So much of our day-to-day life is charged with some level of emotional response. We constantly ride the roller coaster of our emotions. From the seemingly simple act of of sitting in traffic, we are tightening our neck and shoulders, to the rush of packing lunches and the worry of being late. These are everyday emotions, yet they affect us deeply physically as well as mentally.
Then there are the more profound losses and traumas that linger with us for years, often unnoticed but ever-present. They can be the undercurrents of emotions that we don’t always notice. But they are fueling our day-to-day experiences. All these emotions are affecting our breathing, our thoughts, and ultimately how we move. How can emotions and thoughts do that?
I have never been a person, having had my experience with chronic pain to say, “it’s all in my head”. Unfortunately, people think it’s an either-or decision of how you understand your body. Its not. The emotions and the physical body, our thoughts and our behaviors are all the same body. One effects the other. I am writing this blog as a reminder, there always is a choice with the body and usually it’s the last choice for many. It was for me. I didn’t realize that the experiences of how I lived were exacerbating my chronic pain. Whether we could say the pain was from an injury, a misalignment or illness, it didn’t matter. The other aspects of worry, fear, constant anxiety fueled my physical responses to the point where my body’s ability to adjust, realign, rebalance and heal, were not possible.
The Mind Body Dis-connection.
I would like to say with the rise in understanding of the mind body connection that this would be common knowledge and we would be reaping the benefits of that. But over the last several decades the rise in chronic pain, the treatments provided, and narrative that supports the separation of our thoughts and physical body is deafening. There is no mind body connection. It’s a disconnection that’s growing.
It surprises me that we often view our bodies as separate from these emotions. In reality, our bodies respond to every emotional nuance, moment by moment. This interplay isn’t a negative; it underscores how deeply connected our thoughts are to our physical well-being. When we make that connection, in many ways we become free of its power. You begin to realize all the ways you might be afraid of moving, afraid of pain, as it has less of a hold on you. You invalidate the old paradigm of the “mechanics” of the body as the only option, and it becomes much richer with possibility.
If we don’t make that connection, we can spend a lifetime wondering why all the treatments we have for our back, neck shoulders knees, chronic anxiety, don’t seem to work. Then we develop stories that are fully supported by many. It’s an old injury, the MRI says this, and my friend told me that. These responses all support the erroneous convictions that our bodies don’t really heal from most things and are completely unaffected by our emotions. Its unfortunate because as most people know, once you get on that train there is no getting off. Usually, you go from one injury to another. You either have an injury or are waiting to get another episode of chronic pain.
Here is the good news, if we can be so affected by our emotions to the point of chronic pain and injury, this understanding also allows our emotions to heal us. That does not mean have no emotions, that would be unrealistic and unfortunate. There is a great side to emotions. They tell us a lot about us as individuals. There were many a class I taught when I would look over at someone on the ball and tears would be running down their face. Your body can quell the storm of emotions as well. We can use our body to sense what’s behind the emotions. It will rise on its own. Your body knows how to heal, adjust, realign and move. Let’s trust that again.
From Personal Experience
What I love about The Miracle Ball Method is it allowed my body to do what it knows how to do. Through a series of simple directions your body is allowed to stop holding. Let’s avoid the word relax. When it stops holding, it allows you to experience something maybe unfamiliar. There are so many layers that can unfold, you begin to discover not just the physical realigning, but also the mental ease that does exist. For me allowing that experience helped the emotions to settle down. That gave me the awareness of how the body was trapped by so much emotion. The emotion wasn’t bad, and having the Method to help my physical body gave me a way to reframe how I lived my life. I was transformed.
When I first began the Miracle Ball Method, I was emotionally overwhelmed due to the gradual loss of use in my right leg at 19, with no clear diagnosis. Over time, I learned that my body was communicating with me in subtle ways, demanding my attention.
It took years to fully understand this had not been merely a physical issue. The Method proved powerful; it alleviated, if not entirely resolved, the discomfort and challenges of my limp. Yet, childhood traumas manifested in other ways, moving through my body and influencing my healing journey.
I realized healing isn’t always verbal or characterized by specific movements; it’s a profound, and might I say spiritual process. Emotions run deeper than surface-level pain or competitive urges. Real joy in life can be as simple as sitting quietly, breathing without striving to achieve more or be someone else, even if it means facing pain. Sometimes acknowledging pain allows it to dissipate, embracing complexity brings peace. There are other options. But it is we as individuals that can discover those options. Be open minded to your journey, and don’t be on someone else’s journey. Injuries, chronic pain can be a blessing in disguise and lead you to places you will benefit from greatly.
To conclude
I know some of you reading this may think you don’t want to wait for relief. You want it now. I understand that. But it’s not years of study. There isn’t a lot to do but maybe more to “un” do. Your body is much more forgiving than you realize when you show up for it, just be there. I am reminded of a student before my first book came out saying, “this will never sell its too profound”. She said people will never get it. Decades later she is still doing the method and has never had a back problem since. Well, I knew what she said wasn’t true. I get it. I didn’t invent this. Its in our bodies. The book is sold all over the world and translated in several languages. The directions are simple. People are not. Stick to the directions. Let your body give you answers. And in a world of loud voices listen to the quiet voice inside you.