How Meditation Helped Me Heal Chronic Back Pain and Transform My Health
Picture this: It’s Friday night, and I’m playing lacrosse for fun after my college D1 career ended. As I go to catch the ball, I stretch a little too far and hear a pop. I catch the ball, shoot and score but know that something isnāt right.
I start feeling a deep pain in my back. I go to the sidelines and sit the rest of the game out. When I go home, I take some painkillers and go to bed, thinking that everything will be fine in the morning.
Boy, was I wrongā¦
I try to go to the bathroom, but immediately collapse on the floor.
MaryBeth gasps!
I was crooked. The upper and lower halves of my spine are literally in two separate positions. It felt like someone was stabbing me in my spine with an icepick.
Every few steps, I fell to the ground in pain. MaryBeth rushed me to the ER.
They checked to make sure I didnāt have internal bleeding, gave me some prescription pain killers, muscle relaxers, and sent me on my way.
When MaryBeth begged them to tell me lacrosse was unsafe for me, the doctors laughed and said I was young and in good shape, so I would be fine in a few days.
Something with that didnāt sit right with me, so I went to a specialist. After tests, the doctor diagnosed me with spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease.
He said the X-ray looked like I had the spine of a 70-year-old with this disease (I was in my late 20s). And that I should expect multiple surgeries, a list of prescriptions, and potentially life in a wheelchair.
Well, that was a wake-up callā¦
I knew that wasn’t for me, and my heart knew that there had to be another way.
You see, when I was a kid growing up, I watched my grandmother slowly deteriorate and die in the hospital in pain after breaking her hip.
I can still vividly remember going to physical therapy with her and her screaming and yelling that she didnāt want me to see her that way.
That was one of the milestone moments that instilled in me the value of Health. I did not want the āsickcareā system in the US to be the one in charge of my healing. I never wanted to end up in a hospital if I could help it.
So, I went into deep research mode to find out how I could heal without having to have a bunch of surgeries. I looked at what the richest people in the world did with this disease, where money wasnāt an object.
What I found was a wealth of holistic methods and lifestyle changes that were scientifically proven to work. And I had no idea they were option.
One of the surprising top recommendations? Meditation.
Research shows that meditation can have a positive impact on both the physiological and psychological aspects of healing, such as:
- š„Reduce inflammation
- āļøLower stress levels
- š”ļøBoost immune function
- š§ Improve brain neuroplasticity
- ā¤ļøāš©¹Reduce pain
- š§¬Accelerate tissue repair
- šImprove mental well-being
- šÆImprove focus
- šŖBuild emotional resilience
- šļøReduce fear and anxiety
So I started to meditate and make other holistic lifestyle changes.
After a couple of months, I went back to my doctor for new X-rays, and he was blown away.
He thought he had the wrong file because, without any medical intervention, my spine had regrown the cartilage that was missing and was looking like a normal, healthy spine again.
And I have been meditating and living a more holistic lifestyle ever since.
But here’s the truth: When I first started to meditate, it was difficult. for me
I was advised to start with twice-daily sessions of 20 minutes each. That was a big jump for me. And I really struggled with slowing down my racing mind.
I felt like someone who had never gone on a run and then signed up for a marathon the next day.
It was a tough start, and Iām all about building new practices slowly. For example, if I were just doing pull-ups for the first time, I wouldnāt try to do 100. I would start with a couple and then build up.
Because what I learned is that meditation is a daily practice. It is a muscle you build, just like you build your muscles in the gym.
You donāt just go to the gym once and then expect to get stronger and stay that way.
You build a consistent practice to do that, and you get stronger each day.
Thatās exactly why we created The DailySparkāto help you build a meaningful meditation practice without adding more pressure to your life.
I know what itās like to receive a wake-up call that forces you to rethink your health. I also know that lasting change rarely begins with a massive overhaul. It begins with one small choice you can repeat.
The DailySpark gives you a 2ā3 minute guided practice each day to help you slow down, reset, and reconnect with yourselfāeven on your busiest days.
Unlike YouTube or meditation apps, you wonāt waste time scrolling through hundreds of options and wondering which practice to choose. Each day, one intentionally selected meditation is delivered directly to you, making it easier to begin and stay consistent.
Youāll also receive longer weekend practices and a monthly LIVE session with MaryBeth and me.
Itās simple, supportive, and designed for real life.
Just $10 a month or $100 a year.
And given that itās our 1-year anniversary, we are offering 2 MEGA BONUSES worth $158! Thatās more than the investment of a year and a half of DailySpark support. š¤Æ
šBONUS #1: A private energy session with me!ā”($111 value) This HeartWall Clearing Session and Mind, Body & Spirit Reset will release the emotional and energetic weight youāve been carrying, reconnect with your heart, and create space for greater peace and alignment.
šBONUS #2: MaryBethās āBecoming an Island of Peace in a Sea of Chaosā course šļø($47 value) āself-paced 4-session class to teach you exactly how you can stay grounded even when the world is anything but.
You donāt need hours or perfect conditions to prioritize your well-being.
You just need a few intentional minutesāand a spark to help you begin.
š Join The DailySpark Now
P.S.
The DailySpark has been listened to thousands of timesāhereās what people are saying:
- āāāI’m loving it because I’m being consistent every morning, making it a habit, getting in touch with my core values.āā Nnenna U.
- āI do it in the car, in traffic. It works. Itās real.ā ā Steph S.
- āI needed an upliftā¦ I played the happiness meditation, and felt my energy shift.ā ā Carrie N.
- āI was listening to the meditation on kindness while struggling with sleep. It shifted my entire mood.ā ā Amanda H.
- āI love this! I havenāt missed a day since I started! And I’ve never had a consistent practice like this before!ā ā Sarah O.
