"Pain relies on context and depends on a balance of danger and safety. Pain emerges when the sum of all available information suggests that the situation isn't safe and there's a need for protection."

 

~ Lorimer Moseley, 

a clinical scientist investigating pain in humans.
 

It is uncanny how life forces us to practice what we preach. 

Last week I was talking about panic attacks, and then I nearly had one - on Friday at about 7 PM when the smoke rolled in. The house got really dark all of a sudden. I could only see that eerie orange glow outside the windows, and the nauseating feeling of panic was starting to stir in the pit of my stomach. 

Suddenly my world didn't feel safe...

Is there a way we can shift the flavour of our experience from danger to safety? Can we use it to reduce the body's need for protection and, in doing so, turn the pain dial down? 

Context  comes from the Latin contexere, meaning "to weave together." The human nervous system constantly gathers information from inside and outside our bodies. It then weaves it all together to create context and meaning that shape our experience and allow us to respond appropriately to situations as they unfold. 

Let's explore the world of context. 

Imagine, for example, a friend sending you a message cancelling a planned lunch. Without hearing her voice, seeing her face, or having more information, your mind creates a story that you've done something wrong, your friend is upset with you, and you are instantly pulled into anxiety. Now your heart is racing; there's a knot in the pit of your stomach and pressure at the back of your head. Your world doesn't feel safe...

Then you find out that your friend didn't feel well.

The situation hasn't changed, yet your experience is quite different. 

The context of your experience has now changed. Instead of feeling rejected and abandoned, you feel concerned for your friend's well-being. Your perceived safety is restored, and the yucky feeling in the pit of your stomach is instantly gone. 

Our example from last week is another instance of change in context. 

Strenuous exercise and a panic attack have nearly identical physical symptoms. Yet, the mind weaves a different story about why you feel the way you feel, making one situation feel hard yet safe and the other threatening right down to the bone. 

Can we use the matter of context to our benefit?

While it might be challenging - and sometimes even impossible - to change our external circumstances, we can always change how we breathe. Breathing is one of the easiest ways to send a safety message to our nervous system.

My watch assesses my stress levels by monitoring my heart rate and variability. Check out the changes in my stress levels!

My stress level dropped from middle-of-the-road 34 to a peaceful 6 after just a  few minutes of breathing practice. 

Research shows that it takes just 4 minutes or less to shift the nervous system from an activated fight-flight mode to a more regulated tend and befriend state.

This is why every yoga class that I teach begins and ends with breathing practice, and it's not breathing deep. 

 It's the exhale that matters!