Today we have a blog post from one of our Master’s level interns, Maya Redalen, about navigating life with chronic illness. Maya believes that every person has the innate capacity to heal and that therapy is a collaborative process of helping clients reconnect with the wisdom, resilience, and strengths that already exist within them.
Maya recognizes that our thoughts, emotions, relationships, and nervous systems are deeply interconnected, and she works with clients to gently explore the protective patterns that have developed throughout their lives. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, she seeks to understand the whole person and create a space where healing can unfold with curiosity, compassion, and safety.
She believes that healing is not about fixing what is broken, but about cultivating enough safety for each person’s authentic self to emerge. She values the therapeutic relationship and strives to create an environment where clients feel seen, heard, and accepted without judgment.
Using Mindfulness to Cope with Chronic Illness
According to the Center for Disease Control, 129 million Americans currently live with a type of chronic condition, whether it’s a physical or mental health condition. Whether you are diagnosed with a condition that medical doctors are confident they know how to manage, or one that nobody can seem to figure out, I want to validate how difficult and lonely that can be.
Some people may give you advice such as: “Just reduce your stress,” or, “Get more rest.” But they may not grasp how a chronic condition re-shapes your life, impacts your decisions, and affects your relationships. Mindfulness is a powerful tool to help manage and cope with your chronic illness and here are steps in order to use it.
Using Mindfulness to Cope:
Mindfulness
Incorporating practices such as Tara Brach’s RAIN practice helps us explore difficult experiences, such as living with a chronic condition, with compassion and curiosity. This practice is broken down into four parts: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture.
Recognize
Begin by gently noticing what you are experiencing at this moment with curiosity rather than judgment. Try not to focus on how you felt earlier today or yesterday and instead bring your attention back to what is happening right now. Notice any physical sensations you may be experiencing, such as discomfort, pain, or tension. You may also notice emotional or mental experiences, such as anxiety, sadness, racing thoughts, exhaustion, or difficulty quieting your mind. Simply acknowledge what you notice and put words to it without trying to change or fix it. Your experience may feel intense, or you may notice very little, and either response is okay.
Allow
Take a few moments to recognize what you are experiencing and allow yourself to simply be aware of it. You might gently acknowledge it by saying to yourself, “This is what I’m feeling right now,” or “Anxiety is present for me in this moment,” in the same compassionate way you might respond to someone you care about.
Accepting what you are experiencing does not mean that you have to like it, agree with it, or give up on wanting things to change. Instead, it means making room for your current experience without immediately fighting against it. By acknowledging it, it may help you see it more clearly while responding to yourself with greater kindness and compassion.
Investigate
Once you have acknowledged what you are experiencing, take some time to notice how you typically respond to it. You may recognize patterns such as avoiding or distracting yourself, experiencing fear, or ruminating on different outcomes. You might also notice self-critical thoughts or specific worries related to your health.
See if you can notice which response pattern is showing up right now. Gently give it a name, such as “avoiding,” or “expecting the worst.” Then bring your attention to how that reaction feels physically. Do you notice tightness, tension, or a sense of bracing? Perhaps you feel restless or energized, or maybe your body feels heavy, tired, or numb. Rather than trying to change the sensation, spend a few quiet moments observing it with curiosity and allowing yourself to notice what is there.
Nurture
After noticing what you are experiencing, gently ask yourself, “What do I need right now?” Give yourself time to listen without feeling pressured to have an immediate answer.
Your need may be something simple, such as food, rest, connection, or support. Small acts of self-care can create space for greater clarity about what comes next.
Remember that self-compassion takes practice. You do not need to have everything figured out. Simply acknowledge where you are, offer yourself kindness, and take the next helpful step.
A resource I recommend is the book “Living Well with Pain and Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering” by Vidyamala Burch. After two serious spinal injuries, Vidyamala Burch found herself facing the loneliness of disability and chronic pain with few skills or resources to turn to. Instead of giving up, she set out on a mission to embrace her physical challenges with compassion, acceptance, and peace. Vidyamala encourages readers with insights and instruction in: The five-step model of mindfulness and how to use it to foster healing using The Breathworks approach to meditation, and how to apply it to chronic illnesses.
An affirmation I want to leave you with:” Today, I will show my illness gratitude for all it has taught me about myself and my body.”
Cheering you on!
Maya Redalen
We hope you found Maya’s insights on mindfulness helpful. If her message resonated with you, this could be the perfect time to take meaningful steps towards your healing and peace. To initiate your work with Maya, please feel free to contact our office at 615-510-3797 or click here to learn more.
