What We Focus On, Grows: A Journey From Chronic Pain to Awareness in Motion
A somatic perspective on why chronic pain is an invitation to move differently
There’s a simple truth that applies to every aspect of the human experience: what we pay attention to takes a predominant role in our lives. I didn’t discover this from a self-help book or an inspirational quote. I discovered it through my own body, navigating a long cycle of chronic discomfort.
Living with Chronic Pain: The Unpredictable Shadow
It started with a sharp, localized pain around my right lower ribs. From there, it began to spread—creeping toward my side and back, closer to the spine, travelling down toward my right pelvis and leg, and anchoring upward toward the sternoclavicular joint and into the muscles of my neck. The somatic sensations varied from day to day:
- On some days, I could complete my practice, feeling the physical pain but managing to stay in a good mood.
- On other days, I could still move, but the constant discomfort dragged my emotional state into frustration and irritation.
- On rare days, I barely felt it at all—just small, quiet traces during the day.
Days became months. Months became years. The pain became my shadow: constant, elusive, and unpredictable.
The Breaking Point: Almost Giving Up on Movement
My daily movement practice was my only real constant. Yet, at one point, the frustration grew so heavy that I thought about stopping entirely. I began to doubt myself, asking: maybe it’s movement itself that is causing this pain?
But after taking only a few days of complete rest, I realized something much deeper.
Movement was not the cause. The root issue was how I was moving, and how I was paying attention—or completely failing to. Our actions, thoughts, sensations, and feelings are deeply interconnected in a unified whole that expresses itself in how we inhabit the world. Pain was not an enemy to fight; it was simply a biofeedback signal. It was my body’s raw invitation to change the way I lived and moved.
Learning to Listen: Neuromuscular Re-Education and the Feldenkrais Method
To rule out structural issues, I underwent medical checks to see if there was a pathological problem inside my body. There wasn’t. That clinical confirmation settled it: it was me. I was unconsciously executing a habitual motor pattern that manifested as pain. This realization is where the Feldenkrais Method became a fundamental key to my discovery. It taught me that life and human anatomy cannot be understood solely with the rational mind; they must be sensed, felt, thought, and performed.
Over time, many practices supported my recovery, such as Awareness Through Movement (ATM) and Functional Integration (FI), Shaking and somatic release work but also Psychotherapy. Each modality helped me open a new perspective on my nervous system, shifting from local symptom management to holistic mind-body connection.
The Turning Point: Shifting the Somatic Focus
One specific moment sparked a profound paradigm shift. During an Awareness Through Movement class, the Feldenkrais practitioner asked a simple question as we lay on the floor:
“Where does your attention go when you rest?” My immediate, internal answer was: "Directly to the pain and discomfort".
Then came the invitation: “Try shifting your attention to what is working easily. To what is functioning right now, without effort. Can you sense the parts of yourself that are not complaining?”
That single question completely altered my trajectory.
A New Direction: Embracing Awareness in Motion
At first, I wasn’t ready to fully embody this concept. But slowly, I realized that many of my teachers—across movement culture, mindfulness, Feldenkrais, and Buddhist philosophy—had already been pointing me toward this exact truth. It simply took time for it to penetrate my entire self, moving past intellectual understanding into deep physical integration.
Today, my relationship with movement has taken a completely different direction. It is far from perfect, but it is infinitely more spacious. I’ve learned that the ability to consciously shift my attention—from what is broken to what is functional, from what I lack to what I already possess, from a future goal to the present moment—is the ultimate tool for self-care. It doesn’t magically erase every difficulty. But it alters the nervous system's response, making life less intricate, more connected, and profoundly more alive.
Start Your Journey of Self-Discovery
If you are tired of fighting your body and are ready to explore a different way of moving, we are here to support you. Whether you choose our in-person classes in Milan, our tailored online coaching, or private 1-on-1 personal training, this is your invitation to start a genuine journey of self-discovery through movement. Let's work together to rebuild your mind-body connection, move past chronic discomfort, and discover what your body is truly capable of when you learn to listen. Get in touch with us today to start your practice.
