2021 Feb 2, 22:08–22:43;  Feb 6, 22:15–; Feb 8, 00:54–; Feb. 9, 21:21–; Feb. 11, 01:06–; Feb. 12, 01:45; amended Feb. 13; amended Feb. 15

Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says…

Thank you to all the precious people in my life who have given me joyful memories – elixirs as I journey through the dark side of pain, practice neuroplasticity … to achieve wellness.

The experts and resources for wellness I found in 2015 to help my papa and friends are now helping me as I retrain my Brain to STOP sending my body pain signals and other unpleasant sensations after a bout of shingles last year. (According to Mayo Clinic… “After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles…. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash.”)

I am forever grateful to Dusky Pierce, MFT who led me to Dr. Norman Doidge’s books (about neuroplasticity/our beautiful adaptable brains) which introduced me to methods developed by Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais, and, to Dr. Michael Moskowitz.  Also, I am forever grateful to Linda A. Harris for remembering Dr. Danielle Rosenman https://www.medicalcounseling.net/; Dr. Rosenman (trained by Dr. Moskowitz)  has coached me to practice neuroplasticity for wellness.

Techniques are simple, the journey not so easy.  Persistent pain signals and other unpleasant sensations BE GONE BE GONE!

A unique aspect of retraining Beautiful Brain (BB) to rid persistent pain is not to talk about it.  BB is so good at creating pain, my talking about it and thinking about it only sabotage my healing.

During a webinar with Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden http://www.neuroplastix.com, Dr. Moskowitz recommended listening to Professor Lorimer Moseley talk about our brains and neuroplasticity – that Professor Moseley uses humor in his presentations.

This blog post contains my notes from –

“Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley -

Successful Ageing Seminar 2013″

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

“What we now understand about pain.”

The term “neuroplasticity”  = how adaptable our nervous system is. The other side of neuroplasticity is sometimes called “the dark side.”

“The mechanisms that cause us to change in a good way can also cause us to change in a way that makes our lives more difficult and more unpleasant.

“If you have a brain, you will experience pain. If you don’t have a brain, you won’t experience pain.

“We feel pain in our body, and, we feel it in a particular location, but, it is impossible to feel pain without a brain, and, it is completely possible to feel pain without the body part.”

Professor Moseley tells his story  about encountering a man (with wooden leg) who was in agonizing pain (where his leg would have been). The man experienced SEVERE pain but he had NO tissue damage.

“The brain produces pain.  The brain does not recognize pain coming from something else.”

“Chronic pain is misunderstood.”

All images are from “ Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley - Successful Ageing Seminar 2013″

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

 World’s most burdensome Health Issues

#1 Chronic back pain

#2 Depression

#4 Chronic neck pain

#8 Migraine and headache

#9 Diabetes

#11 Osteoarthritis

“Pain is our most sophisticated protective device.”

Nociceptors – detection of tissue damage or danger = danger receptors

[  Example from me, Teresa - at age 8, I touched a hot iron.  The nerves in my finger sent messages to my brain which then instantaneously sent pain to protect me; the pain stopped me from continuing touching the source of danger. ]

Professor Moseley gave example:  Violinists.  Pain threshold of their left little finger is lower than pain threshold of their right little finger. Why? Left little finger is used to play the instrument while right little finger could be missing but musician would still be able to hold the bow. Fingers on left hand need more protection; brain is more protective of left hand.

For Professor Moseley’s talk “Getting a grip on pain and the brain” go to:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

**

You can experience SEVERE pain but have NO damage.

AND

You can experience NO pain but have severe damage.

Brain produces pain.  Brain is the most trainable we’ve got!

Pain depends on how much danger your brain THINKS you are in, not how much danger you are really in.

Information gets stored in the brain. Brain uses information to evaluate danger to your body. Does Brain think this situation is more dangerous or less dangerous? If Brain’s conclusion is “this is dangerous”, Brain sends pain.

[  Teresa here…

Even though shingles rash healed completely last year… the scar tissue is red.  The color “red” has meaning for my Brain.   “Red” represents “hot” and “dangerous”.  My Brain remembers the hot iron incident from my childhood, and, all my experiences with pain. Brain evaluates all that information and concludes that I still need protecting, so, Brain does what Brain does so well . . . create pain signals to protect me. I can’t sip hot tea or stand in front of a hot stove for more than a minute … before Brain sends signals to “protect” me.  How I retrain my brain (“interrupt” unpleasant signals) are summarized in my blog posts published on November 6, 2020, January 3, 2021, and January 13, 2021. Since our brains are unique (the way our fingerprints are unique), what works for me might not work for someone else. Not only do our brains record our experiences, but also incidents we’ve witnessed, heard about, read about.

If my brain had ignored what I had read and heard …

(from Mayo Clinic site, medical experts, and my own memory of a loved one describing her experience with shingles) – “that the condition can be very painful … that the most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia, which causes shingles pain for a long time after your blisters have cleared…”

then I wouldn’t be feeling pain now. ]

All images are from “ Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley - Successful Ageing Seminar 2013?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

**

What you’re seeing is produced by the brain.  According to meaning!

At about 19 minutes and 39 seconds into his talk, Professor Moseley shows this slide on the screen to demonstrate how our “visual experience depends on the evaluation of sensory input.”

We see a checkerboard of white and gray squares; the greenish cylinder is casting shadows on some of the squares.  The square that has “A” on it appears to be gray. The square that has “B” on it appears to be white.

Retinal information is sent to the Brain,  then the Brain gathers everything else we’ve learned in our entire life – for meaning.

Professor Moseley then extracts these two squares from the board – the two square are the same color!  They are the same color when no other data are presented to create meaning.

Our brain produces a different picture when it evaluates our experiences, contexts, and environment … for meaning.

You are seeing this, but, it’s not really there. Like pain. You are feeling it because the brain produces it.

Professor Moseley shows  more examples . . .

” … the nature of your relationship, the roles that you have in society, the role in that context affects your pain. Not how you cope with your pain…  It doesn’t change the ‘danger message,’  it changes the pain. ”

How dangerous is this, really?

When Brain concludes that the situation is dangerous, Brain will send pain signals, even when reality is not dangerous.

And vice versa . . .

 At about 22 minutes and 30 seconds into his talk, Professor Moseley shows the slide of the runner who fractured his leg during triple jump at American Olympics Trials.  The runner’s brain evaluated his priorities and ignored the danger messages. Even though his body was experiencing severe damage … his brain didn’t send pain … until he looked down at his knee.

Pain depends on how much danger your brain THINKS you are in, not how much danger you are really in.

At about 25 minutes and 10 seconds into his talk,  Professor Lorimer Moseley shares personal experience.

He was walking in the bush, felt something on his outer leg.

How dangerous is this, really?  He has walked in this setting hundreds of time.

Danger receptors in Body and Brain; nerves influence other nerves.  His visual cortex plus memory circuits concluded that the sensation is the result of a twig scratching the skin of his leg.

He swam. He woke up 4 days later, had been bitten by Eastern Brown snake.

High danger but felt low pain.

Nine months later, walking in the bush again. He felt something on his outer leg. This time his brain sent harsh pain to protect him. When he looked down, this time it was just a twig.  Very low danger but felt severe pain.

**

at 34 minutes, Professor Lorimer Moseley talks about “The Brain’s evaluation of danger.”

All these systems that end up producing pain become more sensitive the longer you have pain.

Your systems learn how to make pain, so, you need less and less to aggravate your pain.

Things that don’t seem related can aggravate your pain.

Need to untangle the system.

Pain depends on how much danger my brain THINKS I am in, not how much danger I am really in.

[ Teresa here …  Our neighbors are modifying their house to “age in place” – construction workers hammering, using power tools … Monday through Friday.  The noise is impacting everyone’s tranquility, but, not everyone is experiencing pain the way I am.  Thank you, Dr. Amy Grace Lam, for helping me decipher why my brain has concluded that noise is dangerous. I had (but my brain and body have not) forgotten … about another time in my life when noise from neighbors impacted my health, forcing me to leave a lovely home.  So now my brain protects me by sending me pain and other unpleasant sensations. What beautiful brain-body communications we have!]

At 35 minutes, Professor Moseley gives additional data regarding the Dark Side of Neuroplasticity

“One in five Westerners  have chronic pain that disable them. The majority…  we can’t explain in their bodies. Understand what contributes to pain….”

What implies “Threat” to body tissue?

What implies “Safety”?

at 38 minutes and 20 seconds into his talk, Professor Moseley says:

“Aging system, less responsive. Sensitized system, more protective. Not just activity that Brain is exposed to. Anything that the Brain finds as threat.”

[ Teresa here … I was studying two Charles Chaplin  movies – both scripts are brilliant. However, the themes in MONSIEUR VERDOUX (1947) sparked pain signals; two scenes in A KING IN NEW YORK (1957) did the same. ]

The longer you have pain, the better your system gets at producing it.

The good news:  My body and brain are adaptable and will change if I train them.

I am determined to walk and imagine my way to wellness!

This is my journey. All that I have learned from people who care about people have brought me here. I thank you with all my heart.

I wish everyone excellent health, kindness, and sweet laughter.

Thank you for reading my blog post “Brain / Pain Scientist Professor Lorimer Moseley uses humor to help us understand the Dark Side of Pain” 

Again, thank you, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, for recommending Professor Lorimer Moseley’s talks.

Having been coached by Dr. Danielle Rosenman, and, remembering what I’ve learned from Dusky Pierce (Byron Katie https://thework.com/), and . . .

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now using the workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION  by Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden . . . I am keeping my BB busy!

Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden http://www.neuroplastix.com

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What else had helped me?  Having learned the Feldenkrais Method when my right hand was on pain scale of 8 out of 10.

https://feldenkrais.com/

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2021 January 30 Haiku poem  by  Teresa Jade LeYung

Brain much too busy

to send Body pain signals

during walk, must walk.

If I cannot walk

I imagine legs walking

step by step by step

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog   If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”. Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to our our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity.

Love Made Of Heart ®

Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung offers resources regarding our beautiful  brains  / persistent pain / depression  / wellness through her Blog: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Teresa Jade LeYung, an American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a story/theme consultant, author of LOVE MADE OF HEART:  Journey Through Mental Illness (daughter-mother novel archived at the San Francisco History Center and used by college professors), BUILD YOUR WRITER’S PLATFORM & FANBASE IN 22 DAYS (a workbook), and TALKING TO MY DEAD MOM Monologues (the first monologue received an award from Redwood Writers Ten-Minute Play Festival), an advocate for public libraries and public schools, creator of http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/ , and, admirer of City of Light. Composing Haiku poems is a new love for LeYung.

Dear Writers and Readers,

Thank you for reading.

This is an intermission in Writing Coach Teresa’s “Parkinson’s Disease, My Chinese Papa, and My practicing The Four Agreements” blog post series.

This post is about my courageous cousins.

My 42-year-old cousin is dying of metastasized colon cancer.  I wish to speak up for her and another young woman who died three years ago.

Even though the medical world says 50 is the age to get a baseline colonoscopy . . . there are people under age 50 who would be alive today if they got tested much earlier.

According to Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org

What is your risk level?

Talk to your doctor about your colon cancer risk if you:

• Have a personal history of colon cancer or precancerous polyps
• Have a parent, sibling or child who has had colon cancer
• Carry a gene for a hereditary colon cancer syndrome
• Have a history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease

Cousin Anna started rejecting food over three weeks ago. The purple and black marks on her skin are signs of liver failure. Hospice nurse tells my aunt and uncle and cousins that their daughter/sister will be leaving soon.

Anna’s siblings have been her loyal advocates; they too need moral support now.

While witnessing Anna’s journey, I see how my relatives practice The Work (as Byron Katie would say) -  taking care of what is in front of us, with grace.

Anna herself is doing The Work – She calls out for her brother (who has been her primary caregiver; what a loving caregiver) when she wants to drink water from her stainless steel cup, change position in her bed, or merely see him in the room.

Anna’s loving brother is doing The Work – He has set up a station (including info packet and supplies from hospice care) outside Anna’s room; he supervises as well as provide excellent care when he is home; he goes to his new job in San Francisco.

Anna’s adoring sister is doing The Work – She flew in to be with her sister, meet the hospice nurse, orchestrate delivery of a hospital bed, shopped, made phone calls, and comforted her parents; then she flew back home to take care of her own family.

Anna’s sister-in-law is doing The Work – She has been there, is there, to give everyone moral support.

Anna’s mother and father provide food and tea for us all. We eat in silence.

January 29, 2016

Cousin Anna died in the early morning of January 21st.  Rain had stopped. We even had blue sky.  A new angel on her way.

Please listen to what your body tells you.  The statement “You’re too young to be tested” is just someone’s opinion. Be your own advocate. After all, you are the expert of your experiences.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author, playwright, speech writer

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

https://www.youtube.com/user/teresaleyung

**

“The Work” is a simple yet powerful “process of inquiry” that teaches one how to identify and question thoughts that cause suffering.

I see the “process of inquiry” as the answer to live a stress-free life. Fascinating!
The 4 questions and the turn-around. Wow!

Byron Katie asks: “Who Would You Be Without Your Story?”

Since I’m a writer and my job is to write stories, “The Work” is helping me figure out what is healthful for me (the author) so that I can be really alive and write my protagonist’s story with clarity.

Thank you, Byron Katie! My gratitude to Dusky and Toni for recommending the book.

August 6th, 2020 | Author: admin | Edit

 6 August 2020 California

Good day, everyone!

 In Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce’s blog post entitled “Vacations, 2020? she  says:

“Since the whole world is restricted in movement right now with the Covid 19 pandemic, it seems like the perfect time to let our imagination and computer images take us away on a vacation.  We’ll start with spectacular versions of more traditional vacations.  Awesome nature, sometimes with housing we could only dream of getting through Airbnb. Or flying in a drone to get another perspective.  Then we’ll move to oases…because why not?  Online is definitely the easiest way to visit an oasis. Finally, if you are the type, you might enjoy picturing yourself accompanying some of the daring adventurers found in the last section …. ”

To see all the magnificent images in Dusky’s Wonder Site blog post, visit: http://www.duskyswondersite.com/human-ingenuity-category/vacations-2020/

Elliðaey Island, Iceland – image from Duskyswondersite

To see all the magnificent images in Dusky’s blog post, visit: http://www.duskyswondersite.com/human-ingenuity-category/vacations-2020/

Penne, France – image from Duskyswondersite

To see all the magnificent images in Dusky’s blog post, visit:  http://www.duskyswondersite.com/human-ingenuity-category/vacations-2020/

oasis image from Duskyswondersite

Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce’s blog post “Vacations, 2020? transports us to magical places, safe from COVID-19.

For me … instead of  going on “vacation”, I went home to beloved City of Light via Dusky’s images.

Merci beaucoup Madame Pierce!

* * * * *

For other blog posts from Dusky:  http://www.duskyswondersite.com/

Dusky Pierce says:

“Mind/body approaches such as EMDR and Emotional Freedom Technique are scientifically proven methods that we might use to address trauma or deep emotional wounds.

” … therapy is not only about dealing with problems; it’s also about nurturing strengths. It’s obvious life can be challenging, even tragic. I understand that there are times when no ray of sunshine shines through the dark. In that case, we focus on coping with the problems at hand.

“I also know from my work as a therapist and in my own life that in the midst of the most difficult times, moments of respite, appreciation, love or laughter are often found.

“Thanks to an expanding body of research in how the brain works, we know it’s possible to intentionally cultivate such moments, increasing our inner resources and feelings of well-being. We can literally create new pathways in our brains that heighten our ability to notice instances of positive experience in the midst of the most trying times.”

http://www.duskyswondersite.com/about/

Dear Dusky,

You have helped me turn phobias into joys, grief into insight.

And, your having Dr. Norman Doidge’s book The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science in your waiting room which led me to finding his next book The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity – the stories and resources in both books helped me help my father, friends and myself.

I am forever grateful.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Love Made Of Heart ®

author Teresa Jade LeYung, mask by Emily O.

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10 Things You Can Do to Manage COVID-19 at Home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPoptbtBjkg

* * * * *

10 Things You Can do to Manage COVID-19 at Home presented in American Sign Language  ASL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zDpHJdwBvw

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

If you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.

Cheers from

22-Day Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachTeresa.com

 

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan is the author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW. Click here for print edition. Click here for Kindle edition. “Reach out, not stress out.”

Teresa’s novel Love Made of Heart: a Mother’s Mental Illness Forges Forgiveness in Daughter Ruby is used in college courses and archived at the San Francisco History Center.

Subscribe to  “Coach Teresa’s blog” Click here to start.