We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sharada Devi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sharada below.

Sharada, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

The stage was set for me to start supporting folks to take their lives back from chronic pain, and learn to live pain free when I was young. At 21 I sprained my left hip badly while warming up for a dance class. Little did I know the anxiety and depression that I was already struggling with would join forces with this injury, and start a long cycle of chronic pain. For 2 years I limped in and out of doctor’s offices looking for relief, when a doctor told me in no uncertain terms, “you’re going to have osteoarthritis in that hip”. I was only 24 years old, that was a death sentence as far as I was concerned! Up to this point I’d tried all the recommended treatments, and nothing was stopping the muscle spasms that could double me over in my tracks. After this doctor’s assessment I realized if I was going to find relief I would have to figure it out on my own.
Fast forward a few decades and I’m happy to report there is no osteoarthritis in my hip or anywhere else in my body. When I left that doctor’s office that day I was mad as a wet hen, and scared. I put all that energy into figuring out solutions that would solve my physical and emotional problems. Fortunately for me at the same time I was looking for solutions our understanding of how the brain makes all pain was starting to change. Understanding how my thoughts, and emotions played into keeping my pain going allowed me to begin undo the tangle of unprocessed emotions and physical habits that kept my pain going.

If you are struggling with chronic emotional or physical pain, like anxiety, depression, IBS, Fibromyalgia, back pain and more then there is so much good news for you. We have everything we need built inside our marvelous nervous systems to teach our mind and body to live without chronic pain. While I was mad, mad, mad when I left that doctor’s office when I was 24, I now realize that moment put me in the driver’s seat of my own life. Out of that anger I learned how to undo my chronic pain. I’ve worked with all manner of traditional and nontraditional healthcare professionals. I found therapists who helped me process difficult emotions left over from my childhood. Over this journey I’ve learned how our body and brain work together to keep chronic pain going, and now I share the best of the things I learned with others.

Now with many years of pain free living under my hat, I’m grateful to that doctor who made me mad. That encounter motivated me to find professionals who could support my quest for pain free living. Life is so much easier, and more joyful without chronic pain.

As one client said after hearing this story, “I feel such hope”. I hope that if you see yourself in my story that you get the support you need and deserve to learn to live free from chronic pain. Learning to live pain free let’s you have more energy to do the things in life that you love with greater joy and ease.

Sharada, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My journey for pain free living began over 3 decades ago after anxiety and depression joined forces with a debilitating hip injury to become a colossal case of chronic pain. I have 4 degrees in the arts and the sciences, 3 levels of yoga certification. I’ve also been a dedicated student of our marvelous nervous system for 35 years. Most importantly I recovered from both chronic physical and emotional pain.

At Tools That Transform we support people on their journey to learn to live free from chronic pain. Chronic pain is different from the kind of pain you feel when you stub your toe. Chronic pain is pain that continues after an injury heals or pain that lasts for more than three months. To stop cycles of chronic pain you need to transform the way your mind and body work together.

Pathways for Pain Free Living is our signature program for helping you learn to balance your nervous system, and stop cycles of chronic pain. Each person’s chronic pain is unique, and for this reason all our programs are customized to fit the client’s individual needs. There are four pillars for pain free leaving that provide the structure of all programs:
1. Calming the Mind
2. Building a Healthy Body
3. Healing Emotions
4. Tools that are Effective & Fun

So many struggling with chronic pain feel isolated and misunderstood, not the case in Pathways for Pain Free Living. At Tools That Transform we know your pain is real. All our programs are hands on high touch, we do the work together. Pathways for Pain Free Living includes:

– 1:1 coaching
– a custom work book & support materials
– a toolkit of practices to support a healthy mind and body
– personalized guided meditations to support mental and emotional wellbeing
– lot’s of fun and laughter

When you complete Pathways for Pain Free Living you’ll have a tool kit filled with the knowledge and tools you need to transform the way your mind and body work together so that you can:

>feel more comfortable in your body
> sleep better
>have more energy to do the things you love
> live with more joy and ease

There are no shortcuts for learning to undo cycles of chronic pain, it requires that we transform the way our mind and body work together. When you are struggling with chronic pain it can feel like you are climbing an impossibly high mountain. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed, which can lead to hopelessness. This is why you need and deserve support on the journey. If other treatments you’ve tried work for a time, but the pain keeps coming back then reach out for support. Transformation is an inside job but that doesn’t mean we should go it alone. I’ve transformed the way my mind and body work together, and I am happy to walk with you through your own transformation.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When my journey with chronic pain began our understanding of how the mind and body work together to create chronic pain was pretty limited. When a doctor told me in no uncertain terms that I would have osteoarthritis in my hip it was a wake up call for me. I realized at that moment that unless I wanted to accept that diagnosis I was going to have to find different solutions for myself. Fortunately for me the modern neuroscience movement began shortly after I developed chronic pain and I was all in for learning how my brain kept chronic pain going. I was already a voracious learner at that time, and I made finding a way out of this painful mess my number one priority. I’ve tried every type of traditional and non traditional support system that I thought would work for me. I do not regret one dollar or one minute I’ve spent transforming the way my mind and body work together. Life without the fear and hopelessness that accompany chronic pain is a joy. I have tons of energy to do the things I want, like wow my 9 year old friend with my fearlessness at the trampoline club.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Transforming the way your mind and body work together is something that really requires you to develop a deep loving relationship with yourself. As I often say no one can do this for you, it’s an inside job. This does not mean it’s a job that you are expected to or should do alone. Because unlearning chronic pain is a transformation of our lived experience, the way we live in our own bodies , it’s really important to work with someone who has done the work themselves.

The most important quality that I bring forth for my clients is that I have been there, and I walk the talk. I know how chronic pain can drain your energy, leaving you feeling scared and hopeless. I know how some days you just don’t feel motivated to do the things you know you need to do. This is why my clients and I do the work together. So that when tough days come, and they always will, you have the support you need to make the next right step. You can learn to live free from chronic pain, I’ve done it and so can you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.toolsthattransform.com
• Instagram: @toolsthattransform
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToolsThatTransform
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharada-devi-4462a68/
• Youtube: [email protected]