One too many squad thrusts and broad jumps in the gym and I felt an electric shock shoot down my spine, sciatica. An intense ache emanated from the middle of my butt as though I was given an intramuscular injection and then hurting at the hip, wrapping around the knee, down to the side of my calf and into my ankle.

I tried to make sense out of the pain; in other words, what was the universe trying to teach me spiritually. I felt contracted and stiff on my left side where my heart is lodged. What did this pain symbolize? All transformations involve some sort of pain.

Could I beat this pain? I decided to get along with it and get to know it better. There are seven chakras (energy centers) in the human body. The first chakra is located at the base of the spine, a grounding energy. The following is a list of the symbols associated with this chakra ranging from color to emotion:

• The color is red/orange.
• The dominant element is earth.
• Problems that afflict this chakra are sciatica and endocrine issues with the ovaries and gonads.
• The emotions lodged in this region are rage, passion and frustration.

Dr. John Sarno, an orthopedic surgeon and best-selling author from NYU, was a pioneer in the mind/body approach to lower back pain. He was not interested if a disc was slipped, degenerated or herniated. He had seen mangled spines with bulging discs and no pain while he had observed spines in good condition with debilitating pain. He asserted that most lower-back pain was caused by resentment, a subconsciously suppressed anger and insisted that his patients have a dialogue with their subconscious: “I know what you are trying to do to me. I release my anger. There is no need for this pain. I might not even know what I am angry about or feel hurt about, but I release it.”

As a stress-management specialist, preaching inner peace, how ridiculous that I could have repressed anger! I am a happy person. But then there was this subconscious thing and how could I know for sure what was buried in my subconscious. Also, words are my craft and I am fairly certain that I could rationalize anything verbally. Therefore with an open mind I am releasing the pain in my butt! I do not feel angry or resentful on a conscious level. I am not self-silenced or suppressed. However, if I am enraged on a subconscious level due to some old hurt, I forgive that person, especially if that person is me! I am determined to feel powerfully alive, unfolding like a red flower, magical and absolutely impossible to forget.

Guess what? I felt better the morning after I wrote this!

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For more information on pain management read my book, Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul. To listen to archived radio shows with guest experts visit Turn On Your Inner Light Radio Show