Incorporating Yoga Philosophy into Your Rehabilitation
Melissa Wohlberg is an Integrative Health Physical Therapist practicing in Pikesville, MD. Melissa Wohlberg specializes in physical and mind-body treatments to help a patient reduce pain, restore mobility, rehabilitate after an injury, or increase movement and overall quality of life. As both a physical therapist and a... more
One of the most valuable goals of yoga is to strive for equanimity. This means to be calm in your mind during times of conflict, hard work, and struggle. The process of rehabilitation can be very challenging depending on your diagnosis or injury. Learning to find a sense of tranquility during the journey to recovery can improve outcomes physically, mentally and emotionally.
Here are a few tips/yogic philosophy to help achieve equanimity during your rehabilitation.
1. The first is acceptance. One must truly accept their diagnosis in order to not only maximize outcomes, but to remain calm in your mind. A recent study on chronic pain found that those who truly accepted the fact they would be in pain for the rest of their life were the ones that improved the most.
2. The second is balancing effort and your expectation of results. Developing a sense of non-attachment to your results while putting in consistent effort is one of the yoga sutras that directly relates to equanimity. For most of us, this is an alien concept because our motivation to put in the hard work is directly related to achieving a specific outcome or goal. However, this outcome driven approach can lead to emotional, physical, and mental pain. It can lead to disappointment, thoughts of failure or wanting to give up. Therefore, it is more productive to be motivated by the concept of consistent practice and striving for a calm mind during the process.
3. The third is don't forget to breathe! Breath control is one of the most powerful tools that we have to tap into our autonomic nervous system, decrease the stress response in our body and lead to a calmer mind. For more details, visit www.breathefreeptandyoga.com/breath-workshop.
For more information on how you can achieve equanimity during rehabilitation, please email me at melissa@breathefreeptandyoga.com or visit my website for details regarding integrative physical therapy, yoga, or other workshops that we offer at Breathe Free Physical Therapy and Yoga, LLC.
