How I went from being barely able to work due to pain and fatigue to showing other people how to master their own struggles
Before there was a thriving app, a coaching practice and a confident Qigong teacher, there was a newly diagnosed 20 something year old struggling to manage their pain and have enough energy to get through the work day.
Then I started on a biologic medication that changed my life! I felt like I was able to move again without excruciating pain. But I started to have some really bad days and significant flare ups which left me feeling frustrated because the medication had been working so well.
In 2015 I started my Master’s program in Occupational Therapy and learned so much about why my own pain experience was so varied, what led to my flare ups, and how I could manage the pain and prevent the cycle of having a good day always followed by a few bad days. I learned about how we can adapt and unlock our full potential and optimal health within illness and chronic persistent pain, and knew that this was an area I wanted to focus my practice as an Occupational Therapist.
After I finished my master’s degree, I started working at a rehab clinic helping injured workers rebuild strength and stamina, as well as manage the pain from their injury so they could return to their career. I was asked to teach the part of the program that was centered around understanding the neurobiology of pain and to work with a hypersensitive nervous system. It was fascinating to see how this knowledge of how pain worked in the body positively affected the recovery of my clients.
Now I was on a mission!
My life-long love of learning led me completing my post-graduate certificate in pain, becoming a qigong teacher, and taking coaching training courses so that I could:
- have a more in-depth understanding of how the pain response impacts our energy and ability to get what we want out of life
- learn more about different movement syles and how qigong works discover more about the neuroscience behind human behavior, how we create new habits and break unwanted ones
- how to regulate a dysregulated nervous system in an accessible and inclusive way
Now I'm on a mission to help people living with chronic, persistent pain like me learn how to take control of their pain, and therefore take control of their life
Let's stay connected! Join in the conversation on social media:
@QigongForPain
Follow me on Instagram to get pain management and educational tips, tricks and strategies to help you feel back in control of your life and your energy. I also share information about qigong, demonstrate some of the flows, and share the occasional picture of my dog or cats on my stories. I’m looking forward to getting to know you!