My Nugget: Do hard things, it’s worth it

If your body has issues sensing INPUTS clearly (e.g. you have tattoos/scar tissue, vision loss, you wear glasses, had past ear infections etc…) then it’s likely your brain may give you an undesirable OUTPUT to try and protect you. It means well, but it can be unpleasant and a damned nuisance.

You can have PAIN and no injury and you can have injuries and no PAIN. Read that one again. Yep, that’s what having chronic pain can be like. There are people who are extremely sensitive (e.g. fibromyalgia), there is NO traceable, scannable reason for PAIN but sufferers will tell you that they are definitely struggling and they’re not making it up. It is useful to note that in the case of fibromyalgia, the condition appears to be triggered by things that are physical or emotional like an injury, an infection or stress.

Pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, dizziness, nausea are all potential OUTPUTS created by the brain based on its interpretation of a perceived threat in your overall environment. These are affected by your past experiences (including emotional/physical trauma/ injuries/infections) and what you believe (e.g. if you believe you have ‘weak/fragile’ areas of the body).

That’s why as a yoga teacher, I would never infer that any part of a person’s body is fragile in any way and you wouldn’t find me say things like ‘draw in your navel to protect your lower back’. This is so out of date now, so please, if you’re a yoga teacher get up to date with the latest research and be mindful of the type of language you use in your classes.