Athletes have always been told their pain correlates with tissue injury, anatomical issues, poor movement, biomechanical faults, strength deficits, mobility challenges, and/or instability. Essentially we attribute pain to something being wrong with the body. Usually because of things like overuse, wear and tear, age, and past injury/surgery. But the last 2 decades of research tell a different story. Are you ready to see your pain through an amazing new lens? Let's dive into modern pain science to better understand the amazing phenomenon of neuroplasticity and how it applies to athletes like you.

We'll continue to work to shift belief about what's driving your pain this week. Understanding the role of the body and busting myths about old school ideas removes a huge initial barrier to progresss. This will lead to a new belief and narrative moving forward as we look to build evidence toward safety. Your 1 on 1 session with me is an important part of this process so please complete your intake form and history, if you haven't already. Enjoy the content this week. You'll have a new appreciation for your body, how it heals, and the power of the brain/mind.

After 2 weeks of content and your 1 on 1 session, we've ruled out the body completely ("your body is healed, there's nothing wrong with your body"), or we've gained insight about the role of the body in the process of overcoming pain (deconditioning, adaptive change, communication between brain and body). This week we'll strengthen the idea with even more evidence for your brain and nervous system as primary drivers of ongoing pain. This creates new opportunities and exposes new strategies for unlearning or overcoming symptoms. This is also the start of making meaning from your symptoms and gaining new insights in the direction of growth in the form of better performance in sport, and in life.

Once you've shifted belief about your pain, and have less fear about the role of your body, you can expect a different outcome as you re-engage in sport. Your mindset and self-talk makes all the difference in how your return to movement process plays out. In this section, we'll talk about the process of exposing your brain and nervous system to healthy movement and consider how the body interacts with the brain.

There is no future point at which you can start to move. There is no prerequisite. The moment is now. You can't overcome pain without starting to move again. So let's get after it!

This section is a shift into a new phase of the process. We're moving beyond cognitive strategies that keep us up in our head and instead get us back down into the body. The place we'd all like to spend more time as athletes. As you continue to learn about pain and start to feel safe to move again, somatic strategies become a superpower. They can connect you with hidden emotions and ultimately toward growth, meaning, and purpose in your life. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. As you dive in, remember this strategy is not rigid and looks different for everyone. Some use it a lot. Others not at all. Some will use it now, others will use it later. Regardless, let's continue to work together to make this your own.

This week we get into the good stuff. Welcoming and honoring all emotions (part of emotional intelligence) is a skill every athlete can learn. It leads to a wider and richer range of experience in sport and in life. Week 6 will focus on identifying, exploring, and processing past and current emotions to gain wisdom day to day. This will lead to visioning version 2.0 of you as an athlete and in your life more broadly. Enjoy!

Your future as an athlete will not be based on past programming and conditioning. The past is what brought you here and there are no answers in the past. Instead, we're looking to mentally rehearse and visualize the future you want. There are no pre-requisites for the future. You don't need to wait for pain to go away, to get that job, to be loved by your parents, or to achieve some athletic goal to be successful. By practicing the future you want NOW, you'll start to manifest it in ways that you never thought possible. You can apply these skills to life and to sport. As you make meaning from symptoms and start to gain clarity on what you want, today will give you the skills to get there.

This week we'll review concepts, discuss common pitfalls, and troubleshoot barriers, all on the way to creating a plan that you'll carry into the remaining 5 group sessions. Now that you're on the playing field, we'll get clear on what the process looks like in the future. This is the week where it all comes together.