I signed up for the program because I had migraines for almost 20 years. At the time I signed up for the program, I was experiencing multiple migraines a week that I was treating with prescription medication. 

I also had chronic shoulder and neck pain for years. I had tried medication, physical therapy several times and weekly chiropractor visits to treat the pain but nothing had helped. 

I was hoping to reduce the number of migraines that I was experiencing every week. I never imagined that I would be able to actually cure the migraines. 

I was also hopeful that I would have reduced shoulder and neck pain but I really assumed that I would always have that pain. 

My motivation was really that I wanted to “fix” myself so that I could be more productive or more if a perfectionist.

  I was so excited to dive into the materials. I found the material so interesting. 

The first week introduced me to pain science. I was relieved to learn that it’s actually possible to rewire our brains to feel less chronic pain and that we can actually create new no pain pathways. That intro really opened my brain up to the  possibility that I could actually be pain free. I started the course on a Saturday or Sunday. I watched the course materials and journaled about my experience throughout the course. I was completely pain free Monday-Wednesday of that week. That completely shocked me and honestly freaked me out a little bit. I did experience one migraine the first week and I took my medication (the only one I’ve had since starting the course and I don’t even know where the medication is now!).

I was able to observe my symptoms and to recognize what triggered those symptoms and my fear about the oncoming migraine which caused the symptoms to ramp up. I was blaming myself for not taking care of myself and the lack of compassion for myself would just continue the cycle. After I had identified that fear cycle which was explained in the course material, I was able to use the tools taught in the program to observe the beginning of the cycle and to stop the cycle. 

The course and one on one coaching helped me realize that resisting my feelings/emotions (for like 20 years) was leading to the pain. I was also an extreme perfectionist/legalist which led to more resistance (anything negative was unacceptable). 

My brain was using the pain to try to protect me from any negative feelings. After I learned self compassion through the course, my brain no longer needed to protect me from negative feelings bc I felt safe to feel them - I knew I’d have my own back no matter what. As I learned to allow all of my feelings and be willing to feel any feelings including any pain - the pain just faded away. 

Now if I do have pre-migraine symptoms arise (which is rare), I take a step back and think what am I resisting here? How can I offer myself compassion? - and the cycle and pain and fear never starts. 

I also love combining my thoughts above with the somatic tracking exercises that I learned in the course. Those two tools combined have allowed me to stay totally pain free. 

Also, the material was easy to understand and was presented in a very user friendly way. I enjoyed the one on one coaching aspect because it allowed me to take the materials deeper and helped me apply the materials to my life. I think the one on one coaching set me for long term success. By success I mean practicing allowance and self compassion which leads to being pain free.  

Not only am I migraine and chronic pain free, I feel like my life has been changed in so many ways by the coaching. Before starting the course I was very focused on perfection and not feeling any negative physical symptoms or emotions. I really wanted to check the boxes in my mind of what a perfect parent, employee and spouse look like. 

The course and coaching helped me realize that in trying to gain perfection I was resisting my thoughts and feelings and wasn’t truly present in my own life. I was very numb to emotions both good and bad. As I started practicing the allowance I was coached on, I felt like my eyes were opened up to an alternate way of living my life. After practicing allowance and self compassion I knew that I wanted to allow myself to be a human (as imperfect as that may be) in order to fully experience my life and to experience genuine meaningful relationships with my partner and my son. I became willing to feel negative emotions and to be imperfect. As soon as that happened, I felt so light and free from a burden I had been carrying for a long time. I now feel present in my life and I experience and allow the full range of human emotions. I enjoy my time with my son so much more now that I have laid down the pressure of being a perfect parent. My relationship with my partner has really improved as well. When I gave myself permission to be human, I also gave others permission to be imperfect humans. This really allowed us to have a more genuine relationship with each other. 

Basically I was a robot and now I’m a human and loving the full range of human emotions and experiences that I get to experience every day! 

I no longer experience migraines. I went from having multiple a week that required prescription medication to zero migraines. Rarely, I will feel the pre- migraine symptoms start to arise (floaters and facial numbness) but it doesn't send me into a panic. I’m able to use the tools I learned in the program and the symptoms recede. 

I have no pain in my shoulder or neck. I'm able to notice when I tensing my muscles and it allows to look at what I’m resisting or feeling and the pain doesn’t arise. Before the course, I always thought I would have that pain forever. 

(Update - Lauren had a baby in early 2022 and used these skills to experience no pain during birth or recovery. Wow!)