MY STORY

In 1991, during my first year of medical school, I began a daily meditation practice to relieve the stress and intensity of being a medical school student. I found that creating a dedicated space in my apartment and setting aside a specific time for meditation reduced my stress levels and enhanced my ability to focus and learn. Although I’ve moved several times since then, I have created a sacred meditation space in every one of my homes. My meditation practices have yielded benefits that continue to enrich my life and amaze.

Adherence to meditation and spiritual practices balanced me throughout my 20s, 30s, and 40s—decades filled with uncertainty and significant change. However, in my late 40s, traditional treatments failed to resolve chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain. After more than one year of trying various medicines, procedures, and traditional physical therapy, I began a healing journey into mind-body treatments. I sought out healers who approached the unresolved pain from not only the physical, but also spiritual, emotional, and energetic perspectives. Slowly, I learned to identify and release deeply-rooted trauma. As I did, the intensity and intrusiveness of the chronic pain dissipated, and, to my amazement, I began to change my relationship with the pain. The pain became a teacher for me, something to listen to rather than something to try to ignore, forget, or fix. Once I experienced the results of mind-body practices firsthand, I felt a profound calling to learn more and share this work with others.

Through my two-year training and certification process with The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, I realized that we all inevitably experience trauma. Unresolved traumatic experiences result in stuck, frozen emotions that significantly impact our health and well-being. Mind-body practices unlock our innate power to heal. Techniques such as breath work, meditation, guided imagery, and movement help to identify and eventually release these obstructed emotions. Mind-body practices cultivate strong compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness, not only for others but also for ourselves. Implementing mind-body tools empowers us to regulate our nervous system and courageously face our challenges.

Thank you for joining me in this process of unfolding.  I look forward to being together and working with all of you.

- Jason A. Cooper