Full Description
Pain can be a big, unwieldy box that we struggle to carry all day. But what if we could put down this box, unpack it, and tackle the contents one by one? Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Chronic Pain is Dr. Christiane Wolf's radically clear, evidence-based guide to relieving chronic pain with mindfulness, complete with twenty-three easy guided meditations and self-compassion practices, including:
rewriting the "pain story" you tell yourself
practicing loving acceptance of your body as it is
mindfully working through negative emotions
strengthening your inner and outer support systems.
Publisher's note: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Chronic Pain is an updated and revised edition of Outsmart Your Pain.
Contents
Foreword by Daniel J. Siegel, MD
Introduction: An Opportunity to change your brain
Part 1: Caring for Yourself
You Are Not Your Pain
Meditation: You are not your pain
The Pain Story
Practice: Writing reflection on the pain story
Meditation: The pain story
The Box We Call Pain
Practice: Working with thoughts, sensations, and emotions
Meditation: Opening the box of pain: exploring sensations, thoughts, and emotions
Self-Compassion for Pain
Meditation: Self-compassion for pain
Part 2: Making Peace
Ending the War with Your Body
Meditation: Kindness body scan
Finding Your Internal Support Group
Meditation: Shared humanity: calling up the internal support group
Collecting Pearls
Practice: Collecting pearls
Meditation: Yes, and...
Part 3: Handling Big Emotions
The Dark Clouds of Depression
Meditation: Safe and pain free in the body
The Fear of Making Grief Real
Meditation: Being with grief
Numbing Out
Meditation: Urge surfing
Anger is a Mixed Bag
Meditation: Safely exploring anger
Freeing Yourself from the Prison of Resentment
Meditation: Forgiveness
Part 4: The Pain of Connecting and Disconnecting
Dealing with Ignorance
Meditation: Dealing with hurtful remarks
Loving Someone with Chronic Pain
Meditation: Equanimity: every person is on their own life's journey
Finding Your People
Meditation: Finding strength and joy in connections with others
Part 5: Shifting Perspective
The Comparing Mind
Meditation: Releasing your comparing mind
Making Meaning
Making meaning: silver lining backward and forward
The Paradox of Doing Nothing
Meditation: Doing nothing
The Big Picture
Meditation: The big picture
Stop Trying to Get Better
Meditation: OK as you are
Epilogue: Closing Thoughts
Resources
Acknowledgments
About the Author
