50 Book Challenge - Book #12: Break Through Pain by Shinzen Young
And this would be why the TBR pile never shrinks: I pick up other stuff and read it.
I like the approach this author takes to pain management through meditation. First off, he takes a non-sectarian approach to mindfulness meditation while not ignoring its Buddhist origins. Secondly, he admits outright that there is a fundamental roadblock for most people to even try coping with pain through meditation. "One of the challenging aspects of working with pain is a kind of built-in 'Catch-22': Until you have actually experienced the resistance breaking up and pain turning into waves and vibrations, it is difficult to believe that such a thing is even possible. On the other hand, unless you believe that such a thing is possible, it is difficult to keep meditating on the pain long enough for this to happen."
He doesn't paint an overly rosy picture, or give undeliverable promises about pain relief. I appreciate this. In fact, it's not about relieving pain, itself, at all, but about relieving the suffering that arises from the experience of physical pain. I like the comparison he uses to the area of a rectangle, which is length times height. If you increase either the length or the height, the area increases. But if you reduce either length or height to zero, the area becomes zero, no matter how large the other dimension is. By comparison, he suggests the formula of suffering = pain x resistance . If you can reduce either the pain or the resistance, preferably to zero, then suffering is reduced, again preferably to zero. The actual pain can be dealt with through a number of things, including medications, surgeries, acupuncture, and so on, and he does not advocate ditching any of those. But the focus here is on reducing and eventually removing the resistance within that turns pain into suffering, either along with other measures to deal with the pain itself, or when those measures just aren't cutting it.
Further, Young emphasizes a point that I think so often gets swept aside when looking at these sort of methods. In the section on equanimity, he says, "Equanimity is not at all the same as apathy. Equanimity involves non-interference with the natural flow of subjective sensation. Apathy implies indifference tot he controllable outcome of objective events. Thus, although seemingly similar, equanimity and apathy are actually opposites." That is something I think gets seriously glossed over when practices such as equanimity, acceptance, and forgiveness are touted in mainstream publications and media. It is not about saying everything is hunky-dory and doing nothing to fix that which is within our power to change.
I haven't tried the exercises yet. I'm not sure I'm in the right mental space to do so. I do know that at the very least I do need to try to do mindfulness meditation at least a few minutes per day. And I know the effect that has on managing emotional difficulties that arise from emotional pain. So I can believe that it can ultimately reduce the suffering caused by physical pain. I just don't think I'm ready to tackle that yet.
Books ReadBooks Re-ReadBooks To Be Read
I like the approach this author takes to pain management through meditation. First off, he takes a non-sectarian approach to mindfulness meditation while not ignoring its Buddhist origins. Secondly, he admits outright that there is a fundamental roadblock for most people to even try coping with pain through meditation. "One of the challenging aspects of working with pain is a kind of built-in 'Catch-22': Until you have actually experienced the resistance breaking up and pain turning into waves and vibrations, it is difficult to believe that such a thing is even possible. On the other hand, unless you believe that such a thing is possible, it is difficult to keep meditating on the pain long enough for this to happen."
He doesn't paint an overly rosy picture, or give undeliverable promises about pain relief. I appreciate this. In fact, it's not about relieving pain, itself, at all, but about relieving the suffering that arises from the experience of physical pain. I like the comparison he uses to the area of a rectangle, which is length times height. If you increase either the length or the height, the area increases. But if you reduce either length or height to zero, the area becomes zero, no matter how large the other dimension is. By comparison, he suggests the formula of suffering = pain x resistance . If you can reduce either the pain or the resistance, preferably to zero, then suffering is reduced, again preferably to zero. The actual pain can be dealt with through a number of things, including medications, surgeries, acupuncture, and so on, and he does not advocate ditching any of those. But the focus here is on reducing and eventually removing the resistance within that turns pain into suffering, either along with other measures to deal with the pain itself, or when those measures just aren't cutting it.
Further, Young emphasizes a point that I think so often gets swept aside when looking at these sort of methods. In the section on equanimity, he says, "Equanimity is not at all the same as apathy. Equanimity involves non-interference with the natural flow of subjective sensation. Apathy implies indifference tot he controllable outcome of objective events. Thus, although seemingly similar, equanimity and apathy are actually opposites." That is something I think gets seriously glossed over when practices such as equanimity, acceptance, and forgiveness are touted in mainstream publications and media. It is not about saying everything is hunky-dory and doing nothing to fix that which is within our power to change.
I haven't tried the exercises yet. I'm not sure I'm in the right mental space to do so. I do know that at the very least I do need to try to do mindfulness meditation at least a few minutes per day. And I know the effect that has on managing emotional difficulties that arise from emotional pain. So I can believe that it can ultimately reduce the suffering caused by physical pain. I just don't think I'm ready to tackle that yet.
Books ReadBooks Re-ReadBooks To Be Read
- Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be -- Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation by Lama Surya Das
- Dune - The Machine Crusade by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
- A Woman's Europe ed by Marybeth Bond
- The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
- Live in a Better Way - Reflections on Truth, Love, and Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Reiki for Beginners - Mastering Natural Healing Techniques by David F. Vennells
- How to Manage Your Mother - Skills and Strategies to Improve Mother-Daughter Relationships by Nancy Wasserman Cocola and Arline Modica Matthews
- The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
- The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum
- Break Through Pain by Shinzen Young
- Dune - The Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
- Zandru's Forge by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross
- Dune - The Battle of Corrin by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
- Inner Reiki : A Practical Guide for Healing and Meditation by Tanmaya Honervogt
- Hand to Hand: The Longest-Practicing Reiki Master Tells His Story by John Harvey Gray, et al
- Reiki The Ultimate Guide Learn Sacred Symbols & Attunements plus Reiki Secrets You Should Know by Steve Murray
- The Reiki Sourcebook by Bronwen & Frans Stiene
- Modern Reiki Method for Healing by Hiroshi Doi
- The Book on Karuna Reiki: Advanced Healing Energy for Our Evolving World by William Lee Rand
- Reiki: Way of the Heart by Walter Luebeck
- All Love : A Guidebook For Healing With Sekhem-Seichim-Reiki And SKHM by Diane Ruth Shewmaker
- Reiki, A Way of Life by Patricia R. Upczak
- Reiki: A Torch in Daylight by Karyn K. Mitchell
- Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: A Manual for Students, Teachers, and Practitioners by Timothy McCall (Foreword), H. David Coulter
- Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater Ph.D. P.T.
- The Breathing Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work by Donna Farhi
- Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times by Judith Lasater Ph.D. P.T.
- The Almost Church -- need to find the author before I'm going to be able to track this one down
- Dreamgates : An Explorer's Guide to the Worlds of Soul, Imagination, and Life Beyond Death by Robert Moss
- Spiritual Madness: The Necessity of Meeting God in Darkness by Caroline Myss
- Conscious Dreaming : A Spiritual Path for Everyday Life by Robert Moss
- Journeying : Where Shamanism and Psychology Meet by Jeannette M. Gagan Ph.D.
- The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You by Yogananda
- Halfway Up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment by Mariana Caplan
- Altars : Bringing Sacred Shrines into Your Everyday Life by Denise Linn
- Saints and Madmen: Psychiatry Opens Its Doors to Spirituality by Russell Shorto
- Kuan-yin by Chun-Fang Yu
- The Cult of Pan in Ancient Greece by Philippe Borgeaud
- Goat-Foot God by Dion Fortune
- In Search of Mary : The Woman and the Symbol by Sally Cunneen
- Apollo: Origins and Influence by Jon Solomon
- Getting Involved With God: Rediscovering the Old Testament by Ellen F. Davis
- The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Through the Labyrinth: Designs and Meanings over 5,000 Years by Hermann Kern
- Labyrinths from the Outside in: Walking to Spiritual Insight, a Beginner's Guide by Donna Schaper
- Mazes and Labyrinths: Their History and Development by William Henry Matthews
- Labyrinth in Culture and Society: Pathways to Wisdom by Jacques Attali
- The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra by Thich Nhat Hanh, Peter Levitt
- The Buddha's Art of Healing by John Avedon
- Tibetan Healing: The Modern Legacy of Medicine Buddha by Peter Fenton
- Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness by James H. Austin
- Zen Keys : A Guide to Zen Practice by Thich Nhat Hahn
- The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace by Jack Kornfield
- Rose for Your Pocket by Thich Nhat Hanh
- A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield
- Tibetan Book of the Dead by W. Y. Evans-Wentz
- Medicine Buddha Teachings by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
- Advice on Dying: And Living a Better Life by Dalai Lama
- Buddhist Acts of Compassion by Pamela Bloom
- Applied Magic by Dion Fortune
- The Essential Golden Dawn: An Introduction to High Magic by Chic Cicero, Sandra Tabatha Cicero
- Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism by Gareth Knight
- Sepher Yetzirah by W. Wynn Westcott
- Greater Key of Solomon by S.L. Mac Gregor Mathers
- The Goetia the Lesser Key of Solomon the King: Lemegeton, Book 1 Clavicula Salomonis Regis by S. L. MacGregor Mathers
- The Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis) by Solomon
- Experience of the Inner Worlds by Gareth Knight
- The Training & Work of an Initiate by Dion Fortune
- The Kabbalah Unveiled (Arkana S.) by MacGregor S.L. Mathers
- Tree of Life, a Study in Magic by Israel Regardie
- A Garden of Pomegranates: Skrying on the Tree of Life by Israel Regardie
- Cosmic Doctrine by Dion Fortune
- Witchcraft for Tomorrow (Illustrated) by Doreen Valiente
- Witchcraft Today by Gerald B. Gardner
- The Sacred Depths of Nature by Ursula Goodenough
- An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present by Doreen Valiente
- Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self Through Shamanic Practice by Sandra Ingerman
- Carl Jung: Wounded Healer of the Soul by Clare Dunne
- The Body of Myth: Mythology, Shamanic Trance, and the Sacred Geography of the Body by J. Nigro Sansonese
- The Sacred Heritage: The Influence of Shamanism on Analytical Psychology by Donald F. Sandner
- Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue: Retrieving the Soul/Retrieving the Sacred (Jung and Spirituality) by C. Michael Smith
- Freeing the Soul from Fear by Robert Sardello
- Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance: Awakening Spirituality Through Movement & Ritual by Iris J. Stewart
- Ancient Egyptian Dances by Irena Lexova
- The Belly Dance Book : Rediscovering the Oldest Dance by Tazz Richards
- Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers (4th Edition)
by E. Fuller Torrey - Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia, Second Edition : A Step-by-Step Guide by Alan S. Bellack
- Coping with Schizophrenia: A Guide for Patients, Families and Caregivers by Steven Jones, Peter Hayward
- I am Not Sick I Don't Need Help! by Xavier Amador, Anna-Lica Johanson
- Lost in the Mirror: An Inside Look at Borderline Personality Disorder by Richard Moskovitz
- Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder by Marsha M. Linehan
- Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder by Marsha Linehan
- Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorders: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Treatment
by Cecilia A. Essau - Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers by E. Fuller Torrey, Michael B. Knable
- The Hospice Handbook: A Complete Guide by Larry Beresford, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
- When Evening Comes : The Education of a Hospice Volunteer by Christine Andreae
- The Needs of the Dying : A Guide For Bringing Hope, Comfort, and Love to Life's Final Chapter by David Kessler
- Faith in Hospices: Spiritual Care and the End of Life by Derek Murray
- The 36-Hour Day : A Family Guide to Caring for Persons With Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life by Nancy L. Mace, Peter V. Rabins
- Handbook of Home Health Orientation by Tina M. Marrelli