open and resting on the chair arms or bed. Visualize the various parts of your
body and relax them gradually one by one. Start with the tips of your toes and
work your way up to the top of your head. Think of each part and feel it relax. Do
not make it relax but let it relax. Remember to let yourself go and don’t try to
force yourself. Once you have completed full muscle relaxation, count slowly from
1 to 20. You may feel a little drowsy and external sounds may fade away. When
you reach 20, imagine a new you with no back pain. Picturize yourself doing
things that you have avoided so far out of fear. Implant this suggestion firmly in
your brain. Now slowly come out counting backwards from 20. When you are
alert again, you will feel a fresh surge of energy and power and an eagerness to do
something to get rid of your pain.
You need not worry that the suggestion of “NO PAIN” is not working on Day One
or even Day Ten. You will find that you are improving day by day and that
meditation, coupled with all the other activities such as regular exercise and
taking preventive measures is reducing the severity of your back pain. Remember
that simply doing meditation and then sitting around without active participation
IS NOT GOING TO HELP AT ALL!!
- Sleep: You must get a good number of hours of sleep daily to rest your spinal
column and muscles. Later on in this book there is advice on the type of mattress
and pillow to be used and how you should lie down when you have pain.
- Prevention: Preventive measures are the foundation for a healthy back forever.
Along with your active rehabilitation program, ensure that you follow all the
preventive steps outlined in this book. The more you are conscious of your
posture, weight and how you lift heavy objects, the longer you will remain pain-
free.
