Meditation for healing
When I began my studies in Podiatry 23 years ago, the idea that mindfulness and meditation practices could play a role in helping a patient heal pain/injury was not a question many Health Professionals were asking. At University, the results of academic research directs treatment pathways and meditation practices can be difficult to quantify around pain.
Should we be asking is there a place for it? The Hypothesis = that down regulating our sympathetic nervous system response to pain could assist healing of injuries.
In private practice, we use research to direct treatments and anecdotal evidence to reinforce our management strategies. After my own inner healing journey using meditation I started to question if some mindfulness practices could help my patients overall well being.
Community awareness around our sympathetic nervous response to emotional triggers has grown considerably since my early university days. Most people are now aware of the phrase FIGHT/FLIGHT/FREEZE developed by American physiologist Walter Cannon, which stems from necessity during our cave man days. We can understand this further by looking at our own reactions.
How do you respond to danger?
How do you respond to pain?
How we cope with pain within our bodies can be linked to how the mind processes its trigger. As we watch our children react to pain in their bodies, how can we assist them to down-regulate that sympathetic nervous system response and trust their body to begin healing? I believe that teaching children to be relax and invest in down time also teaches them self love. Something we could all have a little more of.💗
During my time as a Podiatrist, I’ve watched old faithful’s like “RICE” for acute pain being replaced with new acronyms “PEACE LOVE”, where we assist the body to do it’s thing. We used to use ice to freeze an injured site straight away, blocking the pathway of essential healing blood flow to the injured site. With more knowledge and better tools this concept has changed. Our body ultimately wants to restore balance and heal an injured area. As practitioners it’s our role to support and assist healing.
I believe the best approach is when practitioners help the human, not just the site of injury. A multifaceted approach for management.
In my online programs I combine evidence-based approach and my own anecdotal experience within 20 years of working as a Podiatrist. Recently, I have added in a short 5 minute meditation track for parents that would like to use this tool. My meditations work with beautiful light imagery to connect each child to their body and inner self. I believe each child is a special gift to this world and should be celebrated for their individual gifts.
A recently published Australian study showed the effect on daily school meditation in nearly 900 children. They focused on the Childrens emotional well being over a 10 week period.
“The study showed that just a few minutes of daily meditation led to:
An increase in happiness and school performance for 4-8-year-olds.
An increase in emotional awareness in 9-11-year-olds.
Enhanced self-regulation in allprimary school children.
A decrease in emotional and behavioral difficulties for both age groups.” (Bond University, PETA Stapleton PHD)
We acknowledge that meditation has a place to regulate emotional triggers. With pain and injury children also have an emotional response alongside the physical response. I believe the same practices could assist our children in healing.
My own practice is to meditate each morning. Calming my mind and opening my heart has helped me become a more open, loving and less judgmental human. In my morning meditations, I open my heart and hold the very best intention for all of my patients and people in my programs. It is with light and love that I bring these to you, should you feel drawn to use them with your children.
As always any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out.💗🌻