Share
On and Off Your Mat Yoga Podcast
Yoga, Chronic Pain and Mental Health, with Erika Belanger
We are finishing our mental health series today. If you missed our 3 other episodes, check out #70: Yoga for Stress and Anxiety, and #72 Yoga for Mental Health. You also got a deep dive and practice of alternate nostril breathing on our Premium Membership on Patreon for #71, as a tool to deal with stressful times.
Today is a special episode. I do not have a guest. I wanted to do this episode and talk about my journey with chronic pain and mental health and how yoga has been part of my healing.
1- Stress affects directly your pain, and your pain affects every aspect of your life. Addressing stress will help manage the physical, mental and emotional consequence of being in constant pain and will reduce the pain at the source.
2- No matter the type of pain you have, there are things you can do to support your body: food & supplement, gentle exercise, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, talk therapy, meditation, visualization, sleep/rest and breath are all great tools to experiment with.
3- You can live joyfully despite the pain. As you acknowledge your pain, learn to listen to what it's trying to tell you, and stay curious and kind, you will start to understand the pain, how it affects you and which strategies help you the most. That creates agency and empowerment and helps you move out of hopelessness.
4- There's hope. Nobody knows your body better than you. No matter what your situation is, there's a way. Doctors are human like you and me and might not have all the answers. Seek help but don't abandon your power in the process.
5- There's a clear link between mental health and chronic pain. It's important to acknowledge your emotions, experience them & process them. On the other hand, you also need to see the big picture and focus on the good. Practice acceptance, gratitude and loving kindness.
- My story
- What is endometriosis
- What is chronic pain
- What happens when we ignore pain
- The effects of stress on pain
- My top ways to manage chronic pain
- Lessons / Things I wished I learned earlier
- How to enjoy life despite the pain
- The link between chronic pain and mental health
- How to cope with the emotional impact of chronic pain
- How did yoga helped me solidify my recovery
As always, I really appreciate your support with this podcast. Have you checked out our new Instagram page @onandoffyourmatpodcast already? We are starting all the way back from the beginning, revising every single episode! So come by and follow us so you can catch up on all the episodes you missed and their content or get reminders from your favorite episodes! You can also continue to support this show through Patreon as i mentioned before. For as low as 5$ a month you get access to more content, exclusive episodes, tutorials, guided meditations and more, and in the 2nd and 3rd tiers, you get access to some or all the classes we’ve recorded on zoom and continue to record during the shelter in place. So, if you’d like to have access to all this including the episode on alternate nostril breathing to help you detress, please visit www.patreon.com/onandoffyourmat and become a PREMIUM member on the tier of your choice.
Erika is a yoga teacher, the host and producer of On & Off Your Mat Podcast and a transformational life coach. Being a teacher is part of who she is, and she uses yoga, podcasting and life coaching as different entry points all aiming to help her students and clients build a happier, healthier and more peaceful life. Her radiant spirit and engaging sense of humour creates light-hearted practices focused on awareness, intentional movement and self-care. She empowers her students and clients awaken to themselves, become embodied and build the life of their dreams.
Website : www.erikabelanger.com
IG :@erika.belanger & @onandoffyourmatpodcast
Email and share your story : erika.belanger@gmail.com
More episodes
View all episodes
255. Therapeutic Yin Yoga for HSPs, with Nyk Danu
42:22||Ep. 255Our guest, Nyk Danu, shares her journey with yin yoga and how it has become a refuge for her as an HSP. Nyk is a certified yoga therapist, yin yoga teacher trainer, and yoga business mentor who specializes in teaching therapeutic yoga to students who don't feel at home in mainstream yoga circles. She combines her extensive training in yoga therapy, yin yoga, and traditional Chinese medicine to create a unique approach that prioritizes the nervous system and accessibility. If you've tried yin yoga before but found it uncomfortable or challenging, either because of the long holds, the quiet space, or the thoughts and sensations that arose, this episode is here to provide valuable insights and tips to help you deepen your practice. Nyk shares how therapeutic yin yoga can help HSPs build reserves, move energy, and find a soothing balm for their overstimulated selves.For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/255
254. Feel It to Heal It (Part 5-Shame), with Erika Belanger
53:21||Ep. 254By learning to feel your shame more fully, you'll be able to be yourself more authentically and access more joy in your life. Hiding your emotional self unintentionally disconnects you from who you are and turns down the volume on all your emotions. But everything changes when you give yourself permission to feel, and discover that it's not as scary as you think.I share the process I use with coaching clients to help them shift out of shame and into a place of presence. Learn what shame really is, how it affects HSPs differently, and why creating safety and regulation in your nervous system is key to healing from shame.Click here for the 1:1 Somatic coaching application or click here to join the waitlist for my Feel It to Heal It mini course.For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/254
253. PREMIUM | My Clients’ Favorite Gratitude Practice
03:53||Ep. 253If you love gratitude practices, this might be a new very powerful way to connect to this emotion, and If you’re highly sensitive and you’ve struggled to connect authentically to gratitude practices in the past, this practice if for youThis is my client’s favorite way to connect to gratitude and truly experience it in their body. You can also use this format with any positive high-vibration emotion you want to experience more fully in your life.If you are trying to experience gratitude without involving the body, your efforts to change how you truly feel often stay at the surface level and the shift either doesn't happen or it doesn't last.To truly change a belief, habit, or how we feel, we need a genuine connection between our emotions and body. This is because our thoughts and behaviors are often tied to physical responses stored in the body from past experiences. Real change happens when we engage both mind and body, and this is what we are doing in this practice.This practice is part of our premium subscription, to get access to it, become a premium podcast member.When you leave a review for the podcast on iTunes you can get a free trial. DM @onandoffyourmatpodcast or email (erika.belanger@gmail.com) me a screenshot of your review and we'll get you set up.Your podcast premium membership (as low as $5/month) allows me to continue to create and produce this podcast. I choose to keep this add-free for a better listening experience, so there are no revenue and the membership keeps this podcast alive. If you love On and Off Your Mat and want it to continue, support the show here and have access to this somatic practice and so much more.
252. Healing Through Neuroscience and Consciousness with Kristin Windsor
49:07||Ep. 252In this powerful episode, Kristin Windsor shares her incredible journey of self-healing and the unique approach she developed along the way. As a teacher and mentor, Kristin leads people to return home to their innate wholeness by reunifying mind, body, and soul. After independently healing over 100 health battles, 20 years of complex trauma, and 7 years of amnesia, Kristin integrated her wisdom into a groundbreaking method that combines neuroscience, consciousness, and infinite love.We dive into the role of neuroscience and consciousness in the healing process. Kristin explains how to make more sense of our experiences and behaviors, and how to create lasting change by understanding that everything in life comes down to navigating life to get the love we need and crave.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/252
251. How My Client Pascale Went from Overwhelmed and Exhausted to Feeling Resourced, Anchored and Empowered
39:44||Ep. 251In this special episode, I sit down with my client Pascale Etienne, a high school teacher and plant whisperer, to celebrate her incredible transformation through one-on-one somatic coaching. Pascale openly shares her journey from feeling engulfed by her emotions, to developing the tools to harness sensitivity as a superpower. If you want see the process for getting out of overwhelm and exhaustion as a sensitive person, this episode is for you. Discover the power of somatic practices, self-compassion, and giving yourself permission to feel your feelings. Pascale's experience will inspire you to invest in yourself, embrace the discomfort of doing the inner work, and cultivate a loving relationship with your emotions. Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/251
250. Fall Bringing You Down? How to Thrive as a Sensitive in Vata Season
40:22||Ep. 250Do you feel more anxious, scattered, or physically cold and dry as fall sets in? If so, you're not alone. As a highly sensitive person, I feel the shift from summer to fall intensely, and I've noticed it in my clients too. Everyone seems more tired and anxious right now.Explore why fall feels like a challenging transition from the perspective of Ayurveda. I discuss the elements that create the essence of autumn in your mind, body, and energy. Learn to recognize characteristics of a Vata constitution and discover practical tools to bring more balance, groundedness, and warmth into your life.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/250
249. PREMIUM | Releasing Pent-up Energy You Picked up from Other People During Holidays
03:33||Ep. 249If you suddenly feel drained, weighed down, sad, or anxious without knowing why after a family gathering, if you experience unexpected aches, tightness, or tiredness during holiday get-togethers, or you find yourself overthinking other people’s problems or wondering how to help everyone around you, or even if you sense the needs and moods of everyone and try to accommodate without them asking... today’s practice is for you.Whether it’s family dinners, office parties, or cozy moments with friends, the holidays can make it even harder to tell where others’ energy stops and yours begins.I’ve used this practice with clients who find it hard to spend the day people-ing, especially with family to✨ bring them to the present moment✨ get grounded✨ let go of pent-up energy✨ process emotions out of your body✨ self-soothe✨ bring back a sense of control over their body and emotions✨ and create an energetic boundary around themThis practice is part of our premium subscription, to get access to it, become a premium podcast member.When you leave a review for the podcast on iTunes you can get a free trial. DM @onandoffyourmatpodcast or email (erika.belanger@gmail.com) me a screenshot of your review and we'll get you set up.Your podcast premium membership (as low as $5/month) allows me to continue to create and produce this podcast. I choose to keep this add-free for a better listening experience, so there are no revenue and the membership keeps this podcast alive. If you love On and Off Your Mat and want it to continue, support the show here and have access to this somatic practice and so much more.
248. Psychedelic Healing 101 (Part 2), with Chuchu Wang
28:21||Ep. 248Last week, in part one of our episode on psychedelic healing, we talked about the before the journey, during the journey, what you need to know, how to properly prepare, and how to navigate your experience. Today we dive into what it means to integrate, how to integrate effectively, the importance of support and community, and how to avoid a “bad trip” (or how to deal with one if you find yourself in one).If you're a Highly Sensitive Person considering plant medicine or psychedelics, this episode is a must-listen. Chuchu and I discuss the extra considerations HSPs should take into account, the power of trusting your intuition throughout the process, and how to step into your greatness through proper integration practices.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/248
247. Psychedelic Healing 101 (Part 1), with Chuchu Wang
36:43||Ep. 247As psychedelics become more mainstream and popular, it's crucial to approach these powerful medicines with caution, integrity, and responsibility - especially if you're a highly sensitive person. To help me explore this topic, I have psychedelic healing expert Chuchu Wang on the podcast. Through her own personal experiences and the work she does at Ceremonia, the retreat center she co-founded, Chuchu has witnessed both the beautiful, magical healing that can happen with psychedelics and the tragic, re-traumatizing experiences that can occur in the wrong setting with the wrong facilitator.In part one of this two-part episode, we discuss the fundamentals of psychedelic healing, what you need to know before deciding if this modality is right for you, how to properly prepare for a journey, and the foundation for navigating the experience itself. Be sure to return for part two next week, where we talk about integration, support, community, and how to avoid or deal with a "bad trip."Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/247