Ever noticed your back pain gets worse when you have a rough day? Or that tension in your neck magically appears when you open your emails in the morning? And magically disappears when you're on holiday?

It's not a coincidence. In my email last week, I talked about the fact that stress is a physical and physiological phenomenon. And that can lead us to be stuck in a vicious cycle.

Pain appears (from an injury or sitting too much), you try everything – doctors, scans, massages, Google – but nothing works. The persistent pain stresses you out. And on top of that, life continues. Work stress amplifies the pain, so you move even less. Stress builds up, pain increases even more...

Your nervous system is in permanent alert mode.

Now imagine your nervous system is like a house alarm. Normally, it only goes off when there's a real problem (a burglar = an actual injury).

But when we get stuck in this vicious cycle I mentioned above, the pain detection system can go haywire. Like an alarm that would sound for a passing cat or the wind blowing.

Your central nervous system becomes hypersensitive and pain signals are amplified. Our body can tell something is wrong and is trying to get our attention by any means necessary. Sometimes there's not even a physical problem anymore, but the pain remains.

Your pain is real.

I really can't stress this enough: your pain is real. Even if doctors can't find the cause. It's not "in your head".

Your system can be recalibrated with the right approaches. Therapeutic yoga works precisely on this recalibration of your nervous system. A little, often can do wonders.

What you can do right now:

Short-term: use simple practices, like gentle movement, breathing exercises, meditation. Test them and see which ones work best for you. Then do them often.

Long-term: address the root cause. Work with a professional, and build a therapeutic routine adapted to your daily life. I'm always here if you want us to talk about your situation.

Most importantly, if this sounds like you, I'm hoping to plant a seed of hope. Your body hasn't forgotten how to feel good. It just needs a bit of fine-tuning.

Om, peace 🧡

Clem