Last week, we explored the connection between mindfulness and pain management with Dr. Daniel Mitchell, who is part of the Integrated Family Medicine practice in Montpelier. This week, we are talking again with Dr. Mitchell, about easy mindfulness practices that you can incorporate into your daily life, or as you need them. Here are two exercises that Dr. Mitchell says are good for beginners and which can be used to help with pain.
Butterfly Hug
Here is a video of Dr. Mitchell demonstrating how to do the Butterfly Hug. “Butterfly hug, which is a good practice for pain management, can be done anywhere or any time,” says Dr. Mitchell. “If you’re in a waiting room, or in another public space, and you are feeling pain, you can easily tap your feet, legs or hands, instead of placing your hands across your chest. The effect will be the same.”
Narrating the Breath
“This exercise is a great way to anchor your breath to your thoughts,” says Dr. Mitchell. “Often, when we are trying to do some kind of mindfulness exercise, we get distracted by our thoughts, sounds, or by our body sensations, including pain. When this happens, we need a mechanism to bring our attention back to the present moment.”
Dr. Mitchell has a YouTube channel with instructional videos and helpful information. Visit Dr. Mitchell’s YouTube channel here.
Don’t forget to read the first blog in this series from Dr. Mitchell, with an introduction to the concept of mindfulness and the connection to pain management. The final blog in this series offers an introduction to Restorative Yoga for pain management.