recovery, they would have been meaningless without the positive action of my mind to choose to view the pain as a result of progress and to continue doing the Recipe. That is exactly why it worked.
My Parkinson’s body was a rigid, out-of-balance, twisted mess. My expectation was that for it to become a flexible, in-balance, straightened healthy body, there would be some pain and discomfort involved in the recovery. To me, this made sense. So, when pain arrived, I said, “Good, I must be making progress.”
Is that hope? Yes.
Is that faith? Yes.
Is that taking action to control my mind? Yes.
Did that result in a full recovery from Parkinson’s? Absolutely yes!
Okay! Now grab onto the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® and take positive action to control your mind in your recovery.
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
It’s always good for me to be reminded to turn the negative into a positive! Thanks Howard.
Thanks Howard. I am now experiencing pain in my lower back, and thanks to your blog today I am viewing it as progress!
Attitude is everything…
As always, your posts seem to arrive just at the most relevant and helpful times, Howard…so I’m celebrating my pain this morning, accepting it with curiosity and gratitude. I’m also grateful for your wisdom and your generosity in sharing your experience and learning with us…so fortunate you’re my coach, dear soul. Thank you!
Thanks, Howard! Your words are priceless!
I had been thinking that the symptoms, tremors, and etcetera was my body trying to break through or open up the closed meridians. I drink some more water and the symptoms pass. A little prayer really helps, again, when remembered.
Strength, love, and hugs to everyone.
Karen
xoxox
Great post Howard, as most of us are dealing with pain daily. It reminded me of the meridians path as my toes are curled in on my right foot, makes sense if big toe is liver meridian. Howard few questions. What meridian are we balancing when we do the jump cables exercise , as in what is each one. I think the little finger is heart, what’s the others please? Second question , can you shed some light on why does the pain happen in the bones of my arm and fingers? It’s been this way for months now, the pain coming and going through out the day. I love when you can explain it. It helped me so much when reading this post, as it’s the first time you used the word “twisted” as so many days my upper torso is twisted. It’s not in the morning but by the afternoon it is when I do my exercise of the recipe. Big love to you and warriors.xx
Hi Karen,
Thank you.
Jumper cabling is lightly holding a finger with the curled fingers of the other hand. Jumper cable
palms and fingers in the follow sequence to open channels:
a. Palm to Palm with fingers extended as if in prayer. Whole body balancer.
b. Jumper cable thumb. Stomach and Spleen organ system.
c. Jumper cable ring finger. Lungs and Large Intestine organ system.
d. Jumper cable middle finger. Liver and Gallbladder organ system.
e. Jumper cable index finger. Kidneys and Bladder organ system.
f. Jumper cable pinky. Heart and Small Intestine organ system.
Jumper cable a. – f. for 2 minutes each. Only needs to be done on one hand.
The pain in the arms and fingers can come a number of things, tremors trying to open blocked energy, rigidity as a result of blocked energy, and/or blockages in the large or small intestine meridians which run up your arms. Most of the time it comes from the blockages in the shoulder area. Sometimes what will help with that pain is holding the arm in a way where the elbow is close to the body. This will soften the shoulder for better energy flow. Also, putting heat on the shoulder will help as well.
Love and blessings,
Howard
Bless you Howard, that is really helpful. It equally shows me that I still have work to do to clear such intense blockages.
Quiet warriors this week, very few coming out to play lol. 🙂
Big love to you all and thank you again Howard. I just could not find which part of the in depth explanation of the receipe, where the jumper cabling was. 🙂 xx
Hi Karen
I find jumper cabling very useful if I am under pressure. I recently did a long journey where it was a great help. I used it in the airport lounge and again on the plane and it calmed me so I was able to cope.
Berni x
Thank you Howard for the precious blog. GOD bless you
My hands decided to give me trouble…fingers moving on their own and shaking. I don’t know what to do now. The only thing I can figure out is to go back and look at what I have been slipping on be it stress, food, water, or what else. 🙁
Karen
xx
Hi Karen, be compassionate with yourself. It doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong it is probably the last of a few blockages clearing themselves out. Try not to focus on the fingers too much. You’ve achieved so much so focus on that. Most of the warriors would give their back teeth to be down to a little tremor in their fingers. It will stop as easily as its come. It’s just your body tidying up the last of parky. 🙂 . How’s your lovely husband getting on? xx
Thanks, Karen! I am listening! Your words are extremely important and a highly valuable gift. Okay, no more freaking out and stressing which, I am fairly certain, is how this all came about. I can just keep at it.
Don isn’t actively participating right now. His choice. God sees.
Thanks, Karen
xoxox
Hi Karen
It must be very difficult for you both. Try to take some time out for you every day. I know it’s simple but try reading a good book so your mind is focused on something else. It works for me.
Your husband has made his choice so all you can do is support him in that decision with love and compassion but you also need to treat yourself in the same way.
Take care
Berni x
Thanks, Berni! I will. You are so right. Thanks for your kindness and love.
Karen
xxx
Wow , never thought of it like this.
Great, it will certainly work.