Chronic pain occurs when pain is experienced for longer than 3 to 6 months and exists when there is no acute injury to heal from. It is relatively common, affecting about 20% of people. It is a frequent reason for doctors’ visits and missed days of work and socialization. There is more to pain than the unpleasant sensation in the body. It also affects muscle tension, breathing patterns, and mindset. Depression is linked to chronic pain, and up to 85% people with chronic pain experience depression. Chronic pain affects appetite, sleep, and relationships.
What can you do to help ease chronic pain and the associated symptoms?
Studies show that yoga offers various paths to relieving muscle tension, focusing and slowing breathing, decrease reactivity and promote calming the mind. Since pain affects the mind-body connection, yoga is useful in restoring this balance. Combining awareness of breathing (pranayama), with body movement through poses (asanas) can release muscle tension caused by guarding painful areas. Movement can improve circulation and energy levels. Regular yoga practice can reduce stress and improve perceptions of the pain. Meditation practices can increase relaxation, leading to improvements in sleep and reduction in pain and depressive symptoms. It is important to have a well-trained yoga practitioner to guide in selecting poses that will support your body and not cause additional problems or trigger more pain. SAM Sather, a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), works with individuals with chronic pain and trains yoga teachers on how to safely guide clients through a carefully chosen practice.
Dogwood Studio offers meditation workshops, series, and weekly classes taught by SAM Sather. These integrates chakra and yoga theory applied to a meditation approach that practices drawing more awareness toward our inner body to assist in repatterning our reactivity to cultivate more states of calm, health, and clarity.
Here are some upcoming events:
Meditation Workshop to Get You Started
When: March 15 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $25 early Bird before Feb 14th, $40 regular pricing
Sign-up in Mindbody under the ‘Workshops’ tab. You will need to log-in or create a new account.
Meditation Series:
When: 4 Saturdays in March (7th, 17th, 21st, 28th) 10:45 a.m.- 11:45 a.m.
$10 each class or all four for $35
Sign-up in Mindbody under the ‘Workshops’ tab. You will need to log-in or create a new account.
Weekly Meditation Class
When: Fridays at 12:30 p.m.
Sign-up in Mindbody under the ‘Classes’ tab. You will need to log-in or create a new account.
Another option is a weekly Yin Yoga class. Yin Yoga is an excellent practice to support you in your meditation endeavors. See class description here.
Weekly Yin Classes
When: Mondays at 6:15 p.m. and Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m., and Monthly YIN AND LIVE MUSIC
Sign-up in Mindbody under the ‘Classes’ tab. You will need to log-in or create a new account.
Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training: for Students and Teachers
When:
Part 1: Thursday March 26th – Sunday March 29th
Part 2: Thursday April 2nd – Sunday April 5th
Sign-up in Mindbody under the ‘Workshops’ tab. You will need to log-in or create a new account.