Two weeks ago I wrote about a not- so - surprising purpose of pain.

I proposed that pain, as horrid as it may feel, has a reason. Like any bodily mechanism or function, pain has evolved out of necessity, as a way for a human organism to survive (I know, this sounds like blasphemy to those who endure pain on a daily basis).

I talked about struggles and challenges of children who are born with congenital amnesia - not being able to feel any pain whatsoever – to illustrate the not-so-surprising usefulness of pain.

A nervous system of those living with congenital amnesia is like a pendulum frozen on the far end of a swing - in one very particular spot. The nervous system stuck on this one setting is unable to respond to the demands of the world in the way that is useful to the organism - kinda like being stuck at the very bottom of exhale.

Chronic pain sits on the exact opposite side of that same pendulum swing.

Those living with persistent pain (or tension, or trauma) have a nervous system that is also stuck, frozen in an overprotective, rather than under protective setting.  This type of nervous system setting is also unable to respond to stress and loads that the world puts on our shoulders - similar to inhaling, and then holding the breath forever. (In fact, that's one of the most common breathing patterns that emerge when pain persists - inhale; hold the exhale...)

This week in Pain Care classes  – in an attempt to both understand and also challenge pain and frozen states of the nervous system – we are beginning to explore the practice of pendulation.

Pendulation refers to one of the most basic rhythmic patterns of our bodies.

Everything in our physical experience moves out and in, back and forth, beginning at its most primitive, foundational level - with the breath.

We breathe in, and we breathe out, pendulating between expansion and contraction.

This internal rhythm is akin to the movement of a constantly swinging pendulum.

You may be wondering how this principle of pendulation applies to pain management, and whether it can actually shift the pain. After all, you’ve tried so many things already…

The answer is in the innate power of rhythm.

The principle of a pendulum movement is that the movement on one side is identical to the movement of the other. Pendulum compensates and balances – just like a healthy functioning nervous system.

When there is persistent pain, this natural cycle is interrupted. The practice of pendulation helps to restore the basic regulatory rhythm of the nervous system.

Pendulation allows us to rock gently back and forth between contraction and expansion, between fear and safety, between anger and calm, between grief and acceptance, and between inaction and action. The tool of pendulation is a simple, yet powerful way to harness and shift the innate rhythms of the body so that the nervous system can rebalance itself from the toll of pain, stress and trauma.

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Start in a comfortable position; choose the right support so that you can be relaxed, yet alert, without falling asleep. Take a few slow breaths to get settled.

Scan your body for areas of openness and expansion, as well as those of constriction and tightness.

Find the smallest area of expansion as well as the largest; identify the same for areas of tightness, constriction or pain.

Explore each island of comfort or expansion: what sensations do you find? Use your breath to explore more fully by sending it into the very center of each location.

Now use your focused attention to shift back and forth from the smallest area of discomfort to the smallest area of comfort, bridging back and forth several times. Feel the sense of shifting from constriction to expansion.

Gradually shift your attention to the medium – sized areas of constriction and expansion. Find the rhythm of bridging back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Finally, travel from the largest area of discomfort or pain to the largest area of expansion or comfort. Again, shift back and forth several times; use your breath to occupy fully each location.

Finish your experiment the way you started – with a few slow breaths.

With practice, pendulation can help to restore our innate resilience.

Instead of feeling anxious and beaten down, we begin to remember our bodies’ natural rhythm and pace, and restore our ability to self-regulate – and flow – through difficult sensations and emotions.