A woman who became a monk after years spent living with chronic pain has written a book about her experience.
Mother-of-two Sally Page, 48, who was born in Watford and now lives in Rickmansworth, says she has gone from a world of pain to an everyday experience of peace.
Writing under the name Meera Ishaya, Sally has published her book, Peace or Pain: Discovering the Unbroken You and Changing your Relationship with Pain, about her journey with pain and subsequent realisations and discoveries.
The mother-of-two explained that as an Ishaya Monk, people are given a name which represents their inner essence, as opposed to their personality, and Sally’s Ishaya name is ‘Meera’.
Sally developed a rare condition called symphysis pubis dysfunction 2003 during the pregnancy of her second child.
This left her in severe chronic pain and unable to walk or lift her left leg and her right leg only a little.
She needed a crutch to walk short distances and relied on a wheelchair to go further.
An orthopaedic surgeon wanted to operate on Sally and bolt her pubic bone together with a metal plate and pins – but she declined and took an alternative route.
Sally said that Reiki – a Japanese form of alternative medicine called energy healing - helped her walk again after about six months of intensive treatments and with the assistance of a support belt.
After reaching “rock bottom”, she searched for other options and found a course with The Bright Path Ishayas called First Sphere. Ishaya monks are a spiritual group.
She said: “From the beginning I felt immense peace and my pain eased and life got easier.
“The improvements continued and I felt healthier, brighter and happier. I also found that my anger decreased and I became less reactive - my confidence grew and I could think more clearly as well.”
She was so delighted that she decided to become an Ishaya monk, teaching the ‘ascension’ techniques she learned.
The training was a six-month course held in the mountains near Tarragona in Northern Spain and on this course, in 2012, Sally said her whole perception of life changed and she gained a very stable experience of peace – “life was good!”.
Sally also explained that pain includes mental torment and being emotionally overwhelmed.
She continued: “There have been a few bumps along the way when my condition relapsed again, but my experience of pain is entirely different now.
“I can experience pain, but it’s a much lower level and is usually fleeting and more importantly I no longer suffer. This was put to the test when I experienced broken ribs a few years ago - I switched from a world of pain and suffering to one of peace and a greater ease of movement.”
Sally says her passion is now to help others who are in long term chronic pain and help them understand the stages to overcoming it.
She added: “I discovered peace is always available. Pain is possible, yes, but suffering is optional.”
To buy a copy of Peace or Pain: Discovering the Unbroken You and Changing your Relationship With Pain click here https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09BGPDT5C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_AYAD7K2EVFVP2M65CKFF
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