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GeorgieO Watch where your focus is!

Discussion in 'Mindbody Blogs (was Practitioner's Corner)' started by Forest, Apr 16, 2012.

  1. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    Georgie Oldfield is a physiotherapist in the United Kingdom and a member of this forum. She is the founder of SIRPA, the Stress Illness Recovery Practitioner's Association, a group that trains TMS/PPD/Stress Illness practitioners in the UK and abroad.

    Being a recovered TMSer herself, Georgie cares deeply about spreading the word about TMS and has always been a strong supporter of our nonprofit and its mission. To help us launch our new forum, she has kindly given me permission me to repost some of her blog posts to stimulate discussion.

    Recently, I've been thinking a lot about the importance of what is happening in the present in my own TMS symptomatology. My symptoms may have roots in the faraway past, but the emotional tension that leads to the tensions play out in the present, and my greatest successes in controlling those symptoms have come from changes in the way that I've handled myself in the present. (Of course, to be emotionally aware in the present, we must understand our past, but that's another story :).)

    In that vein, I thought I'd share the following post, which I found very helpful.
    I'd love to hear your thoughts on it and I'd also love to hear your own experiences regarding where you've found the most success with your own TMS. Was it through deep journaling about the past or was it about being present in your current life? Or is it even possible to distinguish the two?
     
    veronica73 likes this.
  2. veronica73

    veronica73 Well known member

    It's hard to find the balance between reflecting & ruminating. Still working on it!
     
  3. Linnea

    Linnea Peer Supporter

    Right now I´m reading an Eckhart Tolle book, and it´s about how and why you should try to live in "now" and not in "yesterday" or "tomorrow". The more I read, the more I understand the whole point of living with your mind in the present, before I had a bit of a problem fully understandning even though I read a few books about mindfulness and such.

    At least for me, all the yesterday and tomorrow thoughts has really brought the biggest stress, anger and sadness and the more I start living in the present, the more I feel that I get a release from those dark emotions, since they can´t take my focus if I´m concentrating on what I´m doing right at this moment. When you need it, you step out of the present and use the "yesterday" and "tomorrow" to plan your life, but as soon as you don´t need it to manage your life practically, you step back into the present again. It´s surprising how little time you need outside the present to be able to live!

    I recommend to take a look at som of Tolles books!
     
    Forest likes this.
  4. Pandamonium

    Pandamonium Well known member

    I read The Power of Now several months into my TMS journey and it really opened my eyes. I discovered that the past equals Conditioning/ triggers and the future equals Fear and anxiety . Fear and Conditioning are the fuel for TMS, so if you can live more in the Now you can help banish TMS pain.

    Sounds like you are on to something Linnea :)
     
    Forest likes this.
  5. honeybear424

    honeybear424 Well known member

    I had a therapist about 7 years ago who kept recommending that book, "The Power of Now". I did get it and read quite a bit of it back then, but found the book to be a difficult read. Guess I wasn't ready. I have since started reading it again because I know that the concept it crucial to me freeing myself from this pain. That's why I took up yoga and meditation last summer. It teaches you mindfulness...living in the present moment. Unfortunately, for me it's difficult trying to break a lifelong habit of worry, fear, anxiety, and guilt. I've gotten so good at it!
     
  6. Linnea

    Linnea Peer Supporter

    It´s Power of Now I´m reading! At my library theres also an extended version of this book, with excersises, meditation instructions, I´m going for that one after this, I´m pretty excited about this haha

    Good Honeybear, I think that mindfulness really is the key if you´re having a lot of anxiety. I found the Tolle book a bit hard the first 30 pages, then it started to get clearer and clearer, as he repeats his thoughts over and over again, and answers a lot of the questions that arises when you read the first chapters. But I don´t think you have to understand everything, just the point of living in the present.
     
  7. Pandamonium

    Pandamonium Well known member

    I think with that book you can revisit it several times and each time it brings something new. Honeybear I would recommend reading the Presence Process by Michael Brown, in my opinion it goes nicely with The Power of Now and it's a much easier read.
     
  8. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    veronica73 likes this.

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