Pain!

Hi there

How are you today?

I've had a tough couple of days.  I very ungracefully, skidded in leaking water.  It wasn't how I planned my day to go for sure.

I was pottering around, a little hoovering and tidying my lovely home - I'm not a huge fan of house work but do like my home to be clean but importantly, lived in.

I went into the Lilac bedroom and suddenly my left foot departed at great speed, lunging me forward, then downward, resulting in an inelegant and spontaneous performance of 'the Splits' :- (

As we do, I grabbed the windowsill on my way down trying to break my fall, jerking my shoulder and tearing at my knee en route. Goodness that was painful and so fast.

Now that I fully understand about post-traumatic stress, I didn't rush back up as I would have a few years ago.  Instead, I spent time sitting there in the pool of water, noticing my body and what it needed me to do following this dramatic moment of shock and pain.

I slowly and gently untangled myself from "The Splits" and listened quietly to my body moan and groan in its silent, painful way, sharing its unhappy experience of skidding to the ground unexpectedly.

I was taken back to a Wallpapering Incident in our bathroom at the Old Police House. Must be 28 years ago....  I was a bit of an Owl back then – still am - and once the children were asleep in bed I began wallpapering the bathroom.  I had been standing in the bath barefoot, trying to reach a certain area and suddenly found myself flat on my back in the bath having skidded on a dollop of wallpaper paste and hit the back of my head. Ouch!

Back then I didn't have the knowledge or compassion for myself and remember calling myself a long list of names whilst I leaped up quickly and carried on regardless!

Hmmmmm I am beginning to see that bare feet in the home is clearly a dangerous approach to living :))

Back to my most recent 'adventure' though.  There I was sitting in a wet pool on the floor, attending to my body in any way that it needed me to.  I began to tell myself quietly what had happened.  The pipe from the radiator had been leaking.  My body needed time to adjust and check out aches and pains.

I knew that it was very important not to dash up and simply pretend this hadn't happened.  I think many of us do rush back up, dust ourselves off and pretend all is well (thinking of Del Boy falling sideways through the gap in the bar in that famous tv scene.

I put my hand on my knee gently and told it I would look after it while it was healing. I then did the same with my shoulder. The only thing that they seemed to ask for was time and space and no dashing around.

Once I had carefully got up and changed into dry clothes I hobbled downstairs and made a hot water bottle.  I draped my special Healing Fleece over my knees and feet and sat quietly allowing myself to know fully that I had skidded quickly and hurt myself, and then noticed areas of tingling in my legs and arms.

Tingling or trembling in this way is simply the adrenaline trying to leave the body. This can take the form of chattering teeth or shaky hands or knees for example.  If we allow these sensations to unfold as they need to without trying to stop the shaking or trembling, I know that I will heal much more quickly and less painfully, and the experience of falling will be processed and not stored in my body as long standing pain or trauma, which could last weeks, months or even years.

Later on when I felt able to I used paper and felt pens to sketch my body and identify the areas that were sore. I also invited those painful areas to speak out through my felt pens onto paper.

This is particularly useful to do with your non dominant hand. Our non dominant hand is very honest and authentic.  It is our most Real Self. It "speaks" wisely, openly, compassionately to ourselves.

Some time ago I had a lot of chronic pain and I painted my Pain just out of interest.  I was absolutely blown away at what I learned about my pain and especially how my pain subsided once I had "attended" to it with time and compassion, colour and texture.

That is the painting up above in the header image.  An amazing experience.

I learned so much. For example the "mouth" is covered with part of a print... this taught me that I need quiet time. Time where I don't speak at all... the moon on my cheek was my Hormonal Moon, helping me make sense of my journey through Menopause. It was an incredibly eye opening painting experience <3

Do you experience pain?  Maybe you have had pain for years or you have intermittent pain?

If you would like to participate in my Painting My Pain ecourse it is now available here https://www.kassimartin.com/e-courses-sign-up/painting-my-pain from my website and you can have me alongside you, in a virtual way if you wish. 

You can do the course self paced for the greatly reduced £49 or you can have me available alongside you for chats and exploration during your Painting experience for £279.  This would be the equivalent of 4 hours (but spread apart over the duration of your course) one to one conversation with me as you paint your chronic pain, inflammation, aches & pains. 

I am very responsive and supportive. I model a way of being you can extend to yourself, and others, during and after the course is finished. This has a wonderful impact on the relationship with yourself and others.

You can also count the hours of painting and conversation with me as CPD which will equate to around 10 - 12 hours. All for just £279 which is truly a bargain.

Just get in touch. We can begin any time you wish.

Take good care and if you think I can help you with anything, please just ask.

Warmly,
Kassi