Using Guided Relaxation Practices to Manage Pain Flare-ups

A simple practice to calm flare-ups

Brittany* struggles with Chronic Lyme Disease, with symptoms including weakness in muscles, persistent pain that moves throughout her body, insomnia, chronic fatigue, brain fog, and balance and coordination issues. 

All of these symptoms alone would render most people bed-ridden -- unmotivated to move or do anything else but to lie in bed and hopefully be able to distract oneself from the pain with some light-hearted sitcoms. 

But Brittany knows that this isn’t what is going to help her get better. 

Sure, she has a team of excellent doctors that specialize in treating Chronic Lyme Disease, but she knows that to really get better, to be able to live a good quality of life despite her diagnosis, she must do something herself. 

She found me through a referral from her psychotherapist (which, by the way, is a great idea to help you deal with the stress, fear, and anxiety around chronic pain and chronic illness). Brittany knew she needed to find a way to incorporate movement somehow, to help her resolve some tension in her body as well as to improve mobility and strength. 

Her first few sessions were tough. It was very challenging for her to find a comfortable position, even when reclined and supported with pillows and blankets. 

Slowly, overtime, her nervous system calmed down enough and recognized these yoga practices we had been working on together as safe. Her body, overtime, no longer kept sending danger signals in the form of pain to the gentle yoga poses and yoga nidra (guided relaxation) we were practicing each session. 

Though today, Brittany has gained much mobility and strength, there are still more grounds to cover. She still deals with weekly flare-ups, and in the midst of a flare-up, she’d still show up to our session, because she knew a yoga nidra practice would help her. 

And it does.

*Name has been changed for privacy, but is a story of a real client

Yoga nidra / guided relaxation for pain flare-ups

Yoga nidra, or directly translated as “yogic sleep,” is a guided relaxation practice where you are practicing to obtain a state of conscious rest. 

In sleep, we either have unconscious rest or dream state. In unconscious rest, we have no knowledge, memory, or experience of that deep sleep other than the fact that (hopefully) we wake up feeling rested, and that 7-9 hours have passed. In the dream state, we are conscious of our dream materials as we sleep. 

The practice of yoga nidra is to immerse ourselves in a state of rest that we, our body, and our brain are conscious of. Here, in this state, we can experience deep, profound bliss, relaxation, deep rest, and potential resolution of unresolved or suppressed emotions, memories, and trauma. 

How yoga nidra works for chronic pain management

During a yoga nidra practice, the participant usually lies down in a comfortable place and position, though this can also be done seated in a chair. The participant is then guided through a script designed to alter the participant’s state of consciousness. 

But how can something seemingly so simple, as if you're doing "nothing," can be so effective for pain management? 

The answer lies in the fact that, even if you don’t achieve the state of conscious rest (which can actually be very elusive), you are in a state of complete and total relaxation. 

This state of relaxation does not come easily, especially with chronic pain. It can be achieved only after we feel safe enough to rest, to be still, to surrender -- all of which are in opposition of a body in chronic pain. 

However, it is precisely the practice of achieving that state of relaxation that can be incredibly helpful for managing pain and flare-ups. In chronic pain, the body has learned overtime to be very reactive to every little stimulus that comes its way in order to protect itself. That is why even a small poke or an otherwise pleasant-smelling rose can trigger the nervous system in responding with pain signals. 

With yoga nidra, we are practicing for the body to respond differently, to not react so quickly.

The first objective is to find a position and place where we can be comfortable. Here is a suggested yoga position that most of my clients find relaxing and safe to practice with yoga nidra. 

Now, the second step is to allow ourselves to be lulled by the voice guiding the yoga nidra. For some, it might take some time to find the right narrator voice and theme of yoga nidra that feel safe and non-stimulating. I suggest trying out a few different teachers and styles before giving up. 

The third step is to practice letting go. This might mean zoning out from the voice, dreaming, or even falling asleep, all of which are natural experiences of yoga nidra. But if you find yourself in a state where you feel as if your entire body is resting and yet, somehow, you are conscious, that, my friend, is the yoga nidra state. 

I personally have only experienced yoga nidra state elusively, for a few moments at a time, flickering between dreaming and falling asleep. If you do fall asleep, it doesn’t mean that you have “failed” the practice in any way. You would still receive the benefits of the practice of relaxation. 

Try out the following guided relaxation to help ease your nervous system and reduce flare.

Finding solace and stillness

For Brittany, the practice of yoga nidra helps calm her agitated nervous system in the midst of a flare-up. It might not always mean that the flare is resolved completely, but it does reduce in intensity to a manageable level. 

As with everything, even a seemingly simple practice (after all, what harm can come by just lying still?), start with 5 minutes. Though the practice above is longer than 5 minutes, you have full permission to stop at any time. Relaxation, ironically, takes practice and stamina too. 

You can lie down or sit in a comfortable position that works for your body. Here’s a supported resting position I usually put my clients in for guided relaxation practices.

Take your healing journey one step further

Excited for some more simple-to-integrate practices to nourish and nurture you on this healing journey? Whether you feel exhausted or time-constrained, this free series of practices that take 5 minutes (or less!) below will help give you the momentum you need without taking a lot of time in your day.

If you have any further questions, I am just one email away at [email protected]. Follow me on Instagram for more daily suggestions on pain management.