CHRONIC

PAIN
JOURNAL

written by

Kayla Kurin
 Chronic Pain Journal by Kayla
Kurin. www.arogayoga.com © 2018
Kayla Kurin All rights reserved. No
portion of this book may be
reproduced in any form without
permission from the author, except
as permitted by Canadian copyright
law. For permissions contact:
info@arogayoga.com

Cover design by: Reychelle Ann

Ignacio from Canva
 Introduction
“The part can never be well unless the
whole is well.” Plato.

Welcome! I am delighted that you've picked

up this journal and are going to let me guide
you on your journey to better health.
This journal is a companion to: "Yoga for
Chronic Pain: 7 steps to aid recovery of
fibromyalgia through yoga" but can also be
used on its' own.
I know that chronic pain can be debilitating
both physically and emotionally. Especially
when you're not getting the support you
need.
I struggled for almost 10 years with chronic
pain and fatigue until I found a holistic health
team that was able to guide me to recovery.
During those 10 years I bounced around from
doctor to doctor. These doctors ranged from
telling me it was "all in my head" to
prescribing a slew of sleeping pills, and
 advising me to "drink a coke" if I got tired
during the day. If you've received similar
guidance from practitioners in the past, I'm
sorry. I know how frustrating it can be when
someone tries to treat a symptom rather than
the illness or doesn't take your illness
seriously. As Plato knew over 2000 years ago,
it's impossible to feel well just from treating a
part. But, it's a struggle to find someone who
can treat chronic pain well. It's not suited for
the western medical system which so focuses
on treating symptoms.
It can also be hard to find the support you
need from family and friends who don't
understand what you're going through.
These are 2 of the reasons why keeping a
journal can be such a critical part of healing.
This journal can help you communicate
with your doctor, and process your feelings
around your illness in a mindful way.
This journal focuses on holistic health,
focusing on tools from the traditions of yoga
and mindfulness. It will help you monitor
your pain levels (which you can share with
 your doctor), as well as keep track of the
tools you use to reduce your pain.
The steps begin with assessing your current
pain levels and move on to incorporating
different techniques to help you manage that
pain. This journal is meant to be a 60-day
planner, but you're free to move through the
steps as slowly or quickly as you like.
This journal will allow you to record your
thoughts, feelings, reactions and pain levels
to different treatments and activities. You can
know that you're following the steps of many
others who have successfully recovered from
chronic pain, and record your own journey
on the following pages!

Wishing you love and light,

Kayla
 Step One
Understanding your pain
 My Commitment
Statement
In the next 60 days, I commit to creating a
daily yoga and mindfulness practice. I
promise to keep an open mind to new
techniques, and commit to giving 100% effort
when trying new things. I promise to accept
my self for where I am now, and choose to
move forward with hope but without
expectation.
I also commit to:

Signed:

Date:
 Pain Survey
What other symptoms have I experienced
over the last few days (fatigue, sleep,
cognitive function, etc.):

How did my chronic pain interfere with my

ability to do what I want over the last few days
(for example: laundry, shopping, work,
socializing, etc.):

On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied

with life am I right now?
 Pain Survey
Day 1

Over the past few days, the areas I have felt

the most pain are:

On a scale of 1-10, how much pain did I feel in

each area:

Where does it hurt?

only
is the
n atic
ed itatio system at
“M l, h
te n tiona ity whic
in acti v t
a n ou t no
hum b
is a rove
ttom p
b o
in g to im nywhere
tr y a
get o
r sel f o r
s im ply t
yo u t
, bu ere you
else wh aba
t
liz e n K
rea -Jo
y are.”
ad Zinn
alre
 Pain Journal
Use these pages to record your pain levels
throughout the day. Rank your pain on a scale
of 1-10 in the "Level of pain" column, and in the
"notes" column write down things like
medication, sleep, or stressful events that may
be affecting your levels of pain. You'll get one of
these pages for each section of the journal!

Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes

 Pain Journal
Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes
Reflections
Step Two
The science of Yoga
 Pain Journal
Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes
Dosha Reflections
My dosha is:

My secondary dosha is:

How balanced are my doshas?

The traits I most identify with are:

The best foods to balance my dosha are:

 Dosha Action
Plan
What steps am I going to take to nourish and
balance my doshas?
Western Medicine
vs. Ayurveda
My doctor can A practitioner
help with... can help with...
Reflections
Step Three
Taming the mind
 Pain Journal
Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes
 Mindful Goals
My mindful goal is to...

I will commit to this goal every day for the

next 8 weeks because...

My goal encompasses:
Non-judging
Patience
Beginner's mind
Non-striving
Acceptance
 Meditation Diary
This week I am going to practice (3):
Body scan
Breathing meditation
Thought observation
Expanding awareness
Moving meditation

My first practice will be:

On this date:
For this duration:

My second practice will be:

On this date:
For this duration:

My third practice will be:

On this date:
For this duration:
 Meditation 1
Before meditation I'm observing:

After meditation I'm observing:

 Meditation 2
Before meditation I'm observing:

After meditation I'm observing:

 Meditation 3
Before meditation I'm observing:

After meditation I'm observing:

Meditation
Calendar
Observe Your Pain
Primary pain Secondary pain
 Observe Your
Thoughts
In the first column, write down your
negative or catastrophic thoughts. In the
second column, write down a modified
statement. Follow the example below:

Thoughts Statements

I'm in so much pain I'm in a lot of pain

and I'll never get today, and I don't
better. know what will
happen in the futre.
 Observe Your
Thoughts
Thoughts Statements
Reflections
 Step Four
The breath as an energy
source
 Pain Journal
Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes
 Pranayama
This week I am going to practice (3):
Body scan
Breathing meditation
Thought observation
Expanding awareness
Moving meditation

My first practice will be:

On this date:
For this duration:

My second practice will be:

On this date:
For this duration:

My third practice will be:

On this date:
For this duration:
Reflections
Step Five
Yoga
Yoga Commitment
Statement
I will check with my principal healthcare
practitioner before starting a yoga routine. I
will trust my body as my own best teacher. I
will commit to a regular yoga practice for 60
days and keep an open mind to the benefits
of yoga for those two months.

I also commit to:

Signed:

Date:
 Pain Journal
Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes
Yoga Calendar
Draw A Morning
Yoga Practice
Draw An Evening
Yoga Practice
 Flare-up Plan
What am I going to do on days when I'm
feeling 'bleh'?
Reflections
Step Six
Self-care
 Pain Journal
Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes
 Self-care Plan
What's important to me in a self-care
plan?
 Self-care Plan
What non-health related things am I
going to commit to? For example,
creating art, journalling, etc.
Morning Routine
Evening Routine
 Elimination
Diet/Food Plan
Wellness Plan and
Budget
Date & activity Cost
Reflections
Step Seven
Living mindfully
 Pain Journal
Date & time Activity Level of pain Notes
Daily Mindfulness
When I'm mindful I feel...

I will try to do these things mindfully...

 Reflections
After trying these 7 steps I feel...
Reflections
Reflections
 Pain Survey
Day 60
Over the past few weeks, the areas I have felt
the most pain are:

On a scale of 1-10, how much pain did I feel in

each area:

Where does it hurt?

only
is the
n atic
ed itatio system at
“M l, h
te n tiona ity whic
in acti v t
a n ou t no
hum b
is a rove
ttom p
b o
in g to im nywhere
tr y a
get o
r sel f o r
s im ply t
yo u t
, bu ere you
else wh aba
t
liz e n K
rea -Jo
y are.”
ad Zinn
alre
 Pain Survey
What other symptoms have I experienced
over the last few days (fatigue, sleep,
cognitive function, etc.):

Write down how my chronic pain interfered

with my ability to do what I want over the last
few days (for example: laundry, shopping,
work, socializing, etc.):

On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied

with life am I right now?
 Reflections
What do you feel you've learnt over the
last two months?
Reflections
 The Future
Which of the tactics I've learnt do I want
to make a long-term commitment to?

In the future I will...

 Thank You!
Thank you for joining me on this journey to pain
reduction through mindful techniques and holistic
approaches.

I hope this journal helped you stick to a wellness plan,

and find clarity in your thoughts and feelings.

If you found this journal helpful, I'd be grateful if you

could leave a review on Amazon, or email me at
kayla@arogayoga.com with a testimonial I can use on my
website. Having this feedback will help me connect with
more fibromites who might be able to benefit from this
journal!

About the author

Kayla is a yoga therapist writer,
and advocate committed to
helping people feel better with
yoga. She's studied with teachers
in India, London, Barcelona, and
Toronto. Her goal is to make
yoga accessible so that people of
all abilities can participate in her
classes!
Available as e-
book and
paperback on
Amazon!