In this special episode, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia offers listeners a guided meditation session to help manage daily pain levels.

Dr. Lakhia emphasizes the importance of deep breathing as a powerful tool to connect with the present moment and promote relaxation. This episode is especially helpful for those struggling with pain who are looking for natural ways to manage their symptoms.

This meditation is meant to be listened to in a quiet, comfortable environment, perhaps seated in a comfortable chair or laying down comfortably. Do not listen to this meditation if you are operating machinery, a vehicle, or in any situation that could be harmful. 

💡 Featured Expert 💡

Name: Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia

What he does:  In addition to hosting Back Talk Doc, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia is a board-certified physiatrist who cares for patients at the Ballantyne and Rock Hill offices of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates. As a physiatrist, he specializes in non-surgical approaches to spine and orthopedic conditions and offers a diverse range of innovative treatments for back pain, including acupuncture, spinal injections, and prescriptive exercise.

Company: Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates

Connect: Website |  LinkedIn 

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👉 If you enjoyed this episode of Back Talk Doc, check out our recent episode Back Surgery Revisions with Patrick Jowdy, MD

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🔎 For more information on Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia and the podcast visit BackTalkDoc.com. 

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Back Talk Doc is brought to you by Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, with offices in North and South Carolina. To learn more about Dr. Lakhia and treatment options for back and spine issues, go to backtalkdoc.com. To schedule an appointment with Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, you can call us at 1-800-344-6716 or visit our website at CNSA.com.

Welcome. You're listening to Back Talk Doc, where you'll find answers to some of the most common questions about back pain and spine health, brought to you by Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, where cutting edge nationally-recognized care is delivered through a compassionate approach. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be used as personalized medical advice. Now it's time to understand the cause of back pain and learn about options to get you back on track. Here's your back talk doc, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia.

I talk a lot about pain on this podcast, and for those of you that are struggling with pain, oftentimes the only connection you have to the real world is your breath. Deep breathing has powerful effects on your mind, and nervous system, can help you manage your daily pain levels. It's for this reason that I offer you today's guided meditation, utilizing deep breathing to promote relaxation. This meditation is meant to be listened to when you're in a quiet, comfortable environment, perhaps seated in a comfortable chair or laying down comfortably, and certainly not while you're operating machinery or a vehicle or in any situation that could be harmful. I hope you enjoy. Breathing is the most natural thing in the world, yet we tend to forget about it throughout our days. Let's honor our breath now and how it brings us in the present moment so that we can relax.

Take five significant and purposeful breaths. One, fully inhale, expanding your belly and chest as much as you can, holding it for a moment and exhale, feeling a wave of relaxation sweep over you. Two, inhale, filling your entire breathing system with fresh oxygen. Hold it, and exhale, the wave of relaxation gently sweeping over you. Three, inhale deeply through your nose so that you are brimming with air, holding it, soaking in the oxygen, and exhale through your mouth as your body relaxes in different areas without any effort. Four, fully inhale feeling these breaths purifying your entire body. Exhaling, just notice how you're feeling and five, a beautiful breath coming in. Hold it and feel invigorated from oxygen, and exhale. Allow this relaxation to sweep over you. Take note of how you feel at this very moment. You now have an abundance of oxygen. This is how we are created to feel. Breathing deeply and fully is an expression of self-compassion. Let your breath become natural and just notice how abundance feels. Good.

Now let your eyes wander around looking at all the things around you without looking too long at anything in particular. Now without any effort, allow your mind to choose in front of you something to focus on, and do not look away. Begin to slowly blink your eyes and with each number I say, blink once continuing to stare at that spot in between numbers, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0. Allow your eyes to gently close. When you do this, you feel a wave of relaxation sweep over you. Now I'd like for you to focus on the sensations at the top of your head. Just notice how the very top of your head feels. Let your focus move down to your eyes. Notice how your eyes feel and ask them to relax. Any small eye movements you notice allow for you to feel calm. Notice how the back of your head feels against the surface that it is touching. How heavy does your head feel right now?

Let your focus move to your nose, feeling the slight sensations of the air moving in and out without your breath. When you breathe in, imagine that you're being filled with a natural, medicinal phenomena. When you breathe out, imagine your body feels light and deeply relaxed. Very good. Now focus on your ears. Notice how they feel and what they hear around you. Try to hear every single noise. When sounds come into your ears, they act as little waves of relaxation taking you even deeper. Notice the sound of my voice and how soothing it is. From here forward, you can only hear my voice guiding you. All other sounds passing, they'll only take you deeper into a state of healing. Now focus on your mouth. How does it feel? What do you notice? Perhaps you can imagine biting into a fresh piece of your favorite fruit. You notice how your mouth waters, mm, very good. Move your focus down now to your neck and shoulders. If there's any tension along the way, just ask it to release.

Move your attention slowly going down each arm, down all the way to each fingertip. What are your fingertips touching right now? Feel the sensations on your fingertips. Nice. Allow your focus to go to your chest, relaxing this area as well as your upper back. If you notice any tension, just ask it nicely to release. Now imagine you're focusing on your heart, and you can feel it beating strongly, supporting you. Relax your heart and notice how good it feels to do so. Now focus on your lungs. Feel them gently expanding and contracting with your breath, delivering oxygen to your body. Allow your focus to move through your vital organs and digestive system. Just notice your belly and observe it digesting effortlessly for you. Now noticing your lower back and how it presses against the surface you are on, and if you feel any tension, just say, "Please relax."

Focus now on your pelvis and hips and notice any sensations you are having there. This takes you deeper into a state of relaxation which heals you, allowing your focus to move down each leg now, slowly relaxing those as well. Your legs have been taking you so many places over the years and they deserve to fully relax. This wonderful wave of relaxation moves over your knees and down your lower legs all the way to your feet, into the very tip of each toe. Good. You're doing so well. Great. Now we're going to take our focus going back up the same way we came, but this time, imagine you are slowly pulling in your favorite color. This color is a deeply healing substance. Okay. Imagining your favorite color is coming in through your toes and into your feet.

It goes up your legs passing over your knees and up into your pelvis and hips. This beautiful color is filling your upper digestive system and belly. It fills your vital organs and continues into your lungs. This beneficial color is profoundly healing you. It glows as it fills your whole heart, and you notice how happy you become while doing this. The hue travels across your shoulders and down each arm all the way to your fingertips. This invigorating color is moving up your neck now, mending you as it goes. It blankets your mouth, ears, nose, and eyes. It instantly fills every tiny space in your brain, encompassing your mind and healing it as well. It moves all the way to the very top of your head where we began, enveloping you in a healing experience. So good.

Notice how completely relaxed your entire body feels now. You became aware of every part of your body putting you completely in the present moment. Being present with yourself allows for you you to be present in your life. Dwelling on your pain is essentially practicing being in pain and identifying ourselves with it. Pain is just an experience we are aware of. Can you send this experience compassion? Send it love. Can you be okay with this pain? Understand that you are not your pain. It is only an experience in mortal form. Very good work today. Allow yourself to slowly come back to the present moment in your own time, breathing in fresh air and bringing back all with you that you learned today for the betterment of your relationship. Whenever you're ready, open your eyes full of new knowledge. Namaste.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Back Talk Doc, brought to you by Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates with offices in North and South Carolina. If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Lakhia and treatment options for back issues, go to backtalkdoc.com. We look forward to having you join us for more insights about back pain and spine health. On the next episode of Back Talk Doc. Additional information is also available at carolinaneurosurgery.com.