When I injured my lower back in a skiing accident, I was pleasantly surprised that most of my physical therapist'­s suggestion­s were yoga stretches. I was able to take it from there and carefully, after a month, return to my full daily yoga routine. But even after healing, I like many others, feel pain in the injured area when under stress (when I breathe in perfume or other chemicals, which causes inflammati­on in my body) or when angry (see Dr. Sarno's book, Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection­). Pain specialist­s have also just done studies showing that the brain can become habituated to feeling pain, even after an injury has healed.

So, once again, I have to suggest mind-body healing techniques first, to retrain the subconscio­us, before undergoing more drastic medical inter-
venti­on.

DYNAMIND
The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is used by thousands, maybe millions of people around the world. But my favorite "instant" healing technique is DYNAMIND, a similar yet much simpler technique, adapted by Serge Kahili King, PhD, an expert in Huna healing and Hawaiian shamanism.

How does it work? You hold your hands in a prayer position in front of your solar plexus chakra, or navel area, say what you're feeling, e.g., "I feel stabbing pain in my lower back and I know that can change. I want that pain to go away." Then tap seven times on the center of your chest above your thymus gland, then seven times on the web between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, then seven times on your neck at the knob where it meets your back. Then, with hands back in prayer position, take a deep breath in from the top of your head and let it out the bottom of your feet.

This technique uses words, motion, breath, acupuncture points, affirmations,  etc., to change your subconscious belief that your pain can't change. If one round focusing on the physical pain doesn't provide relief, work to change the emotions associated with the pain. For instance, say "I feel anger in my lower back and I know that can change. I want the anger to go away."

For a free explanation and instructional booklet on Dynamind, see www.huna.org.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries
www.thechakras.org

All the tools to balance your 3rd or Solar Plexus Chakra will help to increase your inner power and strength and therefore, your self confidence. 

As I am reading Serge Kahili King's new book, "Creating Reality," I see how many of the same tools are used in the Hawaiian shamanic tradition.  King describes shamanic tools using four levels or world views for increasing self esteem...

On the physical level, or in the objective world view, King recommends skill development - increasing your energy, strength of body and mind, and consciously changing your posture. On the second or subjective level, he recommends self talk - self praise and increasing your aura; on the third level or symbolic level - creative visualization, guided imagery, dreamwork; and on the fourth level, or holistic level where we are all one,  modeling the behavior of someone/something you’d like to emulate. Check out Huna wisdom at www.Huna.org.