The Power of TRUE Affirmations
A Journey through Pain using PRYT and EFT


Pain in my body.  White hot, searing and non-wavering.  I didn’t cry – I howled.  The animal inside ripped through my skin and became a wild beast.

The pain went down the back of my left leg – and my head exploded.

Along with the tears came frustration, anger, disbelief.

Sciatic -   Really?  It had been  5 years since I had cured myself of  15 years of chronic back pain.  Never during that time did it go into my leg.

When I cured myself of back pain so long ago, I then took on the task of retraining my mind.  It went something like this:

When I saw a large suitcase, I had to first recognize the fear that came up and change the thought that says, “Don’t lift that or you’ll pull out your back”, to one that says, “I can lift that without a problem occurring”.  It took about a year to finally not even think anything at all when lifting a suitcase.

And all it took was picking up a laundry basket for those fears and thoughts to flood back into my body.

“You’ve got to be kidding – Was I not done!”, my mind exclaims.

Ok, I tell myself, I can heal this.  I have helped to heal others of  “sciatic” pain.   In fact, it was only 2 days before, I led a session and my client came away pain free after months of chronic sciatic pain.

I can do this.  And as I laid on the floor writhing in pain, I knew I needed help.

Deal with the Pain first.  Bring it down so I can at least think straight.
~ Thank goodness for friends who are body-workers to help release some of the physical.

My ibuprofen bottle says 7 years expired.
~ Thank goodness for friends who bring me food, love, and drugs.

Sitting attacks my glut from where the pain emanates.
~ Thank goodness for a hard bed and soft pillows.

I want answers.  I know my body is calling out to me to PAY ATTENTION.  But to what?  What was I missing that all my Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy training in awareness had not already shown me?

And so the journey into the pain begins with a question,

“What’s Happening NoPRYTw”?


Lying on my back I had lots of time to ponder,  “What is my body saying?  What language is it using? What does it know that I’ve hidden?”

While my 2 friends had worked on my body together, there was 1 thing that stood out through the pain – besides the howling and the amazing amount of tears -  I remember holding a hand – and that hand would not let go of me.

I started there in my body.  I could still feel myself gripping her hand – tears coming – and she was not going to let go.

Question: “What’s happening Now?”

Answer:  “Don’t leave me”.  I am by myself.”

I had collapsed in my home – no one was around as I live by myself with my son who was not due to be with me for a couple of days.  I had to figure out how to get to a phone and get my body in a position of some comfort.

The pain brought up the vulnerability of being alone.

And so I ask the next question, “Say more about being by yourself…”

With frustration came the answer, “Do I have to go over this again?  ok, ok, so I’m on my own and for the most part I really like this, but I am also ready for a relationship.   I am frustrated and confused and cannot fathom why it’s been so long since I have been in a relationship.  Is that what you want to hear?”

And the practitioner in me asks again, “What’s Happening Now?”

“I’m pissed – so angry,” and more, “This hurts – it really hurts.  I can’t move,  I can’t even walk”

“Say More…”

“It’s in my leg – I can’t take a step in any direction – the pain & resistance isn’t just in my leg – but now it’s back in my mind and my emotions.  Ugh, fear and frustration – and that anger.”

So the conversation had continued – and still the pain was not letting up.  There are no practitioners in my area that I could call on and I needed someone else to ask the questions and support my body.  I needed a witness.  Too many roles to be the client and practitioner when in pain.  I needed someone else to create a container so I could hear myself.

And in stepped another healer. A friend who had moved out of town called at just that right moment.   We had done trades in the past so we knew & honored the others work.

EFTHe said he’d been learning this thing called, “Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)” .  I knew a little bit about it and called it that ‘tapping’ thing.

I was willing to try anything but he couldn’t give me a session for 2 days.  So I went online and downloaded the free manual.  I figured, I’m a healer – I can do this. And I did by taking 30 minutes and learning the “Basic Recipe” for EFT.  (and yes, I do see the irony of being on my own..)

As I applied it to myself, in about 1 hour of following the routine, the pain decreased about 60% and I was finally able to sit up without shooting pain.

Here’s a video of the “Basic Recipe” routine that I used…

Pretty good – but it wouldn’t go any further.   So I waited the 2 days in high anticipation for my session.

My session started with an in-depth conversation about the issue – and some possible links to emotions and  past events that might have a connection to this.

I was totally receptive and open  as Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, too, uses focused dialogue to get to the root of an issue.

What did I discover through the talking?  A lot – only I can’t tell you, because it includes things about my work with my clients.  < I did write it all down here for me – but then deleted for confidentiality purposes. >

What I can offer is a deep appreciation to my clients who help me recognize and work with myself.

Loaded with information on the emotional issues and events that led up to my pain,  my  friend led me through the EFT talking / tapping process.

Where PRYT works with the physical body postures to touch in & transform on the cellular level, EFT uses a process of tapping on the end points of certain energetic meridians that run through the body in order to recalibrate the emotional body system.  (I’m not an expert, but that’s my general understanding.)

And while I tapped at these different points, I was led through a list of repeated TRUE affirmations of  my emotional issues as I had stated previous during our initial talk.  With the confidential stuff taken out, it sounded something like this,

Starting with:

“Even with pain, I love and accept myself completely.”

(TAP TAP TAP…) “I am afraid because no one has my back”
(TAP TAP TAP…) I am angry at my body for being in pain”
(TAP TAP TAP…) “I am afraid that this pain will last for a very long time”
(TAP TAP TAP…) “Even if it does, I still love & accept myself completely”
(BIG SIGH – BREATH)
(TAP TAP TAP…) “I am responsible for my own body”
(TAP TAP TAP…) “My body is a rich resource of information.”
(TAP TAP TAP…) “I will pay attention to the minor irritations before they build to a point of pain”
(TAP TAP TAP…) “And even if I move into pain, I still accept myself completely”
(BIG SIGH – BREATH)
(TAP TAP TAP…) “Sometimes I am alone and I feel lonely.
(TAP TAP TAP…) “I no longer need to take on other’s pain as my own”
(TAP TAP TAP…) “I am strong and can create a strong boundary”
(TAP TAP TAP…) “And even if I take on pain, I still accept myself completely”
(BIG SIGH – BREATH)

And so the affirmations came at me from my practitioner as I tapped for an hour…

Here’s what I love about this process in EFT and one that is also a key component in PRYT…

Did you notice that those affirmations aren’t the airy-fairy, New-Agey kind?  The sickeningly sweet ones (that I can’t even say without choking or at the very least leave me feeling like I’m doing it all wrong),  those ‘positive’ affirmations which claim something so NOT what I am feeling like -  “I am Light, Love and Peace”.

TRUE!These affirmations are TRUE.

“I AM IN PAIN!” -  RIGHT ON!

“I AM SCARED” – YES I AM!

Oh the relief,  to affirm and TOTALLY ACCEPT what is TRUE for me in this moment, in this pain, in my body, in my life.

Here’s the kicker -  if what I am affirming is TRUE – then they carry power – MY power.

Not the New Age tyrant that says, “You’re a YOGI you should be PEACE”, or the Feminist who claims, “You’re ON YOUR OWN – LOVE IT”, or even the religion that says, “BE LOVE”.

It’s not that I’m NEVER those things (love, light, peace) – it’s just that it’s NOT TRUE IN THIS MOMENT!

And when I get to what’s REALLY TRUE – only then, I can do something about them.

Only then can I accept what is ME.  Only then can I explore the choices around what is true.  Only then can I find Truth as it is in this moment.  And only then can I ACT within my Truth.

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I am writing all this the next day after this session.  The pain is less, though not gone.  However I notice that my fear that the sciatic will be in my body a long time is no longer dominant.

On the contraire, I believe that the TRUTH of who I am will determine a complete healing  in the next couple of days.

And even if it doesn’t, (TAP, TAP, TAP)  “I still LOVE and ACCEPT myself completely”.

And, I affirm, too, that my body has many juicy things to still tell me.

“I will pay attention to the minor irritants in my body before the point of pain.”  (BIG SIGH – BREATHE.)

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About 2 months after I wrote this article, I finally received a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy session which brought me to another level of healing – almost completely. View this video to get a glimpse of the process:

Go here for more about Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy sessions …

Go here for more about Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)…

Here’s a follow-up email about the pain techniques I used…

Soleil says:  “I hope you find something helpful in my process through my physical pain, however please recognize that this is just that – my process and not yours.

Feel free to comment below, however,  PLEASE  do not tell me what I should or should not have done, what other healing technique you think I should try, or think is best or better.

I know there are many ways to heal, but hearing other ways would be dishonorable to my experience.   I wrote this to support my healing and honor my body, my emotions, my mind – my process.  Thank you.

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