The Power of Pain
by Hilda Pols
You have no time for a headache. Take «brand name» and continue your day without distraction.
This is not only a typical advert for pain medication, but is also a part of our way of life: pain is a distraction and should be suppressed and avoided. We prefer not to feel and even less to react to what our body is trying to communicate to us. We choose comfort over health. Of course, pain medication is helpful to take the edge off of the pain and even in cases of severe pain. Yet in ignoring pain, we ignore natural means of healing which, when honed over time, can lead to better and quicker results in the healing and recovery process.
Pain is a cry for help and a means to bring our attention to a problem. It is the body’s way to quickly alert the brain of what is happening and where, so as to provide immediate attention and healing. At the same time it is a signal to the person to be aware of the problem and attempted healing, so as to give the body the space and energy to take care of it. In blocking out this signal, we not only lose the means to tap into this communication system and learn when our body needs us to take it slow, but we even impair if not shut down the communication to the brain.
Pain as a healer’s beacon
What is the first thing we reflexively do when we have banged our knee? Our hand cups the area. Even an untrained healer is unconsciously tapping into the healing qualities of the hands.
At the same time our mind is drawn to the area, perhaps filled with worry if not reprimands at our stupidity of tripping, or angry at another for leaving that bag in harms way. Whilst the focus of the mind is very helpful, the tendency to react in anger and similar is not. Those who learn to focus on the now, the healing needed, can greatly increase their natural healing abilities. When a ship shouts a flare into the sky requesting help, rescuers go directly to the ship and the people on board, instead of scouting out what happened before boarding.
The pain is telling us exactly where help is needed. Even for how long, as it will subside and/or change in quality. If we can be more conscious as to the “power” of the cupped hand on the area and the force of the mind, we have means to naturally heal, alleviating pain and quickening the process, without side effects.
Natural healing
Have you ever dared to mentally go into the pain and explore it? Many a time we experience pain superficially, or try to distract ourselves from it (with or without medication). Taking a moment to really explore it, can show us that its source is smaller than we first thought and how the bodily responses change and move it. This is where the focus of the mind comes in handy, as recognizing the nature of affected areas, helps us to more clearly understand what needs to be healed and how.
Another big factor is breathing. Our hunter-gatherer ancestry still has a grip on us today, as we hold our breath when injured. Consciously letting go and allowing our breath to continue, supports the blood flow and relaxation. It enables the body to transport nourishment and any other elements needed to the affected area. Once you have explored the painful area with your mind you can also breathe into it. In bringing mind and breathing together, one is actively engaging in the healing, supporting the body and tapping into our natural capacity to use and direct healing energies. Even if the healing hand cannot reach the area, or we have to remove it to enabling the affected area to be treated, the focus of our mind can continually reach it.
Side effects
Grabbing a pill, might take away the pain, but offers a long list of side effects. There are those indicated on the package. But there are also others: the body can be slowed down in its work and we may not appreciate how much care the body needs. The removal of pain also leads some to then carry on as if all is in working order, denying the body the necessary rest and recuperation. Add the fact that the side effects of the medication might be distracting if not impairing the body in some other means. In some cases the body also requires a higher dose, if the medication is used too regularly.
The side effects from using pain as a healer’s beacon, is accelerated healing and an increasing knowledge and understanding of how your body functions. With practice we hone our approach and increase our self-healing capacity. In time the path from “small” pains to relief can be even quicker than tracking down the package and taking a pill.
Granted, if we all would take the natural approach, we would cut down greatly on our intake of medication – a side effect the pharmaceutical industry might not be too happy about.
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About the Author
Hilde Pols combines her music training with her energy work: As a flute and ensemble teacher she developed many techniques to encourage creativity and a sense of the own body, mind and soul. As a Certified Meditation Instructor, Healer and Dorn/Breuss Therapist she supports individuals to take life into their own hands. Providing healing and other modalities at http://inkaleidoskop-engl.weebly.com/ in Germany, she has also taught in Denmark and the US.
