Caitlin Parsons, Yoga Therapist on Life Beyond Pain

Like many of us overachiever types, Caitlin adopted a hustler mindset at a young age. Always taking care of others and working hard at everything left her very little time to care and connect with herself. She grew up in the belief that the harder we work, the more we have, the more we do, the more we are worth. With this mindset, there is very little room for slowing down and allowing, which are primary alignment practices to feel fully embodied in this life. Through this "go, go, go" mentality, we risk massive disconnection from breath and body, which are the primary anchors to presence. When we push through in a state of disconnection, we create more reasons in our life to feel disconnected, which creates emotional, mental, and physical suffering. Our nature is well-being, so when we live in opposition to this nature, the body is one of the first places we will feel our misalignment. Feeling connected is a primary need for humans. Without it, we spiral out over time into deeper levels of imbalance, which eventually manifests into physical symptoms of pain. When our lives become painful enough, we have a choice to challenge our mindset and behaviors or continue to go further into pain. We must slow down to see what is brewing under the surface and to truly awaken to how we articulate in the world. It's a mindset that must fall away for us to realize the inherent well-being of the body, and this awakening requires presence. Caitlin lived in pain while continually being informed that pain goes hand in hand with her chosen profession of being a dental hygenist. A hazard of the career that she better get used to it sooner than later. During this time, Caitlin experienced her first yoga class, which led her to the first glimpse of a less painful body. This experience of yoga deepened her desire to live without pain and eventually led her to become a Yoga Therapist. Today she assists others in moving from a life of pain to a life of freedom through her speaking engagements and one-on-one patient sessions. There is so much gold in this episode, slow down and listen up. Thank you for supporting the show, if you want more of Caitlin, then look out for our YTP Mini episode dropping later this week on patreon.com/yogitriathlete. Namaste - Jess