How well do most people know their body? How much time do they take to understand it and hear it when it speaks? Probably not enough, as writer Tim Parks, author of Teach Us to Sit Still: A Sceptic's Search for Health and Healing, found out when faced with pain both he and his doctors couldn’t explain. He ended up trying a different approach. It cleared the pain and gave him a whole new perspective.
Chronic Pain
Tim Parks was plagued by pains. The problem was they were many and varied. He had pain in the perineum, tension in the abdomen and aches in his back. The pain disrupted his nights and forced him to the bathroom. Frequently. Visiting the bathroom gave temporary release but the pains came back. They began to become more than just discomfort, began to affect his working day. He could no longer sit down to use his computer. He was forced to face facts.
"The fact is that my body was not ordinarily present to me. I was only aware of it when it caught me by surprise, when it interrupted me. Pain was an intrusion into a busy schedule. I didn’t examine it. I didn’t give it time." (p17)
Seeking a solution, Parks tried most things. He gave up coffee, reduced his alcohol intake and increased his exercise. He also undertook an extensive battery of medical tests, which came back satisfactory. So what now?
Alternative Medicine
Parks admits to being something of a sceptic when it came to alternative medicine. He didn’t acknowledge the value of such treatments and scorned the various alternative therapies. Nevertheless, he was short on options. A conference in India provided an opportunity. A consultation with an ayurvedic doctor caused him to think about the connection between mind and body and how mental conflict could create blocked energy and physical pain. And if this was so, how he might change. He wanted to change.
Then he ordered A Headache in the Pelvis by Wise and Anderson. This book was the start of a revolutionary approach for Parks, one that began with regular relaxation and deep breathing. Focusing on the body, paying attention to tension where it existed, but not to the pain. Parks found the process fascinating. It also helped to ease the symptoms.
Shiatsu Massage and Vipassana Meditation
Tim Parks didn’t stop there. From Wise and Anderson’s method he went on to explore Shiatsu massage, where hands-on pressure is applied to the body to improve energy flow. He also undertook several retreats, learning Anapana and Vipassana meditation. Through this meditation, he was able to calm his mind and allow the heat of past thoughts and actions to burn themselves out. The result: stillness. An absence of pain. Living his life, the same person, the same life, but different.
Teach Us to Sit Still: A Sceptic's Search for Health and Healing is a fascinating insight into Parks’ struggle with pain and transformation. Interspersed with his journey towards healing, are thought provoking observations on writers and the stories they tell.
This is a book that talks about men’s issues, but it’s also a book for women. Anyone who wants to examine pain, including emotional pain locked in the body will find this interesting. The book challenges us – how much do we want to know ourselves, how far will we go, on the path to freedom? Parks can’t answer that for us, but reading his book might help us answer for ourselves.
About Tim Parks
Tim Parks has written 14 novels as well as a number of non-fiction works. Europa was shortlisted for the Booker prize. He is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books and the New York Review of Books. He lives in Italy, studied at Cambridge and Harvard and was born in Manchester.
Further Information
David Wise and Rodney Anderson. A Headache in the Pelvis: A New Understanding and Treatment for Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes, 6th ed. California: National Center for Pelvic Pain Research, 2010.
Ellie Stevenson - Ellie writes on history, travel, careers & the arts. Her novel, Ship of Haunts (http://tinyurl.com/cyryp2m) is on Amazon as an ebook.
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