Mindfulness And Pain Explained

Welcome to Mindfulness and Pain Explained with Dr. Adele Stewart. I’ve been a GP for over 30 years and bring that experience—along with my background as a mindfulness teacher, my interest in modern pain neuroscience, and my role as Chair of the Royal Australian College of GPs Pain Group—to this course. I also have my own lived experience of chronic pain.

My hope is that this course helps you discover a transformative approach to understanding and processing pain. You’ll explore the neuroscience behind chronic pain and uncover how greater awareness can reduce its intensity and impact.

By shifting focus from a fixed “diagnosis” to a mind-body perspective—one that highly considers the level of safety and danger in our whole system—you’ll gain practical tools to navigate the pain-fear cycle. You’ll also learn how your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and even aspects of life that may seem unrelated to pain influence your experience.

We’ll demystify complex topics like neuroplasticity, nociplastic pain, and neuroimmune interactions, making them accessible and applicable to everyday life.

Bring along a pen and paper or an electronic journal to capture your reflections as we embark on this journey of curiosity and self-discovery.

Each lesson will begin with a brief grounding practice, followed by some of the following: education, reflection, meditation and exercises. Each lesson ends with a suggested home practice, including one of my meditations from the free Insight Timer app. The names of these meditations are listed in the lesson audios and the course descriptions. Once found, they can be bookmarked and saved in a folder, which you might name Mindfulness and Pain Explained. The home practice is an important part of consolidating your learning in an experiential way.

This course is quite an ask. The lessons only average 15 minutes—some a few minutes shorter, some a bit longer. However the course represents a paradigm shift in understanding pain, challenging deeply help beliefs and requiring substantial energy to engage with. Like most things in life, the more you put in, the more you’ll get out. Be patient with yourself though, as you navigate this new perspective. Although the course is structured as daily lessons, I recommend leaving a few days to a week between lessons to allow the learning to integrate and to give you time to practice.

You’re encouraged to post in the course as much as you like. Reading others’ posts and my responses can be inspiring along the way. I will usually get back to you within 24 hours, except for once a year when I do a 14-day silent retreat and am offline.

Let’s get started!

Lección 1: Pain Is Normal, Real And Protective

In this lesson, we define chronic pain and explore key concepts from the Explain Pain model. Modern pain neuroscience views pain as a protective mechanism designed to keep us safe—produced by our entire system rather than a single source. We’ll examine the first target concept: Pain is normal, personal and real. We validate pain as a normal, deeply personal, and real human experience, and explain why felt pain is never “imaginary", and why no health professional can tell you if you are in pain or not. For the suggested home practice, on the free Insight Timer app, search “Adele Stewart Unfocused Body Awareness practice” which is a 15 minute meditation encouraging an introductory, non-threatening exploration of bodily sensations and allowing the body to express itself freely.
References and Acknowledgements:
•   Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•   Pain Revolution
•   Fogel, Alan. Restorative Embodiment and Resilience: A Guide to Disrupt Habits, Create Inner Peace, Deepen Relationships, and Feel Greater Presence

Lección 2: How We See Things Makes A Difference

This lesson explores the slipperiness of perception and the pivotal role of “feeling tone” in shaping our experience. The human nervous system constantly and automatically evaluates all experiences as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral—a process that profoundly influences how we relate to pain. We discuss how noticing and savouring the pleasant can resource us. Once you have finished this lesson, search the free Insight Timer app for “Adele Stewart Yes there is pain, and…”, which is a short practice of noticing the pleasant even when there is unpleasant. You are also encouraged to keep going with the Unfocused Body Awareness practice. Remember you can bookmark these and save in a folder. In daily life perhaps deliberately spending a little time savouring, marinading in anything pleasant. A pretty bird song. The perfect cup of coffee. Some good news. And notice the effect on your perception.
References and Acknowledgements
•   Timothy Goddard, Openground
•   Rick Hanson, Positive Neuroplasticity

Lección 3: There Are Danger Sensors Not Pain Sensors

This lesson introduces the second target concept of Explain Pain: There are danger sensors, not pain sensors. You’ll explore nociceptors—specialized nerve endings that act as alarm bells throughout the body’s tissues. We’ll examine the critical distinction between nociception (the detection of potential danger) and the experience of pain.

Understanding that nociception is an input and pain is an output is a transformative insight, offering a new perspective on how the body processes pain. After this lesson perhaps you might like to reflect how this concept may reshape your understanding of pain.

Until the next lesson you’ll be invited to consolidate the learning from the last lesson - searching for the meditation "Adele Stewart Feeling Tone with Tension-Relaxation" in the free Insight Timer app - and doing this two or three times to closely observe sensations as they arise, beyond evaluations or thoughts.

References and Acknowledgements:
•   Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•   Kiverstein, J., Kirchhoff, M.D., & Thacker, M. “An Embodied Predictive Processing Theory of Pain Experience,” Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 2022
•   Gordon, A. The Way Out: The Revolutionary, Scientifically-Based Protocol to Stop Chronic Pain, 2021
•   Befriending Your Body by Dr. Ann Saffi Biasetti

Lección 4: The Pain Signature

Pain is often intensely unpleasant, triggering an instinctive desire to move away from it. In this lesson, we delve into the four elements of the pain signature and engage in a counterintuitive yet transformative experiment: approaching pain with the curiosity of a kind scientist. It will be helpful to have some actual paper and pen for this. For home practice you are invited to practice exploring the pain signature in daily life: noticing the intensity of the pain and the four elements (light/heavy, cool/warm, diffuse/dense, very still/moving) and just for 60 seconds, welcoming the sensations with kindness as best you can. It will also be helpful to keep practicing either Feeling Tone with Tension-Relaxation or the Unfocused Body Awareness practice from the free Insight Timer app.
References and Acknowledgements:
•   Cayoun, B., Simmons, A., & Shires, A. “Immediate and Lasting Chronic Pain Reduction Following a Brief Self-Implemented Mindfulness-Based Interoceptive Exposure Task: A Pilot Study,” Mindfulness, 2020
•   Dr Mandy Mercuri Openground

Lección 5: Hurt Not Harm

This lesson introduces the third target concept from Explain Pain: Pain and tissue damage are poorly related. Through case studies and a closer look at the limitations and dangers of medical imaging like scans in Western medicine, we’ll explore why this distinction is so important.

You’ll engage in a mindfulness experiment noticing the effect of sometimes threatening technical medical language and have an opportunity for journal reflection to consider how this concept might change your relationship to pain. For home practice - notice the impact of the concept Hurt Not Harm on your pain experience including while practicing some movement - search "Adele Stewart - Gentle Standing Mindful Movement" on the free Insight Timer app.

References and Acknowledgements
•   Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•   “Minerva” column, British Medical Journal, 1995
•   Dimsdale, J.E., & Dantzer, R. “A Biological Substrate for Somatoform Disorders: Importance of Pathophysiology,” Psychosomatic Medicine, November 2007
•   Maureen C. Jensen, Michael N. Brant-Zawadzki, Nancy Obuchowski, Michael T. Modic, Dennis Malkasian, and Jeffrey S. Ross MRI of lumbar spine in people without back pain 1994. NEJM.
•   Brinjikji W, Luetmer PH, Comstock B, Bresnahan BW, Chen LE, Deyo RA, Halabi S, Turner JA, Avins AL, James K, Wald JT, Kallmes DF, Jarvik JG. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015
•   Darlow B, Forster BB, O'Sullivan K, O'Sullivan P. It is time to stop causing harm with inappropriate imaging for low back pain. Br J Sports Med. 2017

Lección 6: The Power Of Emotions

In this lesson, we explore the biological basis of our emotions and how understanding their role can help us navigate our experiences including our pain with greater compassion and balance. Emotions are powerful motivators that drive us toward or away from things, and by befriending them as part of our evolutionary heritage, we can: 
•   Reduce shame and listen to our emotions as helpful guides.
•   Learn to regulate and soothe challenging emotions.
•   Foster greater understanding and compassion for ourselves and others.
We’ll examine the three emotional systems—drive, threat, and soothing—all designed to support survival and connection. Through a mindfulness practice, we’ll explore how activating the soothing system can help us approach difficult emotions with steadiness and care.

For home practice: You’re invited to search for "Adele Stewart Difficult Emotions" to explore a number of short meditations to deliberately practice mindfulness and compassion towards difficult emotions. This includes: Adele Stewart RAIN for Difficult Emotions around Pain which is particularly recommended.

Optional: you may like to search for the “Adele Stewart Mountain: Cultivate Stillness Whatever The Weather" meditation in the free Insight Timer app before the next lesson to help cultivate steadiness, groundedness and equanimity in your daily life.

References and Acknowledgements
•   Gilbert, P. (Ed.). Compassion: Conceptualisations, Research and Use in Psychotherapy. Routledge, 2005
•   Treleaven, D.A., & Britton, W. Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing. March 2018
•  Buglio, D. (2025). Pain Free You: Teach Your Brain to End Your Pain.
•  Jon Kabat Zinn

Lección 7: Pain Depends On The Balance Between Danger And Safety Signals

Pain depends on the brain’s constant decision-making about whether it is needed in any given moment. The brain evaluates the balance between danger and safety signals (also known as DIM SIM's - "danger in me" or "safety in me"), drawing on an incredible amount of data—things we sense, things we do, things we say, things we think and believe, places we go, people in our lives, and things happening in our body and biology. Danger experiences (DIM's) include anything that feels like a threat to your body, lifestyle, job, happiness, daily function, or sense of self—such as shame or embarrassment. These experiences often fall under the “fear umbrella” and trigger fight, flight, or freeze responses. On the other hand, safety experiences (SIM's) are anything that make you feel soothed, stronger, healthier, surer, and, most importantly, safe, and are often linked to happiness. Understanding this balance allows us to explore ways to reduce danger signals and enhance safety signals to manage pain more effectively.

You are invited to search the free Insight Timer app for the 20 minutes "Adele Stewart Gentle Lying Movement Practice" and notice if this is a safety experience for you.

References and Acknowledgements:
Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler

Lección 8: Safety As A Way Out Of The Pain-Fear Cycle

The pain-fear cycle is a well researched phenomenon that can keep chronic pain stuck. Fear is a natural and necessary response, as the brain’s primary job is to keep us safe and alive by activating the threat system. This system includes fight, flight, freeze (FFF) reactions, fear, and sometimes pain. Pain can act as a motivator to protect us by inhibiting movement or activity, which is helpful in acute situations like a bad case of gout. And the fear of the pain can be life saving if it motivates us to seek help with something like appendicitis. However, with chronic pain, both these responses can become unhelpful. Pain often triggers fear, putting the brain on high alert and creating more pain, which then fuels more fear. This feedback loop can also be driven by emotions under the “fear umbrella,” such as frustration or despair. Pain education like "hurt doesn't mean harm", soothing, and mindfulness can help us loosen this cycle. Your home practice is to actively work at decreasing some danger signals (DIMs) and increase some safety signals (SIMs). One way of doing this is searching for and practicing the 10 minute "Adele Stewart Self Compassion Break for Pain" on the free Insight Timer app - a potent safety signal for many.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Gordon, A. The Way Out: The Revolutionary, Scientifically-Based Protocol to Stop Chronic Pain, 2021
•  Ashar YK, Gordon A, Schubiner H, Uipi C, Knight K, Anderson Z, Carlisle J, Polisky L, Geuter S, Flood TF, Kragel PA, Dimidjian S, Lumley MA, Wager TD. Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022
•  Kristin Neff CMSC
•. Thich Nhat Tan

Lección 9: Safe In My System - Somatic Tracking

Somatic tracking brought to us by Alan Gordon is a powerful mind-body practice that teaches us to observe and allow body sensations through a lens of safety. Even though pain is produced by the brain, it is always felt in the body, which makes this work essential for rewiring the pain experience.

The goal of somatic tracking is to reinterpret sensations, understanding that persistent pain usually originates from the brain and nervous system rather than damaged tissues.

Three key points guide this practice:
1. Begin with the intention that “This is safe, and I am not under threat.”
2. We are giving our body permission to express itself fully.
3. We need to as best we can fully accept the sensations in this moment. Resistance and struggle send messages that reinforce to our system that pain is a threat.

By practicing somatic tracking, we cultivate curiosity, reduce fear, and help retrain the brain’s response to pain, paving the way for a calmer and more balanced nervous system.

You can find two full versions of this practice by searching for the 20 minute practice "Adele Stewart Somatic Tracking with Safety" or the 15 minute practice "Adele Stewart Somatic Tracking for Persistent Pain" in the free Insight Timer App. You are really encouraged to get quite familiar with this amazing practice. It can be practiced formally but also whenever you think to do it informally.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Gordon, A. The Way Out: The Revolutionary, Scientifically-Based Protocol to Stop Chronic Pain, 2021
•  Ashar YK, Gordon A, Schubiner H, Uipi C, Knight K, Anderson Z, Carlisle J, Polisky L, Geuter S, Flood TF, Kragel PA, Dimidjian S, Lumley MA, Wager TD. Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022

Lección 10: Pain As A Complex Emergent System - Untangling The Pain Knot

In this lesson we will explore how pain is a dynamic process, not a fixed “thing,” emerging from the dynamic interplay of the brain, body, and environment. Pain is real, yet it is often unrelated to tissue damage. It arises in the brain and neuro-endocrine-immune ensemble as a protective response to perceived danger or safety—shaped by internal and external factors. Pain involves distributed brain activity; there is no single “pain center.” Instead, when pain is experienced, multiple brain areas light up, like a Christmas tree. The brain, with billions of interconnected neurons, creates all experiences, including pain. Much like recalling a memory of your grandma, countless brain areas collaborate to generate the perception of pain. This process reflects the concept of emergence, where a whole system self-organizes from individual parts. Like a snowflake emerging from water molecules and environmental conditions, pain emerges unpredictably from the interaction of countless danger and safety signals within and around us. The suggested home practice after this lesson is a longer practice - 30 minutes - which you can find by searching "Adele Stewart Untangling the Pain Knot" in the free Insight Timer app. Check it out at least once. There is also a 13 minute version "Adele Stewart Softening the Pain Knot". References and Acknowledgements • Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler • Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind by Christiane Wolf M.D., Ph.D. 2021 • Dan Siegel: Aware, The Science and Practice of Presence 2018

Lección 11: The Pain Story

In this lesson we will reflect on the nature of thoughts, including our personal “Pain Story,” recognizing its impact, and explore how mindfulness can help loosen the grip of these narratives. Our brain constantly rehashes the past or rehearses the future, especially when pain is involved. These stories—about how pain started (past) and fears about what might happen (future)—can weigh us down, like carrying a heavy backpack. Becoming aware of these stories is the first step toward easing their burden. We will do a written exercise to explore this. If you did the home practice meditation from last lesson “Untangling the Pain Knot” you will have been introduced to the metaphor of pain as a tangled knot, made up of thoughts, emotions, sensations, and behaviors. Noticing our Pain Story can begin to loosen this knot. Between this lesson and the next lesson you are invited to become aware when your “pain story” is happening, and recognise it as it is. Ask yourself in any moment - do the stories ease the pain or worsen it? Practise "putting down the backpack" or “loosening the pain story” one moment at a time. Shift your attention to what you are sensing in your body in the moment – the breath, and what you are seeing and hearing. Please keep going with the critically important Somatic Tracking from the free Insight Timer app: either the 20 minute meditation “Somatic Tracking with Safety” or “Somatic Tracking Persistent Pain” for a slightly different 15 minute practice. Or perhaps you might like to do “Untangling the Pain Knot” again.. References and Acknowledgements • Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind by Christiane Wolf M.D., Ph.D. 2021 • Gordon, A. The Way Out: The Revolutionary, Scientifically-Based Protocol to Stop Chronic Pain, 2021

Lección 12: Warmongering Metaphors Of Pain

In this lesson, we’ll explore the powerful role metaphors play in how we think, feel, and speak about pain. Building on our lesson on the pain story, we’ll examine how language can signal danger or safety to our brain. Many common metaphors—like “stabbing pain” or “battle with disease”—stem from outdated views of pain as purely tissue damage, reinforcing fear and resistance. In contrast, gentler, safety-focused metaphors like “motion is lotion” can encourage healing and calm. We’ll uncover how these shifts can change our relationship with pain and our bodies. Between now and next lesson you are invited to notice the metaphors you think and say (with kindness), and get a bit creative in choosing different ones. Keep noticing DIMs and SIMs and dropping in "hurt not harm" to your system many times. The formal meditation is a nice antidote to harsh language towards our body and can be searched for on the free Insight Timer app "Adele Stewart Kindness Body Scan for Pain".

References and Acknowledgements
•  Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•  Johnson MI, Hudson M, Ryan CG. Perspectives on the insidious nature of pain metaphor: we literally need to change our metaphors. Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2023

Lección 13: The Importance Of Context In The Pain Experience

Pain doesn’t occur in isolation—it’s deeply influenced by context. From the time of injury to the emergence of chronic pain, factors like environment, emotions, and beliefs shape how we experience it. A simple injury can hurt more during a negative event, like doing an unpleasant chore, than during an enjoyable activity, like playing a favorite sport. Stress, mood, or the people around us can also affect pain, as can visual cues—red lights vs. blue lights, for example. By recognizing the biopsychosocial factors influencing pain, we can better understand and manage our experience. Context matters! We will do a journal reflection on this.

Going forward, pay extra attention to moments when you DON’T feel pain, especially when unexpected. Notice the context and savor the good feelings—this creates prediction errors, which helps the brain be more accurate, less overreactive.
For formal practice, try the free Insight Timer app and search for “Adele Stewart Mindful Self-Compassion Break for Pain.” Notice how shifting your attitude toward pain can change the context—and the pain itself. Our next lesson explores the context of difficult interpersonal interactions. Until then, please check out how your mood and pain might change as you interact with others – getting curious, noting, without judgment, particularly in any difficult interactions with others - either in person or by phone or even via texting or emailing.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•  Kristin Neff CMSC
•  Twelve-Step Program

Lección 14: The Pain Of Disconnection

In this lesson, we’ll explore how interpersonal interactions and personality traits influence pain. Certain traits—like being a worrier, high achiever, or self-critic—can keep us in states of drive or threat, creating danger experiences (DIMs). These tendencies can also lead to people-pleasing, ignoring our body’s needs, or feeling unsafe being authentic.

Social dynamics add complexity, especially with pain being invisible. Hurtful remarks or invalidation from others, even unintentional microaggressions, can feel like “a thousand paper cuts,” creating disconnection and amplifying pain.

We’ll reflect on moments of social tension, considering how both social danger and social safety impact our pain experience.

Going forward : continue to take a note of danger and safety signals especially relating to interaction with others, remembering pain as a complex system.

The suggested formal meditation can be found by searching the free Insight Timer app for the 15 minute practice “Adele Stewart Pain of Disconnection - Dealing with hurtful remarks.”

References and Acknowledgements
•  Gordon, A. The Way Out: The Revolutionary, Scientifically-Based Protocol to Stop Chronic Pain, 2021
•  Dr Mandy Mercuri Openground
•  Dr Kevin Nadal Professor Psychology CUNY
•  Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind by Christiane Wolf M.D., Ph.D. 2021

Lección 15: Kindness For Self And Others

In this lesson, we’ll practice a Loving-Kindness meditation focused on cultivating kindness and compassion for ourselves and others. Healing can feel challenging and isolating at times, making it easy to feel discouraged. By actively practicing kindness, we can shift our inner experience—reducing our sense of threat and increasing feelings of safety. Think of this practice as planting seeds of love and compassion, with no pressure—simply seeing what grows naturally over time. This gentle exploration can bring a sense of connection and ease to our journey, reminding us that kindness begins within. You may like to repeat this meditation before the next lesson or search the free Insight Timer app for “Adele Stewart You are not alone: for pain”.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind by Christiane Wolf M.D., Ph.D. 2021
•  Tim Goddard, Openground
•  Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer CMSC

Lección 16: Pain Is One Of Many Protective Outputs

Pain is just one of many protective outputs designed to keep us safe, often acting as a “last resort” to force action. Thoughts, emotions, language are all protective systems. Behind the scenes, systems like the motor/muscle system, immune system, endocrine system, and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) are working constantly to protect us. However, when these systems become overprotective, they can create symptoms like muscle tension, inflammation, or even heightened pain. It can be very helpful to recognise that many of our symptoms may be related to protective systems being edgy and overprotective. In today’s lesson we’ll explore how the motor system reacts to threats, such as bracing or tightening muscles, and discuss how to change this. We’ll also touch on psychological complex trauma’s impact on protective systems and how healing is possible. Finally, we’ll introduce soothing strategies, including parasympathetic “rest and digest” techniques, to calm our overactive stress and threat systems and support recovery. The home practice for this lesson is a meditation which you can find my searching in the free Insight Timer app for “Adele Stewart Windows Into The Inner Landscape: A Mind-Body Check-In.” - this is an excellent way of getting to know what mind - body protective systems might be in action right now by having a look through various windows into our inner landscape, the ecosystem of your body and mind, just as it is. We can check out where we are on the spectrum of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) rest, digest, heal through to SNS fight, flight, freeze, shut down, stress. Part two of this meditation explores what you might need in the moment. If you search for “Adele Stewart Progressive Muscular Relaxation, an oldie but a goodie, you might find relief for the motor/muscle system by inviting muscles to soften and release tension wave by wave. References and Acknowledgements •  Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler •  Bruno Cayoun MiCBT •  Bessel Van Der Kolk The Body keeps the Score •  The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study: Vincent J Felitti MD, FACP, Robert F Anda MD, MS, Dale Nordenberg MD, Valerie Edwards BA, Mary P Koss PhD, James S Marks MD, MPH •  Bodily Relearning by Benjamin Boyd.

Lección 17: Balancing The Neuroimmune System

This lesson explores the powerful connection between the brain and immune system, often referred to as the “neuroimmune system.” We’ll examine how this system, while protective, can become “edgy” and overactive, contributing to symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and chronic pain. We’ll also discuss how thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors can influence immune responses and microinflammation. The good news? Simple, intentional actions—like mindfulness, movement, being in nature and some other others we will discuss—can help balance this system. Through guided reflections and practical strategies, we will identify small, achievable steps to support your health and well-being, reconnecting with what matters most in your “one wild and precious life.” Your other home practice is to listen at least once to the Meditation “Adele Stewart Open Focus“ that you can find on the free Insight Timer app. This is a long meditation – 40 minutes – but one that a lot of people find immensely helpful and great preparation for next weeks Meditation.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•  Neuroimmune Interactions: From the Brain to the Immune System and Vice Versa Physiol Rev. 2018. Robert Dantzer
• Watkins, L. R., & Maier, S. F. (2000). The pain of being sick: Implications of immune-to-brain communication for understanding pain. Annual Review of Psychology.
• Bay, M. L., & Pedersen, B. K. (2020). Muscle-organ crosstalk: Focus on immunometabolism. Frontiers in Physiology.
•  Dissolving Pain: Simple Brain-Training Exercises for Overcoming Chronic Pain By Les Fehmi, Jim Robbins 2010
•  Mark Hutchinson NOI Pain Masterclass
•  Mary Oliver “Summer Day”

Lección 18: We Are More Than Neuroplastic - We Are Bioplastic

Our bodies are constantly adapting and changing—a process known as bioplasticity. While many of us are familiar with neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire itself), bioplasticity reminds us that this adaptability extends across our entire system. This is both good and bad news.

In chronic pain, bioplasticity can cause our nervous system to become overly protective, amplifying pain signals over time. The longer the pain persists, the more sensitized and “stuck” the system becomes, like an orchestra repeatedly playing the same tune. We might call this "Pain System Hypersensitivity".

The good news? We are learning to retrain our systems, change the “pain tune,” and open life up again.

For the formal home practice - search “Adele Stewart Dissolving Pain”. This is a powerful , sometimes very transformative 20 minute Practice brought to us by Les Fehmi that I recommend.
For a quite different but very relevant practice - search "Adele Stewart Let's Try Some GMI" for some fascinating imaginal practices for bioplasticity.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•  Dissolving Pain: Simple Brain-Training Exercises for Overcoming Chronic Pain By Les Fehmi, Jim Robbins 2010
•  Lorimer Moseley
•  David Butler

Lección 19: I Am Not My Pain

By doing this course, you are joining a Pain Revolution! Pain is a complex experience shaped by the brain and nervous system. The same brain that generates pain can also help us understand and manage it. While long-term pain takes time to shift, knowledge empowers us to reshape our nervous system. Pain may be part of our experience, but it does not need to define or limit us. We will do a brief meditation on this, and there is a 15
minute version if you search the free Insight Timer app for “Adele Stewart I am not my Pain“. Your invitation for home practice is exploring changing your spoken and internal language from "I’m in pain" to "this is a moment of pain". Notice the impact of not taking your pain so personally.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•  Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind by Christiane Wolf M.D., Ph.D. 2021
•  Buglio, D. (2025). Pain Free You: Teach Your Brain to End Your Pain.
•  Moseley GL. Widespread brain activity during an abdominal task markedly reduced after pain physiology education: fMRI evaluation of a single patient with chronic low back pain. Aust J Physiother. 2005

Lección 20: The Road Less Travelled

Well done if you have got this far! Transforming chronic pain requires an active approach. Passive treatments—like medication, massage, or waiting for pain to go away—offer temporary relief but don’t create lasting change. Active management, such as movement, pacing, mindfulness, and pain education, empowers you to reshape your experience of pain. This course has been an active treatment, helping you take control of your healing. Understanding pain reduces its threat, and small, consistent actions can rewire your nervous system. This “road less travelled” is about curiosity, mindfulness, persistence, and self-compassion. You are at the center of your healing—exploring, adapting, and discovering what’s possible beyond pain. Going forward you may like to repeat the course or sections of the course. Repetition is key to fully embracing this paradigm shift in understanding and managing pain. Seeking out a health professional who is well-versed in this pain science, supports active approaches and empowers you to be at the center of your healing can be crucial. You can keep the free Insight Timer app meditations you have bookmarked and keep practicing them. Somatic tracking is one of the most effective meditations for many experiencing chronic pain. I truly hope you received some benefit from the course and encourage you to write a review so others are more likely to try it out.

References and Acknowledgements
•  Explain Pain Supercharged by G. Lorimer Moseley & David S. Butler
•  Goold, S. D. (2002). Trust, distrust and trustworthiness. Journal of General Internal Medicine,
•  Luff, D., & Thomas, K. J. (2000). ‘Getting somewhere’, feeling cared for: Patients’ perspectives on complementary therapies in the NHS. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
•  Yardley, L., Sharples, K., Beech, S., & Lewith, G. (2001). Developing a dynamic model of treatment perceptions. Journal of Health Psychology
•  Donovan, E., Ranney, M. L., Patry, E. J., McKenzie, M., Baird, J., & Green, T. C. (2017). Beliefs about a complementary and alternative therapy–based chronic pain management program for a Medicaid population. Pain Medicine.
•  Thich Nhat Hanh
•  Tara Brach Trusting the Gold

Reviews

I loved this course and found it very helpful! So much practical information was shared. Adele is a wonderful teacher, and I found her voice and style calming and reassuring. The accompanying meditations on Insight Timer are a bonus I’m still finding helpful. Thank you for this course! 🙏 💕

An excellent exploration of how to live with chronic pain. I will definitely be redoing this course to mine all the gems it contains….

Thank you, Adele, for a brilliant, helpful course that I hope all with chronic pain and related chronic problems will find. It has helped me so much. I am concerned that it doesn’t seem to come up in the search engine under pain and I only came upon it by chance. Please write a book!

Thank you again🙏🏼