New Program Day 9: Somatic Tracking

Pemberley · Oct 18, 2018

egrolman said: ↑

A question, please, about somatic tracking, which I'm trying to accomplish: Can you ever do this so much that it becomes preoccupation with the pain instead of 'checking in'? It seems like in both instances, you're noticing the pain.
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There's a great post on this by Christie in Day 10:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/day-10-somatic-tracking-ii-anxiety-strikes-back.16540/page-2 (New Program - Day 10: Somatic Tracking II: Anxiety Strikes Back)

Not sure about doing it so much though that it becomes preoccupation. I think it's all about practice (?). Still struggling in pain here, but I've had a few instances where the somatic tracking has calmed me and shifted the pain.

Syl · Nov 8, 2018

@Alan Gordon LCSW Reading through all the posts after this particular lesson, I think what we all need is a retreat to Tuscany, Italy. We'll rent some wonderful villa that overlooks miles of olive trees, vines, and gorgeous sunflowers. You lead the retreat, Alan, while we learn more about observing our emotions, letting go, and supporting each other. Wouldn't that be just great? And what a great way to heal ourselves! Ah, la bella Italia!

MTL_Jon · Jan 10, 2019

Susanne said: ↑

Over many years I have had various experiences of watching the sensation in my body but always with an ulterior motive. There has always been an aim to release or a "should" connected to it. I followed along in the video and it was a touch of a different experience. And I am noticing that I am curious to try this again rather than having a dread feeling that I must do this every time I encounter anxiety.
Click to expand...

MTL_Jon · Jan 10, 2019

Susanne said: ↑

Over many years I have had various experiences of watching the sensation in my body but always with an ulterior motive. There has always been an aim to release or a "should" connected to it. I followed along in the video and it was a touch of a different experience. And I am noticing that I am curious to try this again rather than having a dread feeling that I must do this every time I encounter anxiety.
Click to expand...

Hi there Susanne! You and shmps both mentioned Alan's video, but for some reason I don't have it on my screen. Would you (or anyone else) be able to link it here so I can watch it? Thanks in advance!

MTL_Jon · Jan 10, 2019

Alan Gordon LCSW said: ↑

Ferndale, attending to your anxiety is benign. Ignoring the anxiety doesn't mean there's less of it, you're just distracting yourself from the anxiety that is there.

Eugene, good question! Like anxiety, pain is a danger signal. You could even think of psychogenic pain as a physical manifestation of anxiety.

Attending to pain is fine, the goal is to attend to these sensations free of fear. It can be hard for some people to attend to their pain without fear, because it's scared them for so long. But if you're able to, that is just as effective. Later on in the program, I'm going be going over a technique to help you learn to attend the sensations of pain free of fear.

Good question. Without getting into the physiology of it, most people are constantly distracting themselves from their anxiety; running from it. This avoidance just further perpetuates the fear. Imagine if you had social anxiety. Constantly avoiding social situations just serves to reinforce the fear. Leaning into these situations in a safe, mindful way, can help teach your brain that they are in fact safe.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the great replies, Alan. I just started with the program a few days ago, but already I find improvement with some of my pain. I wish I discovered this forum earlier!

I know I just asked this same question a few moments ago, but would you please be able to post the link to the video in the Attending To Yourself section? For some reason, it's not on the page when I look at my computer.

Thanks!

MTL_Jon · Jan 10, 2019

Ellen said: ↑

Love this line.
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I agree. Fantastic line. I just wrote it on a stickie and put it on my computer.

she · Jul 4, 2019

rbmunkin said: ↑

One of the main things about TMS I guess is that the fear of tissue damage causes the fear, and tissue damage is not going to happen, so we don't need the fear. But what if the fear isn't about tissue damage, but simply about the pain? I limit my activities because I don't want the pain to escalate, which it usually does.
Click to expand...

I really understand this fear. My back pain started just after a run, my whole back going into spasm, and I was on holiday!! Now 3 years later, after reading one of Dr Sarno's books who encourages us to take up our usual exercise again, I have started my couch potato to 5K programme, running with pain, and some fear of the consequences. I tell myself that it is ok, it won't hurt my back, and usually it is worse the next day, but that is because I fear it will be. But I go out again and it is so freeing to be active even if I am still worrying. Last time I went out, my back didn't hurt so bad the next day, and I saw this as a small step forward in conquering the fear. don't get me wrong, I am only running small amounts, I was never a great runner, but as todays session says, its acknowledging the pain taking note of it, and telling yourself its ok, sometimes even laughing at it. Keep persevering, as I will. we will get there!!

Dee_1 · Aug 28, 2019

Alan Gordon LCSW said: ↑

Day 9: Somatic Tracking

To the amusement of most of my friends, I still use a flip phone.

I can’t send or receive pictures, and emojis come through as little boxes. But the most interesting thing – for those of you who can remember back to 2005 – is that there’s a limited amount of storage space for text messages. Once I hit 200 texts, I need to “delete all,” or no more will come through.

You can bet that I’ve never hit that 200-mark…no one wants to miss a text.

When we’re incentivized to pay attention to something, we'll pay attention to it.

You pay your bills on time to maintain good credit. You fill your car with gas so you don’t get stranded. You cut your hair regularly to keep it looking nice.

But there’s one thing you probably neglect that is more important than anything else, and it’s at the heart of your pain.

Attending to Your Internal State

It feels wonderful just to be checked in on. It can make you feel cared about and attended to, and can remind you that you matter in this world. But many of us don’t check in on ourselves, and this subtle self-neglect can actually have many physical consequences.

I’d like you to try something as you’re reading this: check in with what you’re feeling in your body right now.

Are you aware of feeling any physical sensations? Possibly in your chest? Or your stomach? Or your throat?

If so, how would you describe this sensation? Is it a tightness? A clenching? A fluttery feeling?

Is it warm? Is it tingling?

And as you check in, just notice, is this sensation pleasant or unpleasant?

Is it widespread or is it in one specific area?

You're just checking in. You don’t have to do anything with this sensation; you’re not trying to make it go away or move it. You’re just watching.

And what do you notice happening as you pay attention to this sensation? Does it intensify? Does it subside? Does it expand or contract? Does it move to another part of your body? Does it stay the same?

Whatever it does is okay, you’re just watching it; following it. You don’t have any ulterior motive, you’re just paying attention to this sensation in your body, with pure curiosity.

You’re just an observer right now – paying attention, noticing what’s going on inside of you, and checking in.

Congratulations. You just did three important things: you attended to your internal state, you treated yourself with love, and you gave your brain the message that it’s safe.

Somatic Tracking

You may have heard of Mindfulness. Many people associate it with meditation or eastern philosophy, but it’s actually a very simple idea. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who helped popularize Mindfulness in the West, defines it as "paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally."

And that’s exactly what you were doing as you attended to your internal state. It’s not complicated, but it’s very powerful. The most effective way to communicate a message of safety to your brain is to mindfully attend to the physical sensations in your body. We call this Somatic Tracking.

Neuroscientists have found that mindfully attending to our bodily sensations can actually shrink the "fight or flight" center of our brains. Furthermore, this practice enables us to have better control over our brains' processing of pain and emotions.

Somatic Tracking is the most important component of overcoming neural pathway pain. When you attend to your physical sensations mindfully – without fear, without judgment, and without motive – not only are you communicating safety, you’re giving yourself the message that you deserve to be treated in a loving way.

In the coming days, we'll discuss how to use Somatic Tracking to regulate your anxiety, reduce the fear around your pain, and help you feel your emotions.

Attending to Yourself

When I was a sophomore at UCLA, the Dalai Lama came to speak at our school. I was an economics major at the time, and had little interested in psychology, but it was only a block away from my dorm, so I went out of curiosity.

Along with 17,000 others, I piled into in Pauley Pavilion to hear him speak.

It was incredible. He talked about the barriers to self-love, the pursuit for inner peace, and the importance of disciplining the mind. At one point he spoke about meditation. “People I talk to in Beverly Hills,” he said, “meditate for only an hour a day…” And then he started laughing.

“Only?” I thought.

As I walked home that night, I had two thoughts-

1. What the hell am I doing majoring in economics?

2. The Dalai Lama has some seriously high expectations when it comes to meditation.

It wasn’t until years later that I realized what he meant. If we attend to ourselves for only an hour a day, then we’re neglecting ourselves for the other 15.

The goal isn’t to attend to yourself when your pain flares up or for a set amount of time, the goal is to attend to yourself on a moment-to-moment basis: while you’re talking, and while you’re driving, and while you’re typing an email, and while you’re reading this very sentence…

Of course, unless you’re gunning for spiritual enlightenment, you’re not going to attend to yourself every moment. And that’s okay. But with practice, it can become more of a default setting, and you'll develop the neural pathways for mindfully attending to your internal state.

All you need to do is check in, and pay attention.

Click to expand...

So far this day by day lesson has been great. I came on here in a rush to be cured. I wanted to devour all the lessons in one day. But I slowed down. And the simplicity of scanning my body, I realise how tense I become. When I speak to people in person, on the phone, when my thoughts run away with me my whole body clenches. It's lovely to simply moment by moment scan, identify the tenseness and then relax my body. Plus it give pause and interruption to my thoughts as my focus is elsewhere. I've felt quite lovely today, it's a relief, and so nice to have calmed my thoughts that were literally bullying me incessantly. Thankyou. I've throughly enjoyed my day.

Eric Snider · Feb 3, 2020

Alan Gordon LCSW said: ↑

Day 9: Somatic Tracking

To the amusement of most of my friends, I still use a flip phone.

I can’t send or receive pictures, and emojis come through as little boxes. But the most interesting thing – for those of you who can remember back to 2005 – is that there’s a limited amount of storage space for text messages. Once I hit 200 texts, I need to “delete all,” or no more will come through.

You can bet that I’ve never hit that 200-mark…no one wants to miss a text.

When we’re incentivized to pay attention to something, we'll pay attention to it.

You pay your bills on time to maintain good credit. You fill your car with gas so you don’t get stranded. You cut your hair regularly to keep it looking nice.

But there’s one thing you probably neglect that is more important than anything else, and it’s at the heart of your pain.

Attending to Your Internal State

It feels wonderful just to be checked in on. It can make you feel cared about and attended to, and can remind you that you matter in this world. But many of us don’t check in on ourselves, and this subtle self-neglect can actually have many physical consequences.

I’d like you to try something as you’re reading this: check in with what you’re feeling in your body right now.

Are you aware of feeling any physical sensations? Possibly in your chest? Or your stomach? Or your throat?

If so, how would you describe this sensation? Is it a tightness? A clenching? A fluttery feeling?

Is it warm? Is it tingling?

And as you check in, just notice, is this sensation pleasant or unpleasant?

Is it widespread or is it in one specific area?

You're just checking in. You don’t have to do anything with this sensation; you’re not trying to make it go away or move it. You’re just watching.

And what do you notice happening as you pay attention to this sensation? Does it intensify? Does it subside? Does it expand or contract? Does it move to another part of your body? Does it stay the same?

Whatever it does is okay, you’re just watching it; following it. You don’t have any ulterior motive, you’re just paying attention to this sensation in your body, with pure curiosity.

You’re just an observer right now – paying attention, noticing what’s going on inside of you, and checking in.

Congratulations. You just did three important things: you attended to your internal state, you treated yourself with love, and you gave your brain the message that it’s safe.

Somatic Tracking

You may have heard of Mindfulness. Many people associate it with meditation or eastern philosophy, but it’s actually a very simple idea. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who helped popularize Mindfulness in the West, defines it as "paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally."

And that’s exactly what you were doing as you attended to your internal state. It’s not complicated, but it’s very powerful. The most effective way to communicate a message of safety to your brain is to mindfully attend to the physical sensations in your body. We call this Somatic Tracking.

Neuroscientists have found that mindfully attending to our bodily sensations can actually shrink the "fight or flight" center of our brains. Furthermore, this practice enables us to have better control over our brains' processing of pain and emotions.

Somatic Tracking is the most important component of overcoming neural pathway pain. When you attend to your physical sensations mindfully – without fear, without judgment, and without motive – not only are you communicating safety, you’re giving yourself the message that you deserve to be treated in a loving way.

In the coming days, we'll discuss how to use Somatic Tracking to regulate your anxiety, reduce the fear around your pain, and help you feel your emotions.

Attending to Yourself

When I was a sophomore at UCLA, the Dalai Lama came to speak at our school. I was an economics major at the time, and had little interested in psychology, but it was only a block away from my dorm, so I went out of curiosity.

Along with 17,000 others, I piled into in Pauley Pavilion to hear him speak.

It was incredible. He talked about the barriers to self-love, the pursuit for inner peace, and the importance of disciplining the mind. At one point he spoke about meditation. “People I talk to in Beverly Hills,” he said, “meditate for only an hour a day…” And then he started laughing.

“Only?” I thought.

As I walked home that night, I had two thoughts-

1. What the hell am I doing majoring in economics?

2. The Dalai Lama has some seriously high expectations when it comes to meditation.

It wasn’t until years later that I realized what he meant. If we attend to ourselves for only an hour a day, then we’re neglecting ourselves for the other 15.

The goal isn’t to attend to yourself when your pain flares up or for a set amount of time, the goal is to attend to yourself on a moment-to-moment basis: while you’re talking, and while you’re driving, and while you’re typing an email, and while you’re reading this very sentence…

Of course, unless you’re gunning for spiritual enlightenment, you’re not going to attend to yourself every moment. And that’s okay. But with practice, it can become more of a default setting, and you'll develop the neural pathways for mindfully attending to your internal state.

All you need to do is check in, and pay attention.

Click to expand...

I find this both inspiring and a little confounding. When I check in, my mind goes directly to my symptoms — which, in my case, is usually stinging/tingling in my hands — and therefore sheds light on the problem, thus magnifying it. I understand rationally that I am supposed to track w/o judgment, but it's difficult when the sensations are so discomforting. I guess it's a process. I spend more time trying to immerse myself in stuff than assessing my physical state. I get more comfort that way. But I suppose it's temporary comfort — or, more accurately, temporary relief. This technique suggests a systematic way of taking the fear out of the pain.

Eric Snider · Mar 5, 2020

I am having a little trouble with Somatic Tracking. Alan writes: "It feels wonderful just to be checked in on." My problem is that I check in on myself too much. I suspect that's the case for many of us. I understand the concept of Somatic Tracking ...

Alan writes: "The most effective way to communicate a message of safety to your brain is to mindfully attend to the physical sensations in your body."

But when I check in, it raises my pain/discomfort level, draws attention to it. Thus far, it has not communicated a message of safety.

Forest · Jun 18, 2020

Hey @Eric Snider , I won't claim to be an expert in this technique, but the sense that I get is that that is perfectly fine. It's absolutely okay to be stressed out and even for your symptoms to increase as you do the practice.

I like to think of Somatic Tracking as a form of mindfulness, like mindful meditation, so I think of applying the philosophy of mindfulness to the body. From the perspective of mindfulness, you allow your negative reaction to the pain, but then you gently guide yourself back to your rock: that fundamentally there is nothing wrong with your body because this is only TMS. As with beginning meditation (and intermediate meditation... and advanced meditation) there may be plenty of bumps in the road. But the point is to be outcome independent. Don't worry if your brain's reaction is to become stressed. Your goal is just to become curious and to explore what you feel, knowing that your body is whole. Then, you do it again and again... Let us know how it goes!

Or, now that I think of it, better yet, why don't you submit it to the Tell Me About Your Pain Q&A program. You can get an answer directly from someone trained by Alan.

Forest · Jun 18, 2020

Incidentally, Alan has a new recording about somatic experiencing. If you use this technique, you should definitely check it out!

Here's the link:
https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/the-ultimate-guide-to-somatic-tracking.23067/ (Alan Gordon - The Ultimate Guide to Somatic Tracking)

And here's how he introduces it:

Alan Gordon LCSW said: ↑

Hi guys,
We just did a podcast episode on somatic tracking, the single most effective technique for overcoming pain. Somatic tracking teaches your brain to reinterpret signals from your body through a lens of safety, thus deactivating the pain.

In this episode we show examples of somatic tracking, and explain how you can use this technique to eliminate your own symptoms.
Click to expand...

braveheart · Jun 30, 2020

Forest said: ↑

Hey @Eric Snider , I won't claim to be an expert in this technique, but the sense that I get is that that is perfectly fine. It's absolutely okay to be stressed out and even for your symptoms to increase as you do the practice.

I like to think of Somatic Tracking as a form of mindfulness, like mindful meditation, so I think of applying the philosophy of mindfulness to the body. From the perspective of mindfulness, you allow your negative reaction to the pain, but then you gently guide yourself back to your rock: that fundamentally there is nothing wrong with your body because this is only TMS. As with beginning meditation (and intermediate meditation... and advanced meditation) there may be plenty of bumps in the road. But the point is to be outcome independent. Don't worry if your brain's reaction is to become stressed. Your goal is just to become curious and to explore what you feel, knowing that your body is whole. Then, you do it again and again... Let us know how it goes!

Or, now that I think of it, better yet, why don't you submit it to the Tell Me About Your Pain Q&A program. You can get an answer directly from someone trained by Alan.
Click to expand...

I posted a question about somatic tracking for people whose pain is high 24 /7 on the Tell Me about Your Pain subforum. Callie, the therapist gave a great, long comprehensive answer. You can find it on Tell me about your pain forum.

Forest · Jun 30, 2020

braveheart said: ↑

I posted a question about somatic tracking for people whose pain is high 24 /7 on the Tell Me about Your Pain subforum. Callie, the therapist gave a great, long comprehensive answer. You can find it on Tell me about your pain forum.
Click to expand...

Terrific! I think that that is a great resource and would encourage others to post their questions there as well.

CSL · Aug 25, 2020

Hi,

This is my first time posting and I don't know how to "start" a new post, could someone explain? Thank you.

This post is just about technical question about the forum for the PRP:

I can't find the Somatic Tracking video that is referred to in many of the posts.
It isn't listed in Alan's Lesson #9... could someone help me out and find it, please?

I've noticed some other posts requesting the same, so I'm not alone : )

Thank you,
CSL

jonconner · Mar 2, 2021

Hi Everyone,

Im wondering, if one of our problems with TMS is obsessing over the symptoms, how do we observe them without giving them power?

Isn't paying attention feeding the symptom?

Many thanks

jonconner · Mar 2, 2021

CSL said: ↑

Hi,

This is my first time posting and I don't know how to "start" a new post, could someone explain? Thank you.

This post is just about technical question about the forum for the PRP:

I can't find the Somatic Tracking video that is referred to in many of the posts.
It isn't listed in Alan's Lesson #9... could someone help me out and find it, please?

I've noticed some other posts requesting the same, so I'm not alone : )

Thank you,
CSL
Click to expand...

Hi Did you find the video?

CSL · Mar 2, 2021

jonconner said: ↑

Hi Did you find the video?
Click to expand...

Hi Jon,
No I can't find that Somatic Tracking video... could you post a link to it here? (I apologize in advance, if it's right under my nose.)
That was back last August. I'm not sure, but maybe there's been a new whole program created since then?
Much obliged : )
CSL

nele · Apr 13, 2021

CSL said: ↑

Hi Jon,
No I can't find that Somatic Tracking video... could you post a link to it here? (I apologize in advance, if it's right under my nose.)
That was back last August. I'm not sure, but maybe there's been a new whole program created since then?
Much obliged : )
CSL
Click to expand...

Look at: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/the-ultimate-guide-to-somatic-tracking.23067/ (Alan Gordon - The Ultimate Guide to Somatic Tracking)
Alan refers to a podcast episode.

Salley · Dec 12, 2021

If feel pain when I'm walking but not when I'm sitting, is it strucural? I've had my hip checked out (no definitive finding, but my sciatic tension is really fierce). I blamed it on a fall, but it came later and got much worse the more medical attention I sought without resolution. I know I'm really tense now, but my brain keeps wanting me to see another doctor, just in case...

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