I was just reading some research into the connection between chronic pain and stress and I thought about Mrs. Bennet. For those of my friends who aren't Jane Austen fans, Mrs Bennet is the long suffering mother of 5 daughters in Pride and Prejudice. But is her suffering real? When our nervous system has been over stimulated for an extended time whether it be from a crippling injury or the prospect of not being able to marry off your 5 daughters to Lords and Dukes, every bump and anxious thought can send the system into agony. Mrs Bennet may not have been exaggerating, the pain is real because the nerves are on fire from never getting a chance to calm down. Once we understand this and see that all experience is actually happening through the gift of thought, our thinking slows down and this gives the body a chance to calm down too. The body has an amazing innate intelligence to heal and as blood flows and we take deep breaths, the pain can fade and we find that missing peace. Mrs Bennet thought that having all her daughters married would bring her peace of mind but really all she needed was a new thought.
