Every breath taken indoors carries more influence on well-being than many realize. The air circulating inside homes, offices, and schools can quietly affect overall health, especially concerning indoor air quality and inflammation.
Researchers have found that microscopic pollutants trapped indoors can trigger or worsen chronic inflammatory conditions, influencing everything from respiratory health to heart function.
Since people now spend most of their time inside, understanding the connection between household air and inflammation has become essential for protecting long-term health.
What Is Indoor Air Quality and Why Is It Important?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the cleanliness, safety, and chemical composition of air inside enclosed spaces.
While outdoor pollution receives plenty of attention, indoor air can actually harbor higher concentrations of harmful substances. Factors such as cooking fumes, cleaning products, synthetic furnishings, pet dander, and mold contribute to the buildup of pollutants.
Indoor air matters because pollutants in sealed spaces accumulate easily and disperse slowly, especially in poorly ventilated areas.
Prolonged exposure to these contaminants can cause respiratory irritation, oxidative stress, and even chronic inflammation throughout the body. When IAQ is maintained well, the risk of developing long-term health problems decreases significantly.
How Does Indoor Air Quality Affect Inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s natural defense mechanism against harmful external agents. However, when this process becomes chronic, it can silently damage cells and tissues.
Polluted indoor air can act as a constant trigger for inflammatory responses. Once inhaled, airborne contaminants stimulate immune cells to release inflammatory molecules, keeping the body in a continuous state of alert.
This process explains the connection between indoor air quality inflammation and chronic conditions. Research shows that exposure to particles and gases found indoors increases levels of inflammatory biomarkers like cytokines and C-reactive protein.
Over time, this chronic low-grade inflammation can contribute to health issues such as asthma, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease.
PM2.5 Indoor Exposure: Tiny Particles With Big Health Impacts
One of the most harmful indoor pollutants is PM2.5, shorthand for fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers. These tiny particles are invisible to the eye but easily penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
PM2.5 indoor exposure comes from everyday activities like cooking with oil, burning candles, using fireplaces, smoking, or even running certain household appliances.
Once inside the body, PM2.5 generates oxidative stress, which activates mechanisms that sustain inflammation.
Over time, repeated exposure can lead to metabolic dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and elevated risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Studies have also associated PM2.5 with worsened symptoms in people already suffering from inflammatory or autoimmune disorders.
VOCs and Systemic Inflammation: The Hidden Chemical Threat
While PM2.5 represents a physical pollutant, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemical ones. VOCs are gases released from everyday items such as paints, cleaning sprays, air fresheners, adhesives, and furniture, according to the World Health Organization.
Often invisible and odorless, these compounds contribute significantly to VOCs and systemic inflammation, especially in energy-efficient buildings where air exchange is limited.
Once VOCs enter the human body through inhalation, they can disturb metabolic and immune processes.
Some VOCs, such as formaldehyde and toluene, promote oxidative stress and interfere with the body’s antioxidant systems. Long-term exposure has been linked to chronic headaches, fatigue, respiratory issues, and heightened inflammatory reactions.
Sensitive groups, including children and older adults, may experience more pronounced effects, as their immune systems are less efficient at regulating persistent inflammatory stress.
Indoor Pollution and Chronic Diseases: The Long-Term Connection
The relationship between indoor pollution and chronic disease is increasingly well-documented. Airborne contaminants are now recognized as active participants in long-term health decline, not just temporary irritants.
When pollutants persist in household air, they trigger chronic immune activation that slowly wears down bodily systems.
For instance, PM2.5 particles and VOCs can both damage blood vessel lining through constant inflammation, paving the way for conditions like hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Similarly, long-term exposure to mold spores or dust can worsen respiratory inflammation and weaken lung function over time. Chronic low-grade inflammation, sustained by household air pollutants, also contributes to insulin resistance and other factors underlying metabolic diseases.
This consistent activation of the immune system means the body never fully returns to its baseline state. As a result, tissue repair slows down, oxidative stress increases, and susceptibility to chronic illness rises.
Vulnerable groups, particularly children, older adults, and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, face heightened risk from continuous indoor exposure.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality for Better Health
Air Quality Pixabay, ashwanillc
The fight against household air and inflammation starts with recognizing controllable factors within the living environment. Improving ventilation is one of the simplest ways to lower pollutant buildup. Regularly opening windows or using exhaust systems helps circulate fresh air and reduce concentration of indoor contaminants.
Installing HEPA air purifiers can capture fine particles and allergens, including PM2.5, effectively improving air quality. Choosing unscented or natural cleaning products, along with low-VOC paints and materials, further limits exposure to chemicals that cause inflammation, as per Harvard Health.
Maintaining moderate indoor humidity between 40% and 60% helps prevent mold proliferation and dust mite activity, both known contributors to chronic respiratory irritation.
Minimizing sources such as cigarette smoke, paraffin candles, or aerosol sprays also yields immediate benefits. Indoor plants may offer mild supplemental filtering effects and contribute to emotional well-being, but they should not be viewed as replacements for mechanical ventilation or air filtration.
Monitoring devices that measure PM2.5 levels or VOC concentrations provide real-time insight into household air conditions and can guide targeted improvements.
Breathe Cleaner for a Healthier, Less Inflamed Life
Growing evidence shows that managing indoor air quality and inflammation is as vital to wellness as managing nutrition or physical activity. Every source of cleaner air contributes to a calmer, more balanced immune system. Reducing pollutants like PM2.5 and VOCs lowers internal stressors that drive chronic disease, enhancing overall vitality.
Healthy indoor air fosters easier breathing, better concentration, and more restful sleep, all indicators of reduced inflammatory burden. For individuals seeking to lower their risk of chronic inflammation and associated diseases, monitoring and improving environmental air should become an everyday priority.
By addressing indoor pollution and chronic disease through cleaner air habits, households can support long-term health and create environments where each breath truly nourishes rather than harms.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can air purifiers completely eliminate indoor inflammation triggers?
No. Air purifiers reduce particulates and VOCs but can’t remove gases or biological pollutants entirely. They work best alongside proper ventilation and low-emission household practices.
2. How quickly can indoor air quality improvements affect inflammation symptoms?
Many people notice respiratory or fatigue improvements within days to weeks. However, measurable changes in systemic inflammation markers usually take months of consistent exposure to cleaner air.
3. Are newer buildings healthier in terms of indoor air quality?
Not always. Modern buildings are often sealed tightly for energy efficiency, which can trap VOCs and fine particles unless equipped with adequate mechanical ventilation systems.
4. Can indoor plants significantly lower household air pollution?
Their effect is modest. While some plants absorb small amounts of VOCs, the level of purification is minimal compared to what filters or open-air circulation can achieve.
Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the body’s own defense system mistakenly targets healthy cells, tissues, and organs. These immune disorders can affect nearly any part of the body and are often lifelong, making them a major cause of chronic illness. Understanding how they develop, how they are treated, and how they affect daily life helps patients, families, and caregivers make informed choices.
What Are Autoimmune Diseases?
In a healthy person, the immune system protects against viruses, bacteria, and other harmful invaders. In autoimmune diseases, this system misidentifies the body’s own tissues as threats and attacks them. The result is ongoing inflammation, pain, and, over time, possible organ or tissue damage.
Autoimmune diseases can be organ-specific, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which mainly affects the thyroid, or systemic, like systemic lupus erythematosus, which can involve multiple organs.
Common immune disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and autoimmune thyroid conditions. Most are chronic illnesses requiring long-term monitoring and management rather than a one-time cure.
What Causes Autoimmune Diseases?
The causes of autoimmune diseases are complex and not fully understood. Most evidence points to an interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers. People with a family history of autoimmune or related immune disorders are at higher risk, though not everyone with a genetic predisposition will develop disease.
Environmental factors seem to act as triggers in those who are vulnerable. These may include infections, smoking, certain medications or chemicals, prolonged stress, and hormonal changes.
Many autoimmune diseases occur more often in women, suggesting a link with hormones and sex-related immune differences. Ethnicity and family patterns may also influence risk, but autoimmune diseases can affect people from any background.
Symptoms and Daily Life Impact
Different autoimmune diseases damage different tissues, but they share many core symptoms. Common early signs include:
Persistent fatigue that rest does not relieve
Joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
Muscle aches
Low-grade fevers
Skin rashes
Digestive problems or abdominal pain
Symptoms often wax and wane. People may go through flares, when symptoms suddenly worsen, and remissions, when they ease. This unpredictability can make daily planning difficult.
Pain and stiffness can limit mobility and make routine tasks like walking, cooking, or working on a computer more challenging. Fatigue and “brain fog” can impair concentration, memory, and decision-making, affecting performance at work or school.
Beyond physical effects, autoimmune diseases can take an emotional and social toll. Invisible symptoms may lead others to underestimate the severity of the illness. People may feel misunderstood, frustrated, or isolated.
Adjusting social activities and roles within the family to match changing energy levels can be stressful for both patients and loved ones.
Diagnosis and Medical Management
Diagnosing autoimmune diseases can be challenging, according to Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms may resemble those of infections, other chronic illnesses, or even stress-related conditions. A diagnosis usually relies on a combination of:
Detailed medical history and symptom review
Physical examination
Blood tests (for antibodies, inflammation markers, and organ function)
Imaging or biopsies when needed
Because signs can be vague, diagnosis may take time and sometimes involves ruling out other possibilities.
Most autoimmune diseases cannot currently be cured, but they can often be controlled. Treatment generally aims to reduce inflammation, relieve symptoms, and prevent long-term damage. Common medications include:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain and inflammation
Corticosteroids to control stronger flares
Disease-modifying drugs and biologic agents that target specific parts of the immune response
Since these conditions are chronic, regular follow-up care is important. Treatment plans are tailored to the individual, based on the type of autoimmune disease, severity of symptoms, and other health factors. Over time, medications may be adjusted to balance disease control with potential side effects.
Living With Autoimmune Diseases Day to Day
Living with autoimmune diseases often requires ongoing adaptation. Many people need to manage medication schedules, medical appointments, and symptom changes while also handling work, school, and family responsibilities.
Good days may allow for a fairly typical routine, while flare days may require extra rest, reduced activity, or assistance with daily tasks.
Work can be especially affected. Fatigue, pain, and cognitive issues may reduce productivity or make certain jobs difficult. Some people benefit from flexible hours, the option to work from home, or changes to duties.
Simple accommodations, such as ergonomic equipment, rest breaks, or modified physical tasks, can help someone with a chronic illness stay employed and engaged.
Relationships may also shift. Family members and partners may need to adjust expectations around energy, household chores, and social plans. Open communication about limitations, needs, and feelings can reduce misunderstandings and strengthen support.
Many people find comfort and validation by connecting with others who live with similar immune disorders, whether through in-person groups or online communities.
Coping Strategies and Lifestyle Support
Medical treatment is only one part of managing autoimmune diseases. Practical self-management strategies help many people function better and reduce flares. These can include:
Pacing activities and prioritizing essential tasks
Planning rest periods and avoiding overexertion on good days
Using assistive devices or adaptive tools to protect joints and conserve energy
Lifestyle factors can influence symptom levels. Although there is no single “autoimmune diet” that works for everyone, many healthcare professionals encourage a balanced, nutrient-dense eating pattern, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding smoking.
Gentle, regular physical activity, like walking, swimming, or yoga, can support joint mobility, strength, mood, and sleep, as long as it is adjusted to the person’s current condition. Stress management is also important because long-term stress may worsen inflammation and flares for some people.
Techniques such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, counseling, and support groups can help individuals cope with the emotional side of chronic illness.
Mental health care is an essential part of long-term management. Anxiety and depression are more common in people with chronic illness, and addressing them through therapy, medication when appropriate, and social support can significantly improve overall well-being.
When to Seek Help and How to Advocate
Persistent or recurring symptoms, such as unexplained fatigue, ongoing joint pain, chronic digestive problems, or rashes, should prompt a visit to a healthcare professional, especially if they interfere with daily life. Sudden, severe changes, like new neurological symptoms or significant breathing difficulties, need urgent evaluation.
Self-advocacy can improve care. Keeping a symptom diary, noting triggers and patterns, helps both patients and clinicians understand the condition more clearly.
Bringing questions to appointments, asking for explanations of test results, and seeking second opinions when necessary can lead to more accurate diagnoses and better treatment plans. Learning about one’s specific autoimmune disease from reliable sources supports meaningful participation in decisions.
Autoimmune Diseases and the Future of Care
Research on autoimmune diseases is evolving rapidly. Scientists are uncovering more about how the immune system works, why it turns against the body, and how to interrupt this process more precisely.
New targeted therapies and biologic drugs are already improving outcomes for several conditions, and more treatments are under development.
While autoimmune diseases remain a major cause of chronic illness, many people are able to build satisfying, productive lives.
Early diagnosis, tailored medical care, realistic lifestyle adjustments, and strong social and emotional support all contribute to better quality of life. As understanding of immune disorders grows, so does the potential for more effective, personalized care in the years ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can stress alone cause an autoimmune disease?
Stress by itself is unlikely to be the only cause, but long-term or severe stress can act as a trigger or worsen symptoms in someone who is already genetically susceptible.
2. Are autoimmune diseases contagious?
No. Autoimmune diseases are not infections and cannot be passed from person to person, although they can run in families due to shared genetic risk.
3. Can autoimmune diseases go into remission?
Yes. Some people experience periods where symptoms lessen or disappear, especially with effective treatment and lifestyle management, but monitoring is still important.
4. Is it possible to have more than one autoimmune disease?
Yes. Some individuals develop more than one autoimmune condition over time, which is why regular follow-up and broad monitoring are important.
This year, for the first time in my life, I experienced intense chronic pain that turned everything upside down and lasted nearly four months. As someone who loves movement and lives a very active life, waking up one day with back pain that kept getting worse to the point where I couldn’t do simple daily tasks was one of the hardest experiences I’ve ever had.
Fortunately, I did get better. And from this horrible experience, I’m sharing four lessons I hope I’ll return to if something like this ever happens again.
How It Started
It all started in mid-January. One day I woke up feeling great, taught a yoga class, then taught my middle school PE students. The next morning, I woke up with strange discomfort and an inability to bend forward. Literally. I could not bend more than one inch. Try washing your face without bending forward and you’ll understand how disorienting it was. I assumed it was a minor strain that would disappear in a day or two. I’d never had back issues before.
But the pain didn’t go away. It got worse. Soon I couldn’t sleep in my bed. I moved to the floor. Then to my daughter’s room, thinking a firmer surface would help. When getting up caused violent back spasms that lasted 15 minutes or longer, I tried sleeping on a massage table so I could “slide off” and avoid spasms due to standing, but the narrow surface only led to more pain and sleep anxiety that I would somehow fall off. At one point I placed a folding table on top of my bed so I could sleep higher up on a wider surface. That didn’t work either.
Sleeping was terrible. Sitting was unbearable. Lying down on the couch was impossible. Every position triggered more pain instead of relief. I even tried wearing adult diapers one night so I wouldn’t have to get up to pee. Did it work? Absolutely not. Nothing was working.
I tried walking, because everyone says movement helps, but even that made little difference. I was taking Tylenol around the clock—1,000 mg every four hours, well above the recommended dose—because I didn’t know what else to do.
I saw doctors and specialists and even agreed to pay $4,800 to a chiropractor who confidently said he could fix me in a few months. When you are desperate, you will try almost anything. But that, like almost everything else, just led to more spasms, more pain, and eventually… depression.
Chronic pain isn’t just physical. It strips down your sense of self and disconnects you from the world around you.
After three to four months of hell, I did improve. I can move again. I can sleep in my own bed again. I’m off all pain meds. I got my life back. And now that I’m finally on the other side, here are the four biggest takeaways I want to remember, and offer to anyone else navigating something similar.
1. Meditation: A Lifeline in the Darkest Tunnel
I kept meditating throughout the whole experience. Looking back, I probably should have meditated even more. The science on meditation as a tool for pain management and healing is strong, but when you’re in the middle of pain and fear, it’s easy to forget that.
My mind was constantly spinning:
Will this ever stop?
Will I ever move normally again?
What if this is permanent?
That stress response only made things worse. When the body is in a near-constant state of fear, cortisol rises, inflammation rises, and the pain cycle deepens.
Meditation didn’t magically erase the pain, but it did give me something crucial: a sense of agency and grounding. It gave my nervous system micro-moments of rest when nothing else could. It helped me separate the physical sensation from the emotional storm on top of it, the fear, the frustration, the grief. Even when nothing else worked, meditation was something I could still do, and that alone gave me a small sense of power in a situation that felt completely out of my control.
I could not have gone through this alone. I needed help getting dressed. Putting on socks became the hardest task of the day. I couldn’t wash dishes, cook, or do basic errands. I had to lean on friends and family in ways that felt very vulnerable.
One of my coworkers started sticking medicated patches on my back every morning before class and hugging me while I cried. We had met only one month prior so this was truly something I’ll never forget. I didn’t expect that kind of intimacy or kindness, but I needed it.
Chronic pain is isolating. The world keeps spinning around you while you feel frozen in suffering. And even when people ask how you are, it can feel easier to say “I’m fine” than to repeat the pain story again. I worried I was unloading too much on people, or repeating myself, or boring them, or even boring myself. But pain takes over everything. It becomes the soundtrack of your life. Pretending you’re okay makes it worse.
Chronic pain is isolating. The world keeps spinning around you while you feel frozen in suffering.
Let people in. Accept help even if it feels uncomfortable. If someone you love were going through this, you would want to support them. Let others do the same for you.
3. Advocate Relentlessly for Yourself
I went into this experience genuinely trusting that the medical system would help me. It was eye-opening to realize how many times I was offered narcotics within minutes, while no one seemed that interested in actually diagnosing the cause of my pain.
I saw multiple doctors, but no one was connecting the dots. I had to push for every referral, every test, every possibility. In the end, I now strongly suspect there was a connection between my ulcerative colitis and this sudden, severe back pain. But no one suggested that. I had to piece it together myself. And it still isn’t officially confirmed, which leaves me with lingering anxiety that it could return.
Our medical system is often set up to treat symptoms, not root causes. If I hadn’t kept questioning, kept insisting, kept searching, I might still be stuck in that pain. You know your body better than anyone. So my encouragement is to keep asking. Keep digging. Keep pushing.
4. Treat Yourself
Managing pain can drain the joy from daily life, but that’s exactly when it becomes most important to find small and big ways to bring joy back in. It might be as simple as stocking your shower with your favorite soap (Jason’s Rose body wash for example!), listening to a beloved album (“Dehd” on repeat), or ordering Thai three nights in a row because it’s the only thing that brings comfort (giant garlicky noodles please!).
During my back ordeal, at one of the lowest points when I truly wondered if I’d ever feel like myself again, I made a promise: if I could move freely again, I would get my first tattoo. The design would be the mountain in the French Alps that my family’s home faces. I love that mountain with all my heart. Now it lives on my upper arm, and every time I see it, I’m reminded that I went through something hard, and grew because of it.
The author with her promised tattoo
The Road to Healing
My journey lasted almost 12 weeks. What a wild beginning to 2025 that was! I came out the other side with a deeper understanding of what it means to live inside a body in pain, and how to fight your way back. Now that I am pain-free, I am overflowing with gratitude for something I once took for granted: simply being able to move.
If you’re in your own battle with chronic pain, here is what I most want you to know:
Anchor yourself to something that brings even a moment of relief: meditation, breathwork, visualization, prayer, music.
Do not isolate. Let your people love you.
Be loud in the medical world. Keep pushing until someone listens.
Invite more sensorial pleasure into your daily rituals.
Pain can take so much from you. It can strip away identity, joy, confidence. But it can’t take away your ability to keep moving toward healing, even if that movement is invisible from the outside. One of my close friends offered me a metaphor that really shifted my perspective. She told me to imagine I was a diamond miner, digging and digging, exhausted, convinced I was still far from treasure. But in reality, the diamond might be just inches away, even if it feels miles out of reach. Her reminder was simple: don’t give up. Breakthroughs can happen suddenly, and everything can change for the better, even when it looks like nothing is working.
Pain can take so much from you. It can strip away identity, joy, confidence. But it can’t take away your ability to keep moving toward healing, even if that movement is invisible from the outside.
You are still here. Even in your darkest moment, there is still a way forward. So line that yellow brick path that is your life with treasure chests of joy-bursts along the way.
A Practice for When Pain Is Present
When back pain is flaring, or any kind of tension or ache feels alive in the body, this gentle meditation can help ease discomfort and open the door to reconnecting with joy.
Dr. Stephen Feig believes that healing from trauma is possible with the right tools and with emotional, physical, and behavioral support. By becoming more aware of trauma’s impact and seeking a professional who can assist in resolving the trauma that remains embedded in the mind, body, and nervous system, resilience can grow, and an entirely new life perspective can be achieved.
Trauma can result from a wide range of distressing experiences, such as accidents, abuse, neglect, or prolonged stress. Interactions that are less obviously intense can affect someone deeply if they are sensitized to them by previous trauma. Because trauma depends on how a person experiences and interprets an event, almost any situation can feel traumatic to someone. New neuroscience confirms that trauma alters the brain’s alarm system (amygdala), memory processing (hippocampus), and decision-making (prefrontal cortex), often leaving survivors stuck in a loop where the body reacts as if the threat is still present. Traumatized individuals remember past events in dysregulating ways and may perceive future events with anticipatory trauma. Past trauma can make people feel constantly on edge. When trauma is unresolved, there is a tendency for stressful bodily sensations and thoughts to arise even when there is no danger. However, it’s also very common for an individual to function well in most of their life experiences, but have certain very specific experiences that are related to past trauma, causing great emotional and physical dysregulation.
How Perception Shapes the Experience of Trauma
Madison grew up in a warm, affectionate family where hugs were a natural way to express love. For her, physical touch feels safe and comforting. Katherine, on the other hand, was raised in a family that expressed love through words, with little physical affection. For Katherine, hugs are deeply personal and reserved for those she trusts after a long period of dating or developing a friendship.
At a party, Madison greets Doug with a long, heartfelt hug. Doug feels uplifted by her warmth and wants to share that feeling with others. His nervous system shifts into a protective state after hugging Madison. He turns to Katherine and offers her the same kind of hug. But Katherine, who sees hugs as intimate and private, perceives Doug’s gesture as intrusive. Her body reacts with tension, her heart rate increases, and her nervous system shifts into a protective state. She interprets the hug as a violation of her boundaries and leaves the party feeling unsafe and emotionally shaken.
This example highlights how the same event—a hug—can trigger vastly different physiological and emotional responses depending on a person’s past experiences and internal beliefs. Madison’s nervous system interprets the hug as safe and joyful, while Katherine’s interprets it as threatening. These interpretations activate different stress responses in the body, influencing heart rate, muscle tension, hormone release, and even memory formation.
Trauma isn’t defined solely by the event itself, but by how the nervous system perceives and processes that event. A sudden loss in the family may devastate one person and inspire personal growth in another. The difference lies in how the event is interpreted, the meaning assigned to it, and the body’s ability to return to a state of safety afterward.
Unresolved trauma can have a lasting impact on both our mental and physical health, especially when the body doesn’t fully process and release the emotional charge of what happened in the past. Sometimes, individuals may not even recognize an event as traumatic until symptoms like anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction, moodiness, anger outbursts, or avoidant behavior surface. Complex trauma refers to the psychological and emotional effects that result from prolonged or repeated exposure to traumatic events, especially those that occur during critical developmental periods such as childhood.
The Impact of Unresolved Trauma on Health
When trauma is resolved, you can think about what happened without a significant emotional charge and without a strong physiological response, such as an elevated heart rate, intrusive thoughts, or sleep disturbances. When trauma is unresolved, the body may remain stuck in a cycle of alarm, hypervigilance, and stress, which can have detrimental health effects over time. This ongoing state of stress can interfere with the body’s ability to repair itself and maintain balance.
Unresolved trauma often leads to coping behaviors that may further harm health, such as eating disorders, addictions to food, substances, or pornography, sleep disturbances, and emotional dysregulation. These behaviors can compound the effects of trauma and create a feedback loop of continual physical and emotional distress. The combination of trauma, addictions, and poor health choices can increase inflammation, suppress immune function, and disrupt hormonal balance—factors commonly linked to the development of chronic illnesses.
Research has connected early-life trauma—known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—with increased risk for a wide range of health conditions throughout life:
Mental Health Conditions:
Depression
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Suicide
Substance use disorders, including alcohol and prescription drug misuse
Physical Health Conditions:
Heart disease
Obesity
Diabetes
Chronic pain and autoimmune disorders
Asthma and respiratory issues
Neurological and Developmental Effects:
Altered brain development
Disrupted stress response systems
Cognitive impairments such as reduced executive function and learning difficulties
Behavioral and Social Outcomes:
Poor academic performance
Risky behaviors, including early sexual activity, delinquency, and violence
Unstable employment and lower socioeconomic status
Relationship difficulties and social isolation
Trauma activates brain regions responsible for emotion and threat detection, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. This can affect mood, sleep, digestion, and blood pressure. People with unresolved trauma may remain in a state of hypervigilance, reacting strongly to minor stressors without understanding why. These patterns can become deeply embedded, shaping identity and self-image. Living in a constant state of alertness can create a disconnect between the mind and body. Many traumatized individuals feel unsafe in their own bodies and rely heavily on mental processing, which can lead to brainwave patterns associated with anxiety, insomnia, and vigilance.
The vagus nerve, which regulates the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for ‘rest and digest’ functions, is often affected by trauma. People with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may show signs of vagal nerve dysregulation, such as digestive difficulties, sleep disturbances, increased anxiety and stress sensitivity, fatigue, and difficulty recovering from illness.
Recognizing the Physical and Emotional Signs of Unresolved Trauma—and Its Impact on Relationships
Many people don’t immediately connect their physical or emotional symptoms to past trauma. Yet trauma often leaves behind a lasting imprint—not just in the mind, but in the body. This phenomenon is known as body memory, where the body retains sensations and reactions associated with traumatic experiences, even when the conscious mind has suppressed or forgotten them.
Physical Signs
Unresolved trauma can manifest through a variety of physical symptoms that may seem unrelated at first glance. These include:
Racing thoughts and chronic anxiety
Muscle tension, especially in the shoulders, neck, or jaw
Digestive issues, such as bloating, nausea, or irritable bowel symptoms
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or restless sleep
Fatigue or chronic pain without a clear medical cause
These symptoms often reflect a dysregulated nervous system, where the body remains in a heightened state of alertness long after the original threat has passed. The sympathetic nervous system (responsible for fight-or-flight responses) may stay overactive, while the parasympathetic system (responsible for rest and recovery) struggles to restore balance.
Emotional and Relational Signs
Emotionally, unresolved trauma can show up as:
Mood swings, irritability, or emotional numbness
Hypervigilance, or constantly scanning for danger
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Avoidance behaviors, such as withdrawing from relationships or responsibilities
Overreactions to minor stressors, often without understanding why
These emotional shifts can deeply affect how individuals relate to others. In work environments, trauma may lead to difficulty trusting colleagues, misinterpreting feedback as criticism, or feeling unsafe in hierarchical structures. In friendships, people may struggle with vulnerability, fear of abandonment, or emotional detachment. In intimate relationships, trauma can manifest as fear of closeness, difficulty with physical affection, or cycles of conflict and withdrawal.
These reactions are not signs of weakness—they are survival responses. The brain, particularly the amygdala and hippocampus, may misinterpret neutral stimuli as threats, triggering emotional and physiological responses that feel disproportionate to the situation.
The Intergenerational Impact of Unresolved Trauma
Unresolved trauma in parents can significantly hinder the emotional development of their children, often in ways that are subtle yet deeply impactful. When parents carry unhealed emotional wounds, they may struggle with emotional regulation, attachment, and communication—key components in nurturing a child’s sense of safety and self-worth. Children are highly perceptive and often internalize the emotional states and behavioral patterns of their caregivers. As a result, they may develop anxiety, low self-esteem, or difficulties in forming healthy relationships. Inconsistent emotional availability, heightened reactivity, or emotional numbing in parents can create an unpredictable environment, leading children to adopt maladaptive coping mechanisms. Over time, these early experiences can shape a child’s worldview, influencing how they perceive themselves and others, and potentially perpetuating cycles of trauma across generations.
This phenomenon is often referred to as generational or intergenerational trauma, where the psychological effects of trauma are passed down from one generation to the next. Even in the absence of direct exposure to traumatic events, children can inherit the emotional and behavioral consequences of their parents’ unresolved trauma.
Emerging research in the field of epigenetics supports the idea that trauma can lead to biological changes that are passed on to future generations. Stress and trauma can alter gene expression, particularly in genes related to stress regulation and emotional resilience, potentially predisposing offspring to heightened sensitivity to stress and mental health challenges.
The Mind-Body Disconnect
Unresolved trauma can also create a disconnect between the mind and body. It may cause individuals to have nonstop thinking, feel detached from their physical sensations, or experience dissociation—a sense of being “zoned out” or disconnected from reality. This is the brain’s way of protecting itself when overwhelmed, but over time, it can interfere with emotional regulation, self-awareness, and the ability to connect meaningfully with others.
Pathways to Regulation and Repair
Recognizing these subtle and not-so-subtle signs of unresolved trauma is a critical first step toward healing. Therapists trained in trauma-informed care can help individuals identify when they are in a state of dysregulation and teach strategies to return to a balanced state. These may include:
Somatic practices like breathwork, movement, or grounding exercises
Mindfulness and body awareness techniques
Cognitive approaches to reframe and process traumatic memories
Healing begins when we learn to listen to the body’s signals and respond with compassion, rather than judgment. As regulation improves, so does the capacity for connection—allowing individuals to build healthier relationships, communicate more clearly, and feel safer in both personal and professional environments.
Approaches to Healing and Recovery
Healing from trauma often begins by working with a professional who can look at the traumas that have occurred throughout your lifetime and who has special training that gives him/her specific trauma-clearing tools. This frequently goes beyond standard talk therapy. Trauma-informed care is becoming essential in addressing the trauma-related aspects of chronic illness. Trauma-informed professionals can make a significant difference in healing and recovery from trauma because they understand how trauma shows up in both behavior and biology. New approaches now include body-based therapies and tools that help calm the nervous system, giving individuals more pathways to healing. Some individuals benefit greatly from body-based practices. Breathwork, exercise, and mindfulness can re-establish a connection between the body and mind, especially when words are hard to find.
Some of the tools to resolve trauma include the following:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Helps people process traumatic memories by using guided eye movements to reduce emotional intensity.
Family Constellation Therapy: Explores family dynamics and hidden patterns that may contribute to emotional distress, helping individuals find resolution and peace.
Somatic Experiencing: Focuses on bodily sensations to release trauma stored in the nervous system, promoting physical and emotional healing.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): Combines cognitive restructuring with emotional processing to help individuals reframe negative thoughts and reduce trauma symptoms.
Recent studies show that combining conventional therapy with gentle stimulation of a nerve in the body called the vagus nerve (vagal nerve stimulation) can help people recover from trauma, even when other treatments haven’t worked. New methods like brain training (neurofeedback), virtual reality, and guided therapy with special medicines are showing great promise in helping people recover from trauma. Engaging in creative outlets like art or music can also support healing when verbal expression feels limited. Not every method works effectively for everyone, so personalizing the approach is key.
Empowering Clients Beyond the Victim Identity
It’s essential for therapists to avoid reinforcing a client’s identity as a victim within the framework of the Karpman Drama Triangle, which consists of three roles: victim, rescuer, and persecutor. While acknowledging a client’s pain and validating their experiences is a critical part of trauma-informed care, therapists must be cautious not to inadvertently entrench the “victim” role as a fixed identity. Doing so can limit the client’s sense of agency and reinforce patterns of helplessness, dependency, and external blame—making it harder for them to move toward healing and empowerment.
Instead, effective therapy encourages clients to recognize their resilience, develop self-regulation skills, and take ownership of their healing journey. When therapists help clients shift from identifying as a victim to seeing themselves as active participants in their recovery, it fosters growth, accountability, and healthier relational dynamics. This shift is especially important in trauma work, where the goal is not just to process past harm, but to build capacity for safety, connection, and autonomy in the present.
Functional Medicine
Functional medicine offers a holistic approach to trauma recovery by examining how physical health imbalances may contribute to emotional distress.
Trauma can disrupt hormone regulation, particularly stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Chronic stress may lead to adrenal fatigue, thyroid imbalances, and reproductive hormone shifts, all of which can affect mood, energy, and sleep. Functional medicine practitioners assess these hormone levels and use targeted interventions such as bio-identical hormones, adaptogenic herbs, lifestyle changes, and nutritional support to restore balance.
Gut health is another critical area impacted by trauma. The gut and brain are closely connected through the gut-brain axis, and trauma can lead to digestive issues, leaky gut syndrome, and changes in the gut microbiome. These imbalances may increase inflammation and reduce the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which are essential for emotional stability. Functional medicine addresses these issues by thoroughly testing urine, stool, blood, and sometimes even the home environment. After reviewing test results, recommendations may include probiotics, food allergy elimination protocols, anti-inflammatory diets, hormone balancing, detoxification protocols, microbiome balancing supplements, and gut-healing nutrients to support both physical and emotional recovery.
Inflammation is often elevated in individuals with unresolved trauma. This systemic inflammation can worsen symptoms of anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Functional medicine uses lab testing to identify inflammatory markers and personalized interventions such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant-rich foods, and stress-reducing practices to lower inflammation. Nutrition plays a foundational role in this approach, as nutrient deficiencies can impair brain function and emotional resilience. Personalized dietary plans help ensure the body receives the vitamins and minerals needed to heal and thrive.
Conclusion
Healing from trauma is a courageous and deeply personal journey. As we deepen our understanding of how trauma affects the mind, body, and spirit, we open the door to more compassionate and effective paths to recovery. From recognizing the signs of unresolved trauma to exploring integrative approaches like functional medicine and somatic therapies, individuals are increasingly empowered to reclaim their sense of safety, identity, and purpose.
This journey is not about erasing the past but about transforming pain into resilience and wisdom. With the right support, tools, and a nurturing environment, healing becomes not only possible but profoundly transformative. As we continue to embrace holistic, trauma-informed care, we foster a world where individuals are seen, heard, and supported in their full humanity—where healing is honored as both a personal and collective act of restoration.
She’s been on her fitness journey for months now, consistently hitting the gym and pushing herself to new limits. However, despite her best efforts, she’s started to notice that she’s not seeing the results she wants. She’s feeling tired, sluggish, and her workouts just don’t seem to be as effective as they used to be. What’s going on? The answer might lie in the amount of stress she’s been under lately. Chronic stress can have a significant impact on our fitness journey, affecting everything from our motivation to our physical performance.
## Understanding Stress and Its Effects on the Body
When we think of stress, we often think of it as a mental or emotional state. However, stress also has a profound impact on our physical body. When we experience stress, our body goes into “fight or flight” mode, releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into our system. These hormones prepare our body to either fight or flee from the stressor, causing our heart rate to increase, our blood pressure to rise, and our energy levels to surge. While this response is helpful in short-term, high-pressure situations, chronic stress can be detrimental to our health and fitness journey.
Chronic stress causes our body to be in a constant state of alert, leading to fatigue, insomnia, and a weakened immune system. It can also affect our digestive system, leading to stomach problems, bloating, and weight gain. But how does this relate to our fitness journey? The answer lies in the way stress affects our body’s ability to recover from exercise. When we’re under chronic stress, our body’s recovery processes are slowed down, making it harder for our muscles to repair and rebuild after a workout. This can lead to decreased performance, increased risk of injury, and a general feeling of burnout.
## The Impact of Stress on Motivation and Exercise
She’s been feeling really motivated to hit the gym and crush her fitness goals, but lately, she’s been struggling to get out of bed in the morning. The thought of going to the gym feels overwhelming, and she just can’t seem to muster up the energy to get moving. This is a common phenomenon when it comes to stress and fitness. Chronic stress can affect our motivation and desire to exercise, making it harder to stick to our fitness routine.
When we’re under stress, our brain is focused on survival mode, making it harder to think about our long-term fitness goals. We might feel like we just don’t have the time or energy to exercise, or that it’s not a priority. But the truth is, exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress and improve our overall health. Regular physical activity can help reduce cortisol levels, improve mood, and increase energy levels. So, how can we overcome this motivation slump and get back on track with our fitness journey?
## Managing Stress and Improving Fitness
One of the most effective ways to manage stress and improve our fitness journey is to prioritize recovery. This means getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and taking rest days when we need them. It’s also important to incorporated stress-reducing activities into our daily routine, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises. These activities can help calm our mind and body, reducing cortisol levels and improving our overall sense of well-being.
In addition to recovery and stress-reducing activities, it’s also important to find ways to make our fitness routine more enjoyable and manageable. This might mean finding a workout buddy, trying a new type of exercise, or incorporating activities that we love into our routine. By making our fitness journey more enjoyable, we can increase our motivation and reduce our stress levels, making it easier to stick to our goals.
## The Role of Nutrition in Managing Stress and Fitness
What we eat plays a critical role in our fitness journey, and it’s especially important when it comes to managing stress. A balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help support our physical health and reduce our stress levels. Certain foods, such as salmon, spinach, and sweet potatoes, are rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and improve mood.
On the other hand, a diet that is high in processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats can exacerbate stress and negatively impact our fitness journey. These foods can cause energy crashes, mood swings, and inflammation, making it harder to recover from exercise and achieve our fitness goals. By prioritizing whole, nutrient-dense foods, we can support our physical health, reduce our stress levels, and improve our overall sense of well-being.
## Overcoming Chronic Stress and Achieving Fitness Goals
She’s been struggling with chronic stress and fitness for months now, but she’s determined to overcome it and achieve her goals. She’s started prioritizing recovery, incorporating stress-reducing activities into her daily routine, and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods. She’s also found ways to make her fitness routine more enjoyable, such as trying new types of exercise and finding a workout buddy.
As she continues on her fitness journey, she’s learned that it’s okay to take things one step at a time. She doesn’t have to be perfect, and it’s okay to have off days. The most important thing is that she’s taking care of herself, both physically and mentally, and that she’s making progress towards her goals. By managing stress and prioritizing recovery, she’s able to perform at her best, both in and out of the gym.
## Conclusion
Chronic stress can have a significant impact on our fitness journey, affecting our motivation, physical performance, and overall sense of well-being. By prioritizing recovery, incorporating stress-reducing activities into our daily routine, and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods, we can manage stress and improve our fitness journey. It’s not always easy, and it’s okay to take things one step at a time. But with patience, persistence, and the right strategies, we can overcome chronic stress and achieve our fitness goals.
## FAQs
Q: How does chronic stress affect my fitness journey?
A: Chronic stress can affect your motivation, physical performance, and overall sense of well-being, making it harder to stick to your fitness routine and achieve your goals.
Q: What are some effective ways to manage stress and improve my fitness journey?
A: Effective ways to manage stress and improve your fitness journey include prioritizing recovery, incorporating stress-reducing activities into your daily routine, and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods.
Q: How can I make my fitness routine more enjoyable and manageable?
A: You can make your fitness routine more enjoyable and manageable by finding a workout buddy, trying new types of exercise, and incorporating activities that you love into your routine.
Q: What role does nutrition play in managing stress and fitness?
A: Nutrition plays a critical role in managing stress and fitness, as a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help support your physical health and reduce your stress levels.
Q: How can I overcome chronic stress and achieve my fitness goals?
A: You can overcome chronic stress and achieve your fitness goals by prioritizing recovery, incorporating stress-reducing activities into your daily routine, and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods. It’s also important to be patient, persistent, and kind to yourself, taking things one step at a time and celebrating your progress along the way.
sweat-and-stress-how-chronic-stress-affects-your-fitness-journey-target-keywords-stress-fitness-journey
Based out of the UK, Vidyamala Burch is an award-winning teacher whose courses and work in the field of mindfulness and pain management have been recognized for the measurable ways they have served the common good. She recently launched a new program, HEALS, which offers a comprehensive, holistic approach for managing and living with chronic pain and illness.
As a writer who loves interviewing, I came to my conversation with Burch with my list of questions and a healthy dose of journalistic curiosity. I felt a little starstruck to get to meet her.
If I’m honest, though, these weren’t the only things I brought, because this conversation also felt personal.
So many people I know, myself included, have had experiences living with chronic pain and illness. I was nearly 40 years old when I finally found healing from more than 20 years of recurring and increasingly debilitating low back issues. I have many friends, some just in their 30s or 40s, who deal with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, recurring migraines, and other adrenal and nervous-system challenges.
My mother survived polio as a young child and lived with relentless chronic conditions for her entire life as a result. She passed away suddenly a decade ago, at the young age of 67. Polio wasn’t technically the thing that killed her, but I knew from many conversations with her in her final years that the long slogging decades of complications, disability, and pain made her long for relief. I was with her when she took her last breath, and I felt the surrender in her body, finally.
To suffer ourselves, or to watch people we love suffer over long periods of time, often without real answers or effective treatments—the questions that bubble up aren’t academic. They sit close to the bone and the heart.
Why did this happen? Why did it go on for so long? Why does it feel so lonely? Where do these ailments come from, and why are they often so mysterious and so intractable, even in the face of intense medical interventions? Can practices like mindfulness reallyoffer anything meaningful into this complicated, messy world of living with chronic illness and pain?
Yes, I wanted to talk to Vidyamala, the expert on mindfulness and pain management. But I also didn’t want to waste the opportunity to talk to Vidyamala, the human being who has traveled this long road herself, and who understands intimately that the clinical ways we think and talk about physical suffering can’t meet us fully where we need to be met.
The clinical ways we think and talk about physical suffering can’t meet us fully where we need to be met.
Siri Myhrom: I’m curious about where the HEALS Program got its start for you. How do you see it as unique from and also working together with your other programs?
Vidyamala Burch: I developed Mindfulness for Health, which is our eight-week mindfulness program for people living with chronic pain and long-term health conditions. So the seeds for HEALS were way back in 2000, when I started running that [Mindfulness for Health] as an experimental course in 2001.
In my own experience as somebody who’s lived with chronic pain and disability for nearly 50 years now, mindfulness has been absolutely crucial to that journey because my life, my quality of life now, is really pretty good, notwithstanding my disability.
So mindfulness is foundational. And when I look at my own journey of reclaiming my quality of life, I realized that it was mindfulness-plus. So what I’ve done is I’ve worked on my nutrition. I’ve worked on how I move. I’ve looked at my sleep habits. I try to have time in nature. So if I looked at what’s worked for me, it was mindfulness plus these other dimensions. I felt that it would be really helpful to come up with an applied mindfulness program.
This is my vision, that people come through either doorway. You might come through the HEALS doorway or you might come through the Mindfulness for Health doorway. I see them as definitely complementary and as two doorways into the same room.
SM: Mindfulness talks a lot about awareness, and I have a question around that that’s maybe more personal. The people I know who live with chronic pain would likely say, I’m already very aware of my pain. I’m curious how you understand that word awareness, especially within a mindful context, and how does that serve to alleviate the suffering, rather than creating a focus on it?
VB: That’s an excellent question because it’s very counterintuitive. People might think, I’m very, very aware of it. And I don’t want to be more aware of it. And maybe people might think, The last thing I want to do is become aware of my body. My body is my tormentor. I want to just split off from my body.
So those are all very reasonable things to think about. What we do is right up front in both Mindfulness for Health and HEALS, we talk about how by using awareness, you can investigate this experience that you label pain. Investigate that and realize that it’s got two components. One component is your basic unpleasant sensations.
The other component is all things that you do to create extra suffering when you resist those basic unpleasant sensations. What most people call pain would be that whole set of sensations, plus resistance, plus depression, plus anxiety, plus secondary tension, plus breath holding, plus poor sleep.
Most people think that’s what their pain is. But actually, the only thing that’s a given in any moment are the unpleasant sensations. Everything else is added through our reactions. So you’re learning to accept the unpleasant sensations with kindliness, tenderness, to soften the resistance, and a lot of that secondary stuff can fall away. You’re just left with unpleasant sensations. People find that a very optimistic message.
We put that right up front in all our programs. Week one, we talk about primary and secondary suffering. The other thing about awareness that we really strongly emphasize— again, in week one—is that it’s awareness that gives us agency. If we’re aware, we have choices. If you’ve got no choices, you know, you’re just swept along by this thing that’s ruining your life as if it’s a kind of enemy.
Awareness doesn’t make it pleasant. I think this is one of the ways people misunderstand this: that if I’m mindful, I’m aware, then suddenly I’m going to love my pain. You probably aren’t, because your pain is unpleasant, but you’re going to learn to relate to the unpleasantness with much more spaciousness, much more kindliness, more acceptance.
One of the things I say is by coming closer and examining this experience, you realize it’s a process, not a thing. One of the ways I talk about that is to experience it as a river rather than a rock, because everything is changing all the time. Most people relate to their pain as a solid lump, like it’s a big boulder that’s kind of taken up residence. But it’s amazing to be able to experience it as a river rather than a rock. Just let it flow through the moments and then have this less-reactive mindset. That’s very liberating.
SM: Do you attract people who already have experience with mindfulness, or is it a mix of people?
VB: I iteratively develop my programs with potential audiences. The first one was a six-week program with people who know about mindfulness, who have a health condition and have worked with us before. I really wanted them to have a sense of co-creation. They gave me lots of feedback. Out of that, I made it longer, 10 weeks.
My second cohort was with people who didn’t know anything about mindfulness, but did have a health condition. It was people who were recruited from a cancer charity and a fibromyalgia charity, and that was very interesting as another test case. It went down very well with both those audiences.
Then the third pilot was with physicians from a primary care medical center. A lot of them didn’t know anything about meditation, didn’t have a health condition, but were trying it out for themselves, thinking about their patients. Again, very positive feedback. So I feel confident now that you don’t need to know anything about mindfulness to do this program.
SM: Where does HEALS fit into general medical care?
VB: I don’t know what it’s like in the States, but certainly over here there’s a crisis in our healthcare system—not enough money, aging population, multiple chronic health conditions.
Western medicine is particularly good with acute care. But with multiple chronic conditions all happening at the same time, Western healthcare isn’t brilliant. There’s more of a move towards a recognition that lifestyle has an enormous impact on our health and well-being, particularly with people being sedentary, eating a poor diet, scrolling on their phones late at night, not being able to sleep, all these kinds of things. There’s a whole field emerging of what’s called lifestyle medicine over here, which is called integrative care in the States. So we’re very well placed to be able to offer this program.
What’s unique about our program is that it’s got mindfulness as the foundation. I think a lot of people know what they should be doing for their health and well-being. They’ve got the information, but they don’t know how to make it stick. So my thesis is that mindful awareness is really crucial to that, because you have to know what you’re experiencing to have some facility and agency, instead of just being swept away by habitual behaviors. These people in general practice who tested the program said, “You’re absolutely on the right track. You’re ahead of the field. Keep going.”
SM: I notice, again relating to other people I’ve known with chronic conditions, that there’s an emphasis on tiny steps. Why is that effective?
VB: This has come out of my experience, and what I’ve observed is that a lot of people think you need to make big changes all at once—get another job, change your diet, change the way you exercise. When you do these big changes all at once, you don’t sustain any of them. You don’t know what’s affecting what because you’ve changed too many variables all at once. Very often you just need to change a tiny thing. In the program, I use a model called Tiny Habits, which is developed by B.J. Fogg. It’s a lovely model where you have a prompt, a behavior, and a celebration.
For example, for me to do a little bit more strengthening in my arms outside my office, I’ve got some straps. Every time I go in and out my office door, that’s the trigger. I go to my straps. It might be three to five movements, just a few. That’s the behavior. Then the congratulations, and you get a little dopamine hit, and then you’re going to want to do it again.
One of the things I’ve really learned from my own life, and this is a very important point, I think, is that you can bring about major transformation through tiny little nudges across a broad front for a long time. I always say to people that we won’t do any of these things perfectly, but if you’re doing all of them adequately, you’re going to experience change.
SM: It looks like the most recent cohort for HEALS is October 25th? Is that right?
VB: Yes, the first course booked out in 24 hours. That seems to be going very well. One of the things we’re doing in this program is using buddy groups testing. We divide into groups of four or five people based on geography. They decide for themselves how they want to keep in touch. Most of them are using WhatsApp. The idea is that they will contact each other daily, ideally so they can let people know how they’re getting on.
SM: Is the buddy system partly addressing the sense of isolation that can come with being in pain?
VB: Yes, I think so. Also, with these online programs, it helps to have something that’s more intimate, a daily reminder so that people are really forming connections. I think that’s very helpful in this tiny-habits method for behavior change.
SM: If someone came to you looking for help, but they were feeling skeptical, how would you describe this work in a way that would open up the possibility for them?
VB: We’ve used validated questionnaires in our three pilots and we’ve got hard data. Doing this work has measurable results. It makes people catastrophize about their pain less. It makes people able to function better in daily life. They’re less depressed, less anxious.
For people who live with chronic pain or health conditions, I say just try it and see what you think. You can have your pain and your illness and be miserable and have a very difficult life. Or you can have your pain and illness and be happier and have a more fulfilling life. So which one would you rather have?
By doing these very simple, evidence-based approaches, we know that it can help you reclaim your life. It doesn’t take long, 10-15 minutes a day, with a very supportive group for 11 weeks. We know that people are experiencing quite a strong improvement in quality of life. So it doesn’t seem like a big risk. It’s training and getting your mind working with you rather than against you. Most people don’t even realize that their mind is working against them. In the untrained mind, 75% of our thoughts are negative. It’s staggering. 95% of our thoughts, we’ve had before. We’ve got the same old undermining rubbish, just going around and around like the spin cycle on a washing machine, and you can do something about that. You can do something about it through these small changes across a broad front.
Would that be convincing to you if you were skeptical?
SM: Well, I dealt with chronic low back pain for about 25 years. I went to all kinds of different doctors. I tried all sorts of different modalities, and it was not an uncommon experience to go to an allopathic doctor and kind of feel like they don’t quite believe you. Especially in the US, there’s a tendency to prescribe opiates or recommend surgery, which I knew had a very low success rate.
For me, finding contemplative practice really did make a difference. But I think being able to speak to the exhaustion is important, because a lot of people who have been dealing with chronic issues, especially for a long time, it’s not that they want to give up. It’s that they’ve already tried 10 or 15 different things that haven’t worked.
VB: Yes, absolutely. Something we do at Breathworks is we believe people first, because I’m not interested in your diagnosis. I’m interested in your experience. With chronic health conditions, it’s sometimes hard to get a diagnosis. People are often not believed, and it’s awful. If someone says they’re suffering, I believe them. I think it’s really important that it’s an experience orientation rather than a diagnostic orientation.
We all have our habits of sort of resisting and fighting our experience. We can all learn to be more at peace with whatever’s happening. In my own case, you know, I’ve still got disability, I’ve still had all the surgeries, I’ve still got pain, but my overall pain has massively improved.
A lot has gradually fallen away over the years. My breathing is much more regulated, soft, and open. I’m fitter, I’m stronger. You get out of a downward spiral into a more opportunistic spiral.
You don’t have to be stuck with what you’ve got. There will be small changes you can make that will have an impact on your quality of life, because this quality of life is the thing that I think is most important, not whether you can walk or run. You know, I can’t walk and run, but I have a quality of life. I find that deeply, deeply moving. It’s unimaginably better than it was 30, 40 years ago.
SM: Yes, being with people who can just be with you and see you—that in itself is humane and tender and can initiate healing.
VB: Absolutely. One of the things that we hear again and again at Breathworks is that there’s a quality of lightness. One woman who came back the second week said, “I feel I’m learning to laugh again.”
She’d done awareness practice. She was in a lot of pain, had a difficult life, quite a lot of sadness, I think. It wasn’t like, Well, I’m becoming more aware. It was, I feel I’m ready to laugh.
I thought, that is so good, because we have a big group of people, many of them with really difficult circumstances. If we can help them find a way to bring some lightness into how they deal with their heaviness, they’re getting a great gift. I think particularly when one lives with difficulty, it is healing to find a way to relate to it in a more light, but not trivial way.
SM: In the process of discovering meditation and studying more deeply, did you have a moment where you thought, I really want to teach this to other people? Or did it happen in a more subtle way?
VB: I always go back to when I was 25 in intensive care in hospital, and I had this really big experience about the present moment, which changed my life. I knew that my pain was only happening one moment at a time and that most of my torment was about the future or the past.
That’s the very short version. I thought, I really, really want to figure out what it means to be present. How can I train in that, and how can I train my mind?
And interestingly that experience rose up out of hell. It was not an experience that happened in the bliss of a meditation retreat. No, it was an absolute existential kind of moment.
I had a social worker who was wonderful. She got me some tapes in the library, sort of beginning to meditate. I became a Buddhist a couple of years later, moved to England to live in a retreat center, and I was finding as I wasn’t really getting much guidance on how to meditate in the painful body. There weren’t many people around who seemed to know how to do that. I was always having to figure it all out for myself. People were very kind and very helpful, but the specifics of, how do you meditate when your back is absolutely screaming? It was a really hard thing to do.
Gradually I worked out how to do that with the help of Jon Kabat-Zinn. Actually, when I came across his book Full Catastrophe Living, that was massively helpful. I realized that I needed to learn to tend towards my experience and soften around it and release all this kind of extra suffering that I’m bringing through my evasion and my craving, really in my grasping for a different experience and my aversion to this experience.
With those two things together, I figured something out here, painfully and slowly over decades. And there’s going to be lots of other people like that young woman in hospital in intensive care, not knowing what the hell to do. There wasn’t any medical solution for my spine at that point. It was just like, we’re going to have to learn to live with it.
That’s why I wanted to teach, because I wanted to offer these to other people who were in the situation I was in so they didn’t have to have this 15 years of long, lonely journey. I was surrounded by incredible friends, and people couldn’t have been more supportive—but the specifics of how to meditate with pain, I wasn’t getting much.
When I started, I just wanted to help people. Now, 25 years later, I just want to help people. It’s a very, very simple motivation. And if I can help one person suffer less, that’s my journey.
When I started, I just wanted to help people. Now, 25 years later, I just want to help people. It’s a very, very simple motivation. And if I can help one person suffer less, that’s my journey.
SM: And it seems like it’s working. The response is there.
VB: It’s just very meaningful. It reframes all my suffering. More importantly, it helps others.
And what I really love about Breathworks and the HEALS program is, it’s not rocket science. It’s not some sort of advanced, metaphysical, complicated teaching. It’s: Be present. Know what’s happening. Let go of aversion and clinging. Release into the flow of love. Breathe and breathe out. And relax your bum. That’s my highest teaching now: Relax your bum.
That’s the whole. That’s it. You don’t really need much more than that. It’s very practical, very pragmatic. You don’t meditate to have a good meditation. You meditate so that you can cope with the moments in your daily life with a little bit more ease and grace and kindness and connection with others.
You don’t meditate to have a good meditation. You meditate so that you can cope with the moments in your daily life with a little bit more ease and grace and kindness and connection with others.
People quite rightly say, It saved my life, and I know it saved mine.
