Aparigraha, a concept rooted in Indian philosophy, translates to non-greed, non-possessiveness, and non-attachment.

But what does this ancient principle have to teach us about healing from chronic pain?

Let's break it down.

The word 'graha' implies taking, seizing, or grabbing, while 'pari' adds the connotation of 'on all sides.'

When we add the negation 'a' to the word, it becomes 'aparigraha,' meaning 'non-taking' or 'non-grasping.' Essentially, it encourages us to practice non-attachment.

So, how does this apply to healing from chronic pain?
Well often our attempt to get out of pain has us fixated on an outcome - to be pain free.

This attachment to outcome can actually make pain worse because in our gripping to a pain free outcome we are rejecting and making the experience of pain bad or wrong.

And what this does is activates the fear centers in the brain which then sound the alarm signals of pain and make pain worse.

So the greediness of wanting to be pain free makes living free of pain that much more elusive.

Aparigraha teaches us to let go of the attachment to living pain free.

It teaches you to have outcome independence.

Which I get, is very counterintuitive.

We all want to live pain free but the path to pain free is to make peace with pain and to accept it as it is.

Then we don’t need to fight against it.

We can stop avoiding it.

We can let go of the dread.

And stop fearing it.
Aparigraha teaches us to not grip or grab for a tomorrow that never comes.

This helps us to be here and now and reconcile our relationship to what is - the good, bad and ugly, including our experience of pain.

When we do this, we turn off the alarm signals in the brain that fuel pain and we somehow begin to experience less and less pain.

Not because we are trying to get out of pain but because we are no longer trying to get out of pain.

It's a mind fuck, I know.

This is the paradox of healing.

Love and accept pain and watch pain start to fall away.

But love and accept pain without clinging or holding onto it.

Love and accept pain without identifying with it.

So allowing pain to be pain without preference.

Without like or dislike.

This means aparigraha helps us examine the thoughts, emotions and beliefs we have about pain.

And to identify which thoughts, emotions and beliefs make pain worse and which ones help to make it better.

For example if you believe you are a chronic pain warrior consider how this belief might be creating more attachment and identity to pain making it more chronic.

Aparigraha helps loosen the grip of pain, not by denying or suppressing it, but by recognizing that we are not our pain.

So your homework this week is to notice what I call the death grip - where you are either gripping to a pain free outcome or gripping to thoughts and emotions and beliefs that are fueling, maintaining and amplifying your pain.

Then ask yourself if you can let go of the death grip. Can you let go of attachment to outcome and can you let go of attachment to what is.

The more you practice letting go of the death grip the more you can recover from pain.

But remember this is a practice that you need to put into play over and over and over again.

Keep letting go of the greediness of getting out of pain.

Keep letting go of the thoughts, emotions and beliefs that keep you stuck in pain.

Keep letting go of the attachments and identity you have to your pain.

Bottom line?

Less death grip, less pain.