There’s a famous Buddhist saying, “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” For people living with chronic conditions such as CFS, CPS Fibromyalgia, Back Pain, Neuropathy and the like, that’s easier said than done. In addition to physical debilitation, chronic pain can invade every aspect of daily living, interfering with work, relationships, and our very enjoyment of life. Chronic pain can isolate us from the people and activities we love and cause us to stop living our lives to the fullest. Over time we begin to feel that we have become the pain, forgetting even the simplest pleasures of life.
If pain has become a permanent fixture in your life, I hope you will join me on Saturday, October 18th from 1-4 PM at the Rutgers Presbyterian Church, 236 West 73rd Street (between Broadway and West End Avenue) in Manhattan for this three-hour workshop.
Working gently with compassion, acceptance and allowance, we’ll have an opportunity to rewrite that story. Our multi-pronged approach to managing chronic pain will include a variety of tools and techniques, including:
• Gentle pain-relieving movements and restorative Yoga poses
• Mindful meditation using healing mantras
• Comforting breath work using exhalation technology
• Guided imagery and relaxation methods
• “Off-the-mat” exercises to help identify triggers, observe responses and reframe your relationship to the pain
We’ll explore ways to shift focus away from the pain and create a framework for peaceful coexistence with your condition, at the same time gaining a sense of coming back to your life.
The cost of this workshop is $90 for adults 18 to 61; $70 for seniors 62 and over. Those who attend will receive $20 in “Wellness Bucks” to use toward the purchase of a full price adult yoga, Tai Chi or Feldenkrais® wellness class at Rutgers.
Before signup: Please consult your health care professional about any movement restrictions or contraindications you need to follow. Every pose can either be modified or replaced with something that will work better for you, as long as we know the restrictions.
To register or for more information contact Jennifer Moore at: jmoore@rutgerschurch.org or 212-877-8227, x 212