So go ahead: Put on your favorite playlist, get ready to move, and remember: Less pain, more gain.

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The Dancing with Pain® method organically and synergistically blends numerous techniques already known to be effective in natural pain relief — including breath work, meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and physical movement. It has proven to offer dramatic results in as little as a one-hour session; it is a technique that is available 24/7, free of charge, once you learn the technique; and it can be done anywhere — even in bed, and even if someone is significantly disabled from physical pain.

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Each of the meditative & ecstatic dance companies that I know of utilize methods sharing the common thread of dance as a tool for mind -body-spirit integration. The general practice of “returning to the body” is certainly fundamental to any kind of mind-body medicine, and to this end, all of these methods can help someone in chronic pain to a greater or lesser degree.

In addition, each of the methods offer more individual freedom of movement than structured methods like ballet, salsa, or jazz, thus providing a space where there is relatively less chance of causing injury or exacerbating a pain condition. That said, Dancing with Pain® distinguishes itself from these companies in several key ways:

1. As far as I am aware, none of the existing companies offer a method specifically developed for people suffering from chronic pain and limited mobility. While these companies do provide a general space of meditation and body awareness, they do not connect the dots and apply the mind-body-spirit alignment in service to chronic pain management and healing.

Dancing with Pain® is far more sophisticated than meditative or ecstatic dance alone. It is specially tailored to meet the multi-layered needs of chronic pain patients — providing a physical, emotional, psychological, neurological, and spiritual journey into the body, and teaching participants to refocus and reframe their relationship to pain. Participants are expertly guided throughout the class, in ways that enable them to stay safe, expand their pain-free zones, and increase their mobility.

2. Because they are not targeted to people with chronic pain, these companies generally fail to create a safe communal dancing space for people living with pain and hypersensitivity — meaning that people can end up in worse pain after a class than before: The popular classes are often crowded to begin with. Moreover, there is no initial group discussion on how to dance in a way that does not intrude on the body space of another dancer.

In fact, in these environments, it is generally encouraged to initiate and maintain contact with other dancers, integrating the “contact improv” style of movement.  In addition, in the interest of fully expressing one’s heart and soul through movement, participants are encouraged to take up space in powerful and erratic motions that can be dangerous to someone with pain and hypersensitivity.  (See “Safety in Dance Circles” and “Four Tips for Creating Safety in Dance Circles.”)

An integral part of the Dancing with Pain® method is the group discussion at the beginning of each new class. Through this discussion, I establish safety guidelines for participants — both in terms of how to dance in their own bodies and how to dance around other people’s bodies.

In addition, class sizes are limited according to studio size — ensuring that there is plenty of space for each individual to dance freely, without compromising the safety of those around her or him.

3. The Dancing with Pain® method draws from a deep inner experience of what it is like to live with chronic pain, essentially accessing and rewriting the script in participants’ heads. As far as I am aware, the methods of other companies spring from a paradigm of general health and wellness — rendering them unable to facilitate the same depth of transformation among the chronic pain population.

4. While these companies offer a dance method, they do not offer the numerous other programs provided by Dancing with Pain®, including the following:

lifestyle discussion workshops offering guidance in dealing with the many ramifications of chronic pain on one’s life — on the physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological, social, and financial levels. (See “The Good Patient Syndrome.”)

training programs for doctors and bodyworkers serving chronic pain patients — offering unique insights into the special needs and most effective methods of working with these patients. (See “Proactive Massage“)

written materials investigating the latest scientific research on mind-body medicine and its impact on chronic pain management (see “Drug Free Remedies for Chronic Pain.)

interactive, internet-based programs targeted to chronic pain patients who cannot leave their homes, due to pain and disability. (See downloadable audio classes and teleconferences)

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She can run beside the stream through the forest
The wind will lift her hair
She can almost see the moon and the waterfall
The music takes her there
She can be wild in the summertime
She does not feel these walls
She can give in, look up, take a deep breath
And step into the falls

Chorus
She’s just dancing
She’s just dancing, understand
She’s just dancing,
Dancing to the band

But when the sweet-talking hunter sees her move
His rifle only sees a prize he can capture
And maybe take her home tonight
Now watch him circle back around as if he can’t quite read
What the writing on her T-shirt says
She spells it out and says
I’m just dancing, OK? OK

Chorus

Don’t try to track her trail hunter
She is not your game
This is a wild-life sanctuary
And wild is why she came
You only hunt to feed your lonely
But you’re hiding in the blind
So you’re a prisoner of your own protection
If it’s life you’re trying to find

Chorus

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That said, I will never tell you that the method will definitely work for your particular body. I don’t care if 100% of the people with the exact same condition before you were helped drastically by the method. Every body is different, and what works for some people or even the overwhelming majority of people may not work for you. Conversely, what doesn’t work for a million people may work splendidly for you.

In my own chronic pain journey through hell, I was told by every Tom, Dick, and Harry that this or that method definitely would work for me. I also was advised to stop doing everything else I was doing, so that the latest method of choice would be able to work its magic without being compromised.

Bullshit.

Healing from chronic pain, I have found, requires an it-takes-a-village approach, as well as a discerning attitude. My advice is this:

1.   Do your homework.

Educate yourself about the various conventional, complementary, and alternative methods out there. That in itself can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t know where to begin or whom to trust. That’s why I have put together a store with books, CDs, and DVDs that I recommend to get you going.

2.   Mind your wallet.

Healthcare practitioners will be more than happy to suck dry your resources. One of the beautiful things about healthcare is helping other people. One of the sick things about healthcare is making a living off of other people’s illness. If you don’t feel yourself improving from a certain method within a month or three of regular practice, ditch it and try something else, even if your practitioner is telling you that you need to give it more time.

3.    Don’t rely too heavily on science.

I’ve done this myself and seen other people to it, all to our detriment: We’re so programmed to defer to scientific findings that regardless of what our very own bodies feel, we may follow what science says to do, despite it going against our physical reaction and gut instincts. Don’t. Science is a tool to help us identify some treatments that may possibly help us. But it’s neither foolproof nor tailored to our individual bodies.

4.   Use a sliding scale of evidence.

I like what Andrew Weil MD says about being more scientifically demanding for treatments that are invasive or otherwise potentially unsafe and being less scientifically demanding for treatments with little or no possibility of causing harm. For example, who cares if science has proven that deep breathing can help calm anxiety? Maybe science is behind the curve. Regardless, learning to breathe deeply is not going to hurt you. So why not try it and see how it goes? Maybe it can help.

 5.   Listen to your gut reaction.

Medicine is a combination of science, art, and human touch. A doctor can be credentialed up the wazoo from all the right places but be an asshole who makes you afraid of speaking up. Not a good pain doc. A massage therapist may work at the most posh clinic in the most upscale neighborhood. If she gives you attitude when you try to tell her about your sensitivities, however, she’s not for you.

So back to the Dancing with Pain® method and whether it can help you: I don’t know if it can. I do know that it gave me back my life and that it has helped others minimize or eliminate their pain as well. I also know that it is designed to put you in the drivers’ seat of your body and your healing process, so it is highly unlikely to hurt you. I mean, I encourage people to lie physically still and dance in their imagination if that’s the only place in their body that doesn’t hurt.

So if the method speaks to you, and you think it’s worth a shot, why not try it? Having been through the physical, financial and other wringers of chronic pain hell myself, I’ve created downloadable audio classes not only for those whose pain prevents them from getting out of the house to attend a live class, but also for those who can’t even afford $15 for a single class. I’ve been there. Which is why you can download an audio class for $3.95 and use it forever.

Or just put on your favorite music and dance without pushing through or otherwise triggering your pain zones. Because, seriously, no matter what your pain condition, healing just might be this simple: Move safely, gently, and joyfully. The rest will follow.

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Thanks to Natalie Gaber, the company media coordinator, for her outstanding work and for doubling her hours to support the launch; thanks to Anna Tolstrop Worsley, who made the leap of faith to come to California to stay with me, dance with me, and take part in the launch; thanks to all the people who came out to dance with Anna and me and who trusted me to guide them in their dance journeys inward; and thanks to all the media who covered the story.

I look forward to continuing to dance with a growing community of people who know for a fact that the power to heal lies inside and who trust that we are the healers we’ve been seeking.

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To register for the upcoming event, please visit the Dancing with Pain® store and click on the registration tab for “Dance Heals!” You can pay with credit cards, PayPal, or a check. We will accept payment at the door, but we cannot guarantee a space. Once we fill the class with 15 dancers, the event will be sold out. If you have questions, please email our media coordinator, Natalie, at natalie@dancingwithpain.com .

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