In a Ted Talk with Rachael West, Rachael addresses the issue of chronic pain being an epidemic in the United States. She explains that pain is actually 100 % controlled by the brain, which is good when we are in dangerous situation. However, the brain can trigger pain even when we aren’t actually in danger, this is called chronic pain. Many people are on pain medications that act more as a band-aid than a real solution. Rachel believes that through yoga, individuals with chronic pain can train the mind to stop sending those warning signals when they aren’t actually in pain. To many people try yoga once and think that, “it is not for them”. She explains that to reap the benefits of yoga, you must practice often and intentionally.
I learned that pain is controlled by the brain entirely. I also learned that 1 in 5 people in the U.S. experience chronic pain on a daily basis. Since yoga is all about the mind body connection, it would make sense that through the practice of mindfulness and meditation that individuals are able to control their chronic pain. I did not know that used could also be used for that reason and that there have been cases where people used yoga therapy to completely get rid of their chronic pain. This Ted Talk helps answer my questions regarding yoga as a way to facilitate the healing of physical pain.
Talks, T. (2017, August 21). How a bit of yoga can help with a big health problem – chronic pain | Rachael West | TEDxBunbury. Retrieved July 11, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHrBFYhcQ6c
Mindfulness, Meditation & Yoga 