#meditation for chronic illness

[compassionmattersmost]

Redefining ‘Exercise’ for Severe ME/CFS & PEM: The Smallest Victories Matter

Please honor your own energy envelope as you read. Whether a sentence… a paragraph… or even a glance at the headings, whatever feels right for you in this moment is perfect. Compassion. 🙏 When we speak of “exercise,” what do we really mean? For most of the world, the word conjures images of jogging paths, yoga mats, or perhaps the thrill of surfing. But for people living with severe ME/CFS,…

[thechthonicherbalist]

✨🌌 Some Cozy Quiet Time 🌌✨

Slowly thawing out of the freeze and shock last year has left on me, I'm starting to reclaim my own peace, time and schedule. This week? I started to read a graphic novel on the myth of Psyche and Eros!

There's nothing better than to have some time to yourself, cozied up in a fort with blankies and pillows on the floor (I also had my cuddly plushies with me, not in the picture. 😂) and notably reaching a calmer era in your life, after a long time of stress, pain and big fears. I also started to set up my own writing space again on Notion, after Evernote decided it's formerly free services as a well-sortable index and writing space will suddenly cost 100 bucks in 2023. 💀 I never had the chance and peace to go looking for another program to migrate to and learn how to use it back then. On a nicer note, the graphic novel I picked is a book on a Hellenic myth and I have 2 more to go, among them the story of Daedalus and Icarus. As a Hellenic Pagan, I'm immensely looking forward to this. <3

(Rambling below the cut lol.)

Things take their time because I had to take an extended break due to a surgery that had some complications and then people... did things. As a consequence to these things, my mental and chronically impaired physical health spiraled, worsened and finally collapsed for over a year as a result. Things were not harmless.

Prior to that it was my daily routine to art, write or read for at least an hour daily, since I escaped my abusive childhood home in 2016 and established a life for myself that gave me the freedom and safety to do so for the first time in my life. You have to understand that as an autistic trauma survivor who is prone to slipping into severe depression and has autoimmune disease that is prone to flaring due to stress induced cortisol overload, these things are absolutely crucial for both my physical and mental health. Being able to do my art and writing, helps me ground myself, maintain a routine and self-express and busy my mind in a way that is calming and healing to me. I enter a deep and carefully created safe internal universe, whenever I access my creative side. It's complex, but if you want to get psychological, it has a lot to do with inner child healing and rewiring the nervous system. I built the life required to remain healthy and have these structure and passions from scratch all by myself. It is not possible to take this from me by mistake or unintentionally. You'd have to exert intense and prolonged force to take this from me, as I have very strong, protective and well-communicated boundaries around this in place. What started at the end of 2023 and continued through 2024 completely disrupted my safety and peace and destroyed my ability to access the safe internal spaces that harbor my creativity and the inner universes created by it, along with many other things.

Despite this disruption, I've been recovering a tiny bit from the shock and terror I experienced at the end of 2023 and during 2024, in these past months and this week is the first time I've started to thaw from the freeze of a massive autistic and trauma-dissociative shutdown I've been stuck in since at least January 2024. Monday was the first day on which I've managed to make happy and productive plans for myself, set up a schedule, install reminders and get some things done again. Reached for a book and actually submerged in the story, even if it's "only" a graphic novel (my ability to read has been impaired since 2011...). I also got back in touch with my previous writing projects and felt happiness discussing plans and ideas with other writers for the first time in a long long while. There was an attempted interference there. On a nicer note, the graphic novel I picked is a book on a Hellenic myth and I have 2 more to go, among them the story of Daedalus and Icarus. As a Hellenic Pagan, I'm immensely looking forward to this. <3

[soup-spoonie]

Can anyone recommend a good book about practicing mindfulness while living with chronic illness and chronic pain?

Every time I search online for this kind of thing I just get a bunch of "Conquer Your Pain in 30 days Through Mindfulness!!!!" nonsense written by rich doctors.

I just really want to learn more about the "my body hates me" to "make friends with my vagus nerve" pipeline and how to wield it better. But I want to learn from some who Gets It.

[froggieco]

Wow the medical field has come so far in the treatment of migraines 😀

(I say as I'm lying in bed for the 9th day with no vision, light and sound physically hurt, and one side of my face is in complete excruciating pain)

Some things about me (context)

I've had a migraine for 2 years and I've tried and failed all the things the doctors have wanted me to and so now I'm just here with a constant migraine for an indefinite amount of time with no pain relief (so I'm a little aggravated at the medical community at, well, for a lack of better words, failing me.) Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk 😌

-Jamie (Joe/Noah)

[vinvan625]

Lots of self-reflection recently.

[spacejammie-eimmajecaps]

Guided meditation (for people with chronic pain) should go like this:

Send your awareness away from your body. You're not connected to it. You can't sense any part of it. You can't feel your head or face or neck. You can't feel your chest or stomach or arms or hands. You can't feel your hips or legs or feet. You can't feel your mucles. You don't notice your breathing or heartbeat. You feel nothing. You're not in your body. You're somewhere else, far away, piloting it remotely. There are no sensations that can reach you.

[compassionmattersmost]

Calling All Beings to Send Love and Peace: A Message for Our Community

Harnessing Inner Peace: A Pacing Toolkit Tool for Those Living with ME/CFS or Long Covid As we face the approach of Hurricane Milton, we are reminded of the moment when Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee. His disciples, filled with fear, watched as He spoke these simple yet powerful words: “Peace! Be still!” And the storm settled. This is such a time for us to look at the storm that’s…

[dyslexicdreameroriginal]

Sometimes with chronic pain and illness and with the way the medical and insurence worlds work in the US a person has to become creative. We call the things we do to stay sane and get what we need LIFE HACKS. Yet, these hacks can be as dangerous as our diseases. For me, I’ve found over the years that when sleep won’t come for days or weeks at a time and meds won’t be prescribed or approved or can’t be afforded that sugar, gluten, Mucinex Night Shift, or a combination can help knock me out IF I get them right. If I don’t get them right I end up fatigued over fatigued and in whole body agony. See the sugar and gluten they hurt my body, but because of my intolerance for gluten and my diabetes if I eat an excess of either product they can lead to sleep (yes, stupid and dangerous, but usually effective for an hour or two of sleep). Mucinex Night Shift is the only night time product I’ve found that works to help me sleep and doesn’t leave me with a headache or other issues later, but it’s expensive and just like the sugar and gluten does not always work, but when it does it can give 4-5 hours of sleep if my pain is not at a max. These LIFE HACKS are the things the pain community whispers about. They are what you learn in in person conversations with others because nearly no one posts. Posts are evidence. Post lead to people looking at YOU differently and JUDGING YOU instead of judging THE SYSTEMS that lead to these hacks and decisions.

I don’t deaden my world or help myself by using illegal drugs or alcohol. I might have had I not seen issues with those young and held to my abstinence of such products. I can say I understand better some of the reasons my aunt Peggy got lost in drink for so long. Anything to deaden the pain and sleep. Top that with the disease of addiction and coming out of it like she did towards the end of her life is a feat not many would have achieved.

Here’s your little insight that’s not written about. Do with it what you will.

NOTE: This is after the exercise, calming teas, warm/hot showers or baths, heating pads and blankets, epsom salts, SalonPas, regular medications, meditations, readings, and all else used to try to calm the pain and let the sleep take over.

[universe-npc-5000]

A stormy brain And rainy thoughts Creates a fog That never stops

I kept drinking The thinking Til I was hungover On over-thinking

The teacher handed The scizzors to me And said Cut yourself free

Bare-breasted No thoughts to wear No strings tying me To frightening things

Now I'm a stranger Inside my own skin But my body, my soul Is sobering.

[this-smile-is-real]

Speaking out hope rather than choosing to sit with anxiety. I’ve cried it out a little and spoke with a nurse I trust, have a coffee and feel a little brighter. I’m putting this here to hopefully connect to and gain wisdom from friends and family but most especially those with FND.

Yesterday I had three non-epileptic seizures.

One in the morning, and two in the afternoon.

Last night’s sleep was fractured with excruciating pain in my legs as a result of the afternoon and restlessness.

This morning I felt anxious and so much felt like I needed energy to shift in a positive direction.

Three in a day has never happened before, took me completely by surprise and scared me.

But I WILL NOT live in fear because of this neurological condition. I will CHOOSE to continually reset my focus on gratitude, openness, listening to my body’s needs and expectancy with hope for continued days of joy, faith, safety and peace.

One reason I felt anxious is because I was reminded so sharply of my lack of control of a heck a lot of these symptoms.

BUT I do have control of honesty rather than shutting down, release rather than holding on, and faith rather than fear.

I do live with Functional Neurological Disorder but I also live with so much beauty to seek out around and within me every single day.

Reminders of choosing what I can control inwardly rather than outwardly day after day, moment after moment. I’m speaking LIFE 🫶🏻

[calmmyfears]

When you lived with chronic pain and fatigue for over 11 years like me, you've got almost every well-intentioned, unsolicited advice there is. And yet people still know to surprise me... the famous "have you tried yoga yet?" has now become "have you tried infrared therapy?" you should really give it a try, I hear it does wonders!" Uhm thanks but no thanks.

[healthylivingshub]

How can I manage chronic pain without relying on medication?

Living Well With Chronic Pain: Drug-Free Strategies That Actually Work Let's talk honestly about pain - the kind that doesn't just go away with a couple ibuprofen. As someone who's navigated years of chronic back pain (and tried everything from prescription meds to questionable internet remedies), I've learned that managing pain isn't about finding a magic cure.

It's about building a toolbox of strategies that work for YOUR body.

Understanding Your Pain First Before we dive into solutions, this was my lightbulb moment:

Acute pain = your body's alarm system (like touching a hot stove)

Chronic pain = the alarm keeps ringing even after the danger is gone

This distinction matters because chronic pain often needs different approaches than temporary aches.

Movement: The Medicine You Might Be Avoiding I used to think rest was best - until my physical therapist schooled me:

✔ Gentle yoga (focus on fluid movements, not perfect poses) ✔ Walking in water (takes pressure off joints) ✔ Tai chi (improves balance and reduces stiffness)

Pro tip: Start with just 5 minutes. Consistency beats intensity with chronic pain.

The Mind-Body Connection You Can't Ignore Science now shows that chronic pain changes your brain's wiring. These techniques help "rewire" it back:

Paced breathing (inhale 4 sec, exhale 6 sec)

Guided imagery (visualizing pain as color that changes)

Progressive muscle relaxation (systematically tensing/releasing)

What worked for me: A 10-minute body scan meditation before bed reduced my nighttime pain spikes.

Sleep: When Pain Won't Let You Rest The cruel cycle - pain disrupts sleep, poor sleep worsens pain. Break it with:

Heat therapy before bed (warm bath or heating pad)

Sleep positioning (pillows between knees for hip pain)

White noise to distract from pain awareness

Diet Changes That Actually Help Certain foods fuel inflammation while others fight it:

Eat More:

Fatty fish (salmon, sardines)

Turmeric and ginger

Dark leafy greens

Reduce:

Processed sugars

Vegetable oils

Excessive alcohol

My game-changer: Drinking tart cherry juice at night decreased my morning stiffness.

The Power of Pacing (Not Pushing Through) This was my hardest lesson - the "boom and bust" cycle (overdoing on good days leads to worse pain later) is real. Now I:

Break tasks into smaller chunks

Alternate activity with rest

Use timers to prevent overexertion

When to Seek Professional Help These therapies have strong scientific backing:

Physical therapy (targeted exercises)

Acupuncture (for certain pain types)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (changes pain perception)

Final Thought: Progress Over Perfection Some days you'll do all the "right" things and still hurt. That doesn't mean you failed. Chronic pain management is about small wins - maybe needing one less pill, sleeping slightly better, or regaining a simple pleasure like gardening.

What's one non-medication strategy that's helped your pain? Your experience could help someone else feeling stuck. Remember - you're not just a patient, you're a person who deserves good days.

[compassionmattersmost]

Cultivating the Witness: A Gentle Approach to Living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: The Body as a Landscape of Storm and Stillness 🙏

To live with myalgic encephalomyelitis is to carry a body that moves like weather—one moment heavy with fog, another scattered by electric storms. The limbs, once steady, now whisper of exhaustion; the nervous system hums and flickers like distant lightning. And yet, within all of this, there is a quiet place—one untouched by fatigue, by pain, by the ever-changing tides of illness. This is the…

[bees-inspired-living]

3 proven ways to manage chronic pain

Living with and finding ways to manage chronic pain can be really difficult. But there are ways to make it easier.

I am writing from a place of experience. Read my pain journey here.

My condition is rare and if I can find ways to cope, I want to share them with you.

Learning how to cope with pain can help you feel better and live a fuller life.

To read my full post, click here.

1. Deep Breathing

I bet you have heard this more times than you can count. However, our breath really is our best tool to manage chronic pain.

Deep breathing is a simple way to help calm your body and mind.

When you feel pain, your muscles might tense up, which can make the pain worse. As I often find, your muscles will also tense when you laugh, watch an exciting film or even read a book.

Deep breathing helps relax your muscles and can ease the pain.

I prefer meditation but you can do this in whatever way works for you.

How to Do It:

– Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.

– Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath through your nose.

– Hold the breath for a moment, then slowly breathe out through your mouth.

– Repeat this a few times until you feel more relaxed.

2. Pacing Yourself

This took me more time to learn than I care to admit. However, this has made my life so much easier!

Sometimes, when you’re having a good day, you might feel like doing a lot of activities. I know I do but how long can you keep it up?

If you do too much, it can make your pain worse later. Does this sound like you?

Not to worry, like I said, I did the same thing for many years.

Pacing yourself means doing a little bit at a time and taking breaks when you need them.

How to Do It:

– Plan your day with rest breaks in between activities.

– Don’t push yourself too hard, even if you feel okay.

– Spread out your tasks over several days instead of doing them all at once.

3. Staying Active

It might seem hard to exercise when you’re in pain, but gentle movement can actually help.

Staying active can keep your body strong, reduce stiffness, and even improve your mood.

It’s not always that simple though, is it?

My favourite is swimming and pilates.

What helps you? Leave me a comment.

Try walking, yoga or Tia chi.

How to Do It:

– Start with simple exercises like walking, stretching, or yoga.

– Do activities that you enjoy, like swimming or dancing.

– Listen to your body and don’t overdo it. It’s okay to take it slow.

Enjoyed this?

Thanks for reading.

To read the full post with 2 more tips and FREE printables and more check out my blog.

Bee's Inspired Living

Please let me know which of these helps and what you do to ease your pain.

Bee x