How I Use Mindfulness for Postural Pain
MIND·FUL·NESS: the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
Mindfulness is a significant part of bodywork. The more aware a client is of their body, its reactions, and its habits, the more efficiently we can get work done.
The communication that happens before, during, after, and even between sessions are opportunities for major clue gathering. It’s all about helping each client learn to listen to their body and its cues.
For example, I’ll ask questions that help my clients become more aware of where their body is in space. (The fancy science term is proprioception.) That skill grows and grows, and it’s hard to stop once you start!
When I start working with a new client, the most important questions are:
What do you do for work?
How much do you drive?
How do you typically sleep?
The answers to each lead to a whole enchilada of more specific questions. But initially, these three provide a world of insight. They help clients become more mindful during the activities that most contribute to their postural pain.
Daily Movements and Postural Pain
Common everyday activities create repetitive motions and postures that we hold for long periods. For example:
Using a computer screen that is too high or low
Sitting in a chair that is too high or low
Working a job that has you on your phone, emailing and messaging, looking down for long periods, or reaching forward to type on a keyboard
Working a service industry job where you’re on your feet all day or constantly reaching, pulling, pushing, or lifting heavy or awkward gear
Driving long distances or driving frequently between projects, gigs, or clients
Drive with one arm, the other on the window, or your head craned forward
Sleeping on your side with your arm under your head and nothing between your knees, on your stomach with your neck rotated to the same side all night, falling asleep on a couch, or sleeping on an older bed
These situations all provided hints as to where pain might stem from, which muscles are overworked and tight, and which are overstretched and weak.
A Mindfulness Practice for Pain
One of my favorite mindful practices to work on mind-body awareness in relation to pain and strain is this:
FREEZE! Without making any changes yet, take stock of how you’re sitting or standing right now. Is your weight leaning on one side? Are you twisting your body? Or is one of your hands on your hip or holding onto something?
Now, switch everything to the exact opposite position. (For example, if you were leaning on the left side, switch to leaning on the right.)
Chances are, the opposite position will feel strange.
In this new position, take a mental note of (or write down!) what is pulling, what’s pinching, and what feels better. Schedule a deep tissue massage and let your bodywork professional know what you noted.
I ask clients to perform this experiment because it provides us with useful information during our work together. The more aware you are of your body and its patterns, the more clues we’ll have to work through tension and weakness.
And, as with anything I ask my clients to do, I also check in with my own patterns. I’m then able to utilize this information in my own exercise and bodywork routines—the same way I will for you!
Happy mindfulness!
