👉 ✅ Come join me in my new course! 🧠 Brain Retraining 101: For ME/CFS and Long Covid Recovery. Enroll now: raelan-agle-s-school1.teachable.com/p/brain_retraining_101
What has really helped me is understanding that fatigue is just another response from the body when it thinks you are unsafe. If I have mild fatigue (not major) I don't go lay down right away in fear anymore, I tell myself I am safe and OK and keep doing what I am doing - and my fatigue goes away!
I had a similar response and still use it even though I’ve recovered. I find I have a higher gear my mind and/or body will kick into if I give it a demanding task or challenge. When exhausted, I ride my bike for 30 minutes…problem solved!
@@RaelanAgle With all due sincere respect, I love your channel and all the work you've done, but I'm kind of surprised you're seeing her comment as 'fascinating'. I also strongly disagree with your assertion at approximately 8:30 minutes into your video, where you suggest that we're experiencing problems because modern living isn't anything like living in prehistoric times. Totally flabbergasted at that assertion. Prehistoric times were a LOT more unsafe than they are now! Would or wouldn't you agree that chronic illness is (in this context) a result of past traumas/stressors and even current ones -- that taught our brains that 'our' world isn't safe?
Thank you so much Raelan. You are doing incredible work for the ME/CFS community. ❤️ I am finally in the early stages of my recovery after discovering somatic tracking as my preferred method of brain retraining. It took me a while to find something that "clicked", but once it did, it was like a light bulb moment! I completely agree that brain retraining is the key to addressing the non-structural issues. Your channel was the first resource I found that introduced me to the idea that recovery from CFS was possible. It gave me so much hope during my lowest moments. The wide range of topics you cover and the advice you give is invaluable and I cannot believe it is all available for free. So many people cannot afford the expensive courses and are plagued with financial worries. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hi Wally! First and foremost, I'm so thrilled to hear about the progress you've made with your recovery! It's incredible when things start to click, isn’t it? I'm so glad you are finding what's working for you. I can't express enough how touched I am by your generous donation. It means so much, especially in the context of supporting the channel and allowing me to keep offering content like this for free. It's messages like yours that fuel my passion to continue to help and support the ME/CFS community. Knowing that my channel could be a beacon of hope for someone during some of their hardest moments? That's everything to me. Thank you for your kind words, and even more so for your amazing support. Here's to many more light bulb moments and stories of recovery! Cheers to you and your continued progress. ❤ Massive hugs, Raelan
@@RaelanAgleThanks for taking the time to write such a lovely and thoughtful reply. You are most welcome. 😊 The donation is just a drop in the ocean compared to what you deserve. I'm glad to see others in the comments supporting the channel through memberships and donations. Your channel certainly is a beacon of hope for so many people. 🌞 Cheers to you and to those watching your videos who are doing their very best to recover! 🍻
Thank you so much for putting this wonderful video together, I hope it helps many who are suffering. I have recovered from over 3 years of Long Covid and being housebound, by learning and understanding the knowledge that you have put forward here, this has been gained by using your amazing channel and undertaking a mind body course. Your technique for brain retraining given here was key to my recovery and the phrases you use in the meditation were my mantras that I used throughout the day, especially when I felt myself going into overwhelm. They truly worked for me! My autonomic nervous system fought back making some of my symptoms worse for a few days but I didn’t worry about this instead I took it as a positive that the training was working (I learnt this on the course I undertook). Recovery occurred remarkably quickly and it’s totally incredible to have my health back. Sorry for the long comment - I just want others to have as much faith as possible in knowing this is an amazing path to healing. ❤ Thank you Raelan, you are the most amazing and generous person ❤
While I agree with your solution I disagree that nothing is wrong physically. My feeling is thedysregulated ANS is preventing healing and the body regaining its balance. Things like microclots, mitochondria are are messed up but can recover if your body is in a healing state. It's a subtle but important difference to the way you presented it. There are things physically wrong but luckily they are things that can be healed and brought back into balance if you regain a healing state.
I understand what you are saying, believe me. However, what I’ve come to realize is that being a sympathetic state, while certainly not optimal and will lead to sub optimal issues within your physical body, these issues are not immediately dangerous. In other words, the deeper you go with lab tests, seeking out advice from functional doctors, etc, the more likely it is that there will be things that are uncovered that could be considered physically abnormal. The important thing to remember though is that there is nothing wrong which is imminently dangerous. This is the message that your brain needs to absorb (limbic system) in order to move into a more regular parasympathetic, and thus healing, state.
You are not wrong and this is coming from someone who had and healed from severe long covid with documented POTS and off blood labs for many things which are all normal now. However, an imperative part of brain retraining working is, while that "clearing of your system" has't happened yet, you want to focus on being willing to set that aside(even if just for 6 months) and allow your brain to focus on something else. I knew a girl who healed bc every time she had a negative thought about her symptoms she imagined eating a chocolate cupcake with such joy that her brain literally stopped handing her those symptom based thoughts bc she was no longer triggered by them. Then along the way her body healed too bc it was able to detox. I am not saying it's as simple as a cupcake but I am saying that the miracle is in your focus. Think of it like your nose. It's there in your field of vision but your brain learns to tune it out. Every so often something strange makes you start to catch a shadow of your nose and if you fixate and focus on that and look at it as a danger then your brain is going to keep staring at it bc you're telling it that this nose being seen is a danger and so your brain stares to make sure you're safe. The symptoms are false alarms creating a dysregulated state. Creating a dysregulated body. The only way out is believing you're ok and taking little steps one at a time to focus on that truth rather than the fear. This is why I feel the DARE program is a great supplement to brain rewiring. If you feel stuck on the need to be acknowledge for your suffering and needing to defend the reality of your pain or condition(which is totally understandable and a part of what holds people back) then it can be helpful to start looking at ways to work with that. Inner parts work and internalizing the truth that only you can give yourself the acknowledgment of what you have experienced. No other person can do that for you. I get this bc this was me. I am not saying you're in victim mode but I certainly was. One day I saw it for what it was and decided I cared a LOT more about being well than being right or being seen and acknowledge. I could love and acknowledge my experience for myself my experience and also decide for a time I would not have any more victim based thoughts and change my focus. I decided to focus on what I wanted and not what I didn't. I know this can be a very touchy subject for those who have suffered much but I write about my experience anyway bc I know there will be a time when it resonates at just the right moment and it truly is the key. You're body can and will heal but not while you feel in danger and needing to defend one's experience or situation continues the message to the nervous system that you are in danger and in need of defending. Someone who was further along in healing for me once told me that defensiveness, in general, was typically a sign of emotional trauma that perpetuates the dysregulated system and if I could look for my defensiveness and see it as a clue then I could start little by little not focusing my time of defending things and instead use that same mental/emotional energy to focus on something more life giving. ❤
Thanks for the shout out Raelan. Happy to be a member despite my ongoing issues with the cleanliness of your home. Plus, I’ve had several autograph requests since the posting of this video. A nice bonus.
Wow, so simple, I am safe my body is fine ..... everytime I said it I got a rush of warmth!! I've been freezing with the temperature drop, my nervous system overreacting as it isn't that cold. And then the tears, the relief from the reassurance. I'm gonna do this each day in the morning 🌄 thank you!
Raelan, you absolutely crushed that explanation of how our amygdalae are trying to help us survive. You also did a beautiful job of explaining and demonstrating the practice. You rock.🤘
It would be incredible, Felicia! ❤️ You're welcome to share your experience whenever you feel ready to talk about it. We learn so much from each other at any stage of our recovery journeys. 🌟❤️
This is what I am working with my psychologist on. She herself is recovered. We are working with internal family systems and I believe this is my route through this.
@RaelanAgle that's good to hear. I had an email with your helpful support person the other day. I'm hoping next year I can get on and explain it all but I have to make it work for me first but it's the only thing that seems to touch the right part of me. I'll bore you on meds getting in the way too. Pregabalin is no joke
This was a really great explanation! I started doing this when I was early retraining and incrementally training from neurocovid and would feel some mental fatigue from starting to do more cognition each day. I would put on some spa like music and lie flat on the floor(great bc you're grounding here too) and do exactly what you just described. I only had patience to do a few minutes at first but even just that was like a brain fog clearing exercise. This would also make me feel more alert and awake if I was having a mid-day blah. It was like a cup of coffee without all the negative effects. Sometimes when I am out and about and can't lay down I will just put on water music or bird sounds and put my seat back for 3-4 min in a parking lot. It's amazing!
This is an excellent video on brain training Raelan, your explanation is so clear and I finally feel like I've gotten my head around brain retraining, even though I've been hearing and reading about it for months. Thank you for making this video - super duper helpful. Please keep up the work you are doing for so many people who are suffering, myself included. Lots of love.
Your channel is so inspiring. I watch your videos when I’m having a flare up and they give me so much comfort. I would love to hear more recovery stories from people who are or were in challenging life situations that they couldn’t control but recovered despite this. Carers for example, my teenage son has additional needs so it’s more of a challenge for me to feel in a safe space. Would also love to hear your take on the effects of perimenopause and menopause on women with long covid and CFS. Keep up your amazing work 💕
Thank you so much for pointing this out, Jo! So many incredible recovery stories are coming up - there's a 6 month waitlist right now because so many people want to share. Much love to you! ❤️
Thank you. I combined this with IFS training and talked to the internal parts of me that didn't feel safe. Had a good chat with them, reached a true agreement that we are all safe. Will do this daily until it feels easy, Thank you 😊 🙏
Thanks Raelan - these tools are extremely useful to people those of us who have spent a lot of money trying different things; but haven't yet found that key to help us get through the door to healing ourselves. I'll give this one a try.
I can believe that my body is healthy. I just can't believe that Im safe. I have high-functioning autism and I often experience misunderstandings in communication with others, especially at work. I just dont understand social situations fully. This causes misunderstandings with coworkers and triggers my stress and fatigue. I might have to leave my job now because of a long sick leave due to burnout. I have applied to so much help for this issue, but the health services dont know how to help (not even autism habilitation). This exercise was good because it helped to highlight that I dont actually feel safe... although, when I try to have help with it I cant seem to get that help. It feels so hopeless somehow.
@s.b200, aww please know that even people without autism have social misunderstandings. We all feel misunderstood at times, and we all misunderstand at times. If you accept yourself knowing that you're doing your best, then you are safe (so long as YOU accept yourself). Doing your best is all you can do. God didn't make a mistake when He made you. Let go of control and the need for everything to flow perfectly. Accept the bumps in the road, but be okay with it. Maybe your phrase should first be, "I deeply and completely love and accept myself." This is a phrase from Emotional Freedom Therapy (said when tapping). Much love to you! 💗💗
I thought I wrote what you wrote! Same here and for years rd I’ve been on add meds and coffee to try to counteract this. All I know is I’m exhausted and physically and mentally tired of trying to unravel it alll and daunted by the task of sort of having to create a world in which it can be healthy for me- learning to communicate when you’ve been learning all your life anyway- how to deal in every situation- too much. Too much. I just pray these days- am truly burndedn by it all.
I have a question: you talked about catching thoughts and how you transform them from negative to positive. I find that incredibly difficult for things we NEED to do each day. For example: I know I still have to clean the house and do the laundry and so on. The thought of it stresses me out, but I still have to do the housework, I also have to cook to eat. How can I formulate a positive thought that does NOT stress me out? Second example: I'm annoyed about processes at work, which causes me more stress. If I am annoyed about the processes and they cause me stress and I say this, it gives me at least a small possibility that something will change. How can I just ignore the fact that it doesn't cause me stress, because ignoring it and not saying it doesn't change anything. Thank you so much :) for helping
What about reframing laundry and cooking as self care instead of chores and saying to yourself "I am cooking a healthy and delicious meal to nourish my body and soul because I love and care for myself" etc.....?
Thank you so much for this explanation of how the nervous system works and how to do a brain training exercise 🙏. Looking forward to hearing a follow up exercise while having symptoms after doing to much (as I do so often..) ❤
Raelan, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom in the graceful manner that you do. It is a profound act of kindness. God bless, and I wish you health, joy, and happiness on your path :) 😃🙏❤️
Thank you for your video for the good information and the exercise. And thank you for talking about your worries about money. I think it is also a part of being ill and recovery and would love to hear more about this part. Not beeing able to work, sometimes for some years adds a layer of stress.
I will definitely try this out! The way my body reacts to stress that it registers as "unsafe" is that it wakes me up 3am in the morning going like: " hey, what are you doing, we can't be sleeping now! You need to stay awake so that "thing" wont attack us in our sleep!" This is just golden, thank you so much!
Raelan, I enjoy your interviews and the fact that you’ve reached a consensus and conclusion about the importance of brain training. I am getting a state of the art neurofeedback device tomorrow which has a lot of clinical research supporting its efficacy in terms remodeling the brain and patterns of thinking. I’d love to do an interview with you after I’ve used it for a few months. I’ve been battling CFS/severe anxiety for about 3 years. Much of what you talk about resonates with me.
Thank you for your hope. And all the information that you find and put out there. I truly believe that having hope of being truly well again is the most important factor for recovery
Thank you so much for this! The journey from fatigue to wellness can get so expensive and that in itself is a stressor. Thank you for the gift of a free exercise from someone who has lived this experience. I appreciate you so much!!!
Hy Raelan I don't know why but when you said the sentences I started to cry and more when you were explaining it, maybe because it's so hard to see wathever damage not only physical can an illness do to the body and the mind. I'm 14 months in long covid and I really appreciate your videos. I know is do important to you create contents abiut cfs/me but I will really really will so thankfull if you do content about people like me wich are part of the group that have two kinds of sympthoms: the ones with the brain and the ones with the body structure as toy call. I have hypotirodism thanks to covid, and hormonal issues but I have sympthoms that has to do with the brain, it's hard to me to do brain trainning knowing that actually not all the tests came back good how to deal with this? Please can you do interviews with recovery people with structural body damage? How to align my brain with safety even knowing I will have to take a pill all my life for my thyrod. I love you work, would you help me? Thank you very much.
Thank you for such a good explanation & simple excercise for brain training. LC has really been a long way for me. i was hit by the delta variant in 2021/Aug & still feel its jitters till today will follow these tips & give u feedback. also i wud like to know if u have made video about sleep issues in LC. Thank you & God bless you 🙏 🙏🙏
I think my “trigger” or “holding back” thought is that I am that 1 in 100 case where this is set in stone, considering I’m bedridden. I ruminate on it. I really hope that that’s not the case & that truly anyone can heal from this if they work at it.
You can get better! I was also bedridden and in excruciating pain for years... I am finally up and about and recovering my old life & old self! Never Give up! 🙏 🤲🏻 🕊
Hi. You can and will definitely recover. Vanessa who was just interviewed by Raelan was bedridden and is fully recovered. She used DNRS, which is what I am using too.
Mindset is so impt isnt even if u have underlying chronic immune responses and inflammation. Mindset just is so impt. It takes time . But worth learning abt it to keep our mind calm no matter how shit we feel.
You can also mention neuroplasticity is MASSIVE in stroke recovery! Neuronal pathways are killed in a stroke. So stroke rehab is all about creating new pathways. Again on scans physical growth of the brain can be seen when compared to imaging done initially post stroke. Neuroplasticity does happen faster in children so I wonder if that's why usually children recover faster from CFS. Our brain learns by recognizing patterns. When we first get sick our brain learns exercise = I feel awful! So neuroplasticity is also how symptoms can begin in the first place. In a way CFS Recovery is undoing those connections made at the start of the journey. From a physio who spent a few years in stroke recovery. ☺️
I can relate! On a website called 'Heal With Liz', there's a CFS Recovery Programs Guide that costs $19. (I presume it's US$). It might be helpful. I haven't purchased it, so can't give any feed-back on the Guide itself. Some brain re-training programs have a free trial period.. the Gupta program does, and I think DNRS does also. I did a 28 day free trial with the Gupta Program, which is the original & first brain re-training program around. It resonated with me, so I ended up joining the full program today! I have high hopes for a good outcome. Good luck with choosing a program. 😊
I’m genuinely asking: what about what scientists found recently that in ME/CFS there’s a protein that’s stopping the mitochondria from doing what it’s meant to do? I feel maybe brain retraining and somatics can help and maybe help fix what’s going on there, right?
Your speaking to your autonomic nervous system not your current state of reality. If one for even an ounce of a second has to step into or into the platform of belief that their body is actually “fine”, “nothing really wrong”, etc. anything at all that denies truth then there can be a block to the re-wiring. Keep it in truth…. What you are speaking is what you know with your thinking and conscious brain will calm your autonomic nervous system. IF the autonomic nervous system can be caned, THEN the opportunity for your brain and body to allow healing is possible. It’s a tool to open that door that is locked down. That might or may just open the door for everything to heal
I understand completely you are saying right now I am having both mental and physical so glad you mentioned so I can start working both my body has been receiving a beating for different reasons. I would like to ask you something I don’t have amygdalae’s it was removed when I was a child could this be something that could affected me my recovery
I really appreciate this video and channel. My challenge is as a long hauler Covid is still around (and spiking now), so trying to rewire my nervous system seems counter intuitive because I feel like the threat is real...? But I agree with this concept and am trying to use it. Just not sure what to do with a "real" threat? (It seems real?)
Hey kasflo704- I had the same issue and have a couple of suggestions. I think the key with brain training (that took me AGES to clock on to!) is that it isn't to tell yourself your symptoms aren't real. It's to remind yourself that you're okay in that moment, and that the symptoms will pass. I have had to change my mentality from 'this might fix me' to 'this will likely make my mental state a whole lot better', meaning I can cope with the challenges thrown at me better. It's a similar approach they use for OCD recovery too- the idea isn't to say that the threat you perceive isn't real (which create the intense fear that drives OCD), but that you are okay in the moment and that you are building more strength to get through whatever comes.
Raelan, you're doing such a fantastic job!! Have you a patreon account? I'm assuming 'youtube channel system' take a bigger percentage than patreon, so may be worth checking out? 🥰
Raelan, would it still be effective to start with maybe ten minutes per day? I struggled with twenty minutes...felt almost stressed by the focus/ breathing intentionally/ tension in my facial muscles etc ..i guess it will feel better with consistent repetition? Curious to know how other people get on trying this for the first time?
Begin without the breathing, then. Incrementally build up on that later as your body feels safer. Smiling also sends a message of safety to our brain 😊
Hi Raelan. Can you tell me. In your experience, is chronic fatigue a response to a highly elevated stress response or not? Does it always preceded long term anxiety and even depression? Can an individual get chronic fatigue without anxiety? Great info and thank you so much for taking the time.
In my opinion there are different things that can cause CFS but the brain and nervous system as well as "t" can be major root causes. When the brain and nervous system do not feel safe one over protective mechanism can be for the body to keep the mitochondria from producing the energy we need. A program called Primal Trust by Dr Cathleen King does a great job of explaining the science behind all this such as the cell danger response and more. You don't need the program to heal, I just like how it goes into the science in the first module that gave me a better understanding on what my body was doing and what I could to get better.
@allaboutstress361, I've heard many stories of people who got sick who weren't anxious or depressed--I am one of those people. I got sick during one of the happiest times of my life. I loved life and looked forward to the future, then BAM... I will say though that I was a high achiever, and she does mention that is common in people who get this condition.
Hi from Germany!!!🙌🌼I hope someone has please a tip for me!?? I am bedridden caused by lyme 7 years now, i live alone and i have lost everything caused by the illness...also my family and my Job as a socialworker and i have Not enough Help Here but i cant stay or move to someone else...there IS No Other solution to stay abd i live😢also in mold.. What can in so when If the sentence " i am save.." Sounds like i am lying...can brain retraining Work for me and i should do IT anyway
@kirstensuhr7094, I'm so sorry for your situation! :( Yes! Brain training can make your body less reactive to mold from what I have been reading. I would try it for sure!
Great, but if somebody has brain and nerve system damage, its so overwhelming to listen this lot of information. Instead of this, it would be better to know what to Do and later understand the rest. Thank you.
Good point! You can sign up for my free weekly newsletter with bullet point summaries, or join the Brain Training 101 course with super short (5-7 minute) lessons.
Hello Raelan ! If you could only recommend 1 book about this topic, which book would it be ? I really want to read some more about this topic. Thanks in advance! best regards Lukas
I dont feel safe because of my condition and symptoms which have made me cognitiv dysfunctional out of my self and without control, and i feel alone and emotional unsafe and lonley. Can the teqhnicue still Work?
This is the same limbic reset that people are experiencing micro (or macro) dosing psychedelics and dissacociatives like Ketamine. They help calm down the PTSD. Use with qualified practitioner!
My husband has long covid- but the tests shows that he has like tons of spike proteins in his body (also after two years of Corona) so that the blood tests ecc. are Not OK. And he also has the Epstein - Barr virus reactivated. In fact the body is really working against him. Does this mean that brain retraining will not help hin? Thats what she mentions after 5 min of the video - as she says that the tests on the persons that will get healed are fully ok with the tests . Please give US an advice My husband has long covid- but the tests shows that he has like tons of spike proteins in his body (also after two years of Corona) so that the blood tests ecc. are Not OK. Also the Epstein - Barr virus is reactivated. In fact the body is really working against him. Does this mean that brain retraining will not help hin? Thats what she mentions after 5 min of the video - as she says that the tests on the persons that will get healed are fully ok with the tests . Please give US an advice. Thank you
👉 ✅ Come join me in my new course! 🧠 Brain Retraining 101: For ME/CFS and Long Covid Recovery. Enroll now: raelan-agle-s-school1.teachable.com/p/brain_retraining_101
What has really helped me is understanding that fatigue is just another response from the body when it thinks you are unsafe. If I have mild fatigue (not major) I don't go lay down right away in fear anymore, I tell myself I am safe and OK and keep doing what I am doing - and my fatigue goes away!
What a fascinating perspective on managing mild fatigue, Zoria! This kind of self-awareness is so empowering! Thanks for sharing ❤️
Love this!
I had a similar response and still use it even though I’ve recovered. I find I have a higher gear my mind and/or body will kick into if I give it a demanding task or challenge. When exhausted, I ride my bike for 30 minutes…problem solved!
@@andyhamilton9459 I cannot WAIT to be able to ride a bike again... slowly building up to that, while teaching my body it's safe :)
@@RaelanAgle With all due sincere respect, I love your channel and all the work you've done, but I'm kind of surprised you're seeing her comment as 'fascinating'. I also strongly disagree with your assertion at approximately 8:30 minutes into your video, where you suggest that we're experiencing problems because modern living isn't anything like living in prehistoric times. Totally flabbergasted at that assertion. Prehistoric times were a LOT more unsafe than they are now! Would or wouldn't you agree that chronic illness is (in this context) a result of past traumas/stressors and even current ones -- that taught our brains that 'our' world isn't safe?
Thank you so much Raelan. You are doing incredible work for the ME/CFS community. ❤️
I am finally in the early stages of my recovery after discovering somatic tracking as my preferred method of brain retraining. It took me a while to find something that "clicked", but once it did, it was like a light bulb moment! I completely agree that brain retraining is the key to addressing the non-structural issues.
Your channel was the first resource I found that introduced me to the idea that recovery from CFS was possible. It gave me so much hope during my lowest moments. The wide range of topics you cover and the advice you give is invaluable and I cannot believe it is all available for free. So many people cannot afford the expensive courses and are plagued with financial worries. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
WoW, Wally! So happy to hear that! ❤ Here's to the light bulb moments and full recoveries! 🌟🙌
Hi Wally!
First and foremost, I'm so thrilled to hear about the progress you've made with your recovery! It's incredible when things start to click, isn’t it? I'm so glad you are finding what's working for you.
I can't express enough how touched I am by your generous donation. It means so much, especially in the context of supporting the channel and allowing me to keep offering content like this for free. It's messages like yours that fuel my passion to continue to help and support the ME/CFS community. Knowing that my channel could be a beacon of hope for someone during some of their hardest moments? That's everything to me.
Thank you for your kind words, and even more so for your amazing support. Here's to many more light bulb moments and stories of recovery! Cheers to you and your continued progress. ❤
Massive hugs,
Raelan
@@RaelanAgleThanks for taking the time to write such a lovely and thoughtful reply.
You are most welcome. 😊 The donation is just a drop in the ocean compared to what you deserve. I'm glad to see others in the comments supporting the channel through memberships and donations.
Your channel certainly is a beacon of hope for so many people. 🌞
Cheers to you and to those watching your videos who are doing their very best to recover! 🍻
@@ire_naThanks! 😊💡🙌
@@wallywallace5616 ♥❤❤
Thank you so much for putting this wonderful video together, I hope it helps many who are suffering. I have recovered from over 3 years of Long Covid and being housebound, by learning and understanding the knowledge that you have put forward here, this has been gained by using your amazing channel and undertaking a mind body course. Your technique for brain retraining given here was key to my recovery and the phrases you use in the meditation were my mantras that I used throughout the day, especially when I felt myself going into overwhelm. They truly worked for me! My autonomic nervous system fought back making some of my symptoms worse for a few days but I didn’t worry about this instead I took it as a positive that the training was working (I learnt this on the course I undertook). Recovery occurred remarkably quickly and it’s totally incredible to have my health back.
Sorry for the long comment - I just want others to have as much faith as possible in knowing this is an amazing path to healing. ❤
Thank you Raelan, you are the most amazing and generous person ❤
I am brand new to this and have been sick for over 6 years , i hope this gets me well.
What course did you take? ❤
@@sdar4688how are you doing now?
While I agree with your solution I disagree that nothing is wrong physically. My feeling is thedysregulated ANS is preventing healing and the body regaining its balance. Things like microclots, mitochondria are are messed up but can recover if your body is in a healing state. It's a subtle but important difference to the way you presented it. There are things physically wrong but luckily they are things that can be healed and brought back into balance if you regain a healing state.
I agree wholeheartedly
I understand what you are saying, believe me. However, what I’ve come to realize is that being a sympathetic state, while certainly not optimal and will lead to sub optimal issues within your physical body, these issues are not immediately dangerous. In other words, the deeper you go with lab tests, seeking out advice from functional doctors, etc, the more likely it is that there will be things that are uncovered that could be considered physically abnormal. The important thing to remember though is that there is nothing wrong which is imminently dangerous. This is the message that your brain needs to absorb (limbic system) in order to move into a more regular parasympathetic, and thus healing, state.
You are not wrong and this is coming from someone who had and healed from severe long covid with documented POTS and off blood labs for many things which are all normal now. However, an imperative part of brain retraining working is, while that "clearing of your system" has't happened yet, you want to focus on being willing to set that aside(even if just for 6 months) and allow your brain to focus on something else. I knew a girl who healed bc every time she had a negative thought about her symptoms she imagined eating a chocolate cupcake with such joy that her brain literally stopped handing her those symptom based thoughts bc she was no longer triggered by them. Then along the way her body healed too bc it was able to detox. I am not saying it's as simple as a cupcake but I am saying that the miracle is in your focus. Think of it like your nose. It's there in your field of vision but your brain learns to tune it out. Every so often something strange makes you start to catch a shadow of your nose and if you fixate and focus on that and look at it as a danger then your brain is going to keep staring at it bc you're telling it that this nose being seen is a danger and so your brain stares to make sure you're safe. The symptoms are false alarms creating a dysregulated state. Creating a dysregulated body. The only way out is believing you're ok and taking little steps one at a time to focus on that truth rather than the fear. This is why I feel the DARE program is a great supplement to brain rewiring. If you feel stuck on the need to be acknowledge for your suffering and needing to defend the reality of your pain or condition(which is totally understandable and a part of what holds people back) then it can be helpful to start looking at ways to work with that. Inner parts work and internalizing the truth that only you can give yourself the acknowledgment of what you have experienced. No other person can do that for you. I get this bc this was me. I am not saying you're in victim mode but I certainly was. One day I saw it for what it was and decided I cared a LOT more about being well than being right or being seen and acknowledge. I could love and acknowledge my experience for myself my experience and also decide for a time I would not have any more victim based thoughts and change my focus. I decided to focus on what I wanted and not what I didn't. I know this can be a very touchy subject for those who have suffered much but I write about my experience anyway bc I know there will be a time when it resonates at just the right moment and it truly is the key. You're body can and will heal but not while you feel in danger and needing to defend one's experience or situation continues the message to the nervous system that you are in danger and in need of defending. Someone who was further along in healing for me once told me that defensiveness, in general, was typically a sign of emotional trauma that perpetuates the dysregulated system and if I could look for my defensiveness and see it as a clue then I could start little by little not focusing my time of defending things and instead use that same mental/emotional energy to focus on something more life giving. ❤
@@Dragonfly20233 great write up about how we heal!
She says around 5:29 that you should also deal with the physical abnormalities 😊
Thanks for the shout out Raelan. Happy to be a member despite my ongoing issues with the cleanliness of your home. Plus, I’ve had several autograph requests since the posting of this video. A nice bonus.
😂😂😂😂😂😂 You just made my day with this - thank you!!!
You are democratizing this extremely key information leading to recovery! Thank you very much for all yourl are giving back to the community!❤
Wow, so simple, I am safe my body is fine ..... everytime I said it I got a rush of warmth!! I've been freezing with the temperature drop, my nervous system overreacting as it isn't that cold. And then the tears, the relief from the reassurance. I'm gonna do this each day in the morning 🌄 thank you!
Raelan, you absolutely crushed that explanation of how our amygdalae are trying to help us survive. You also did a beautiful job of explaining and demonstrating the practice. You rock.🤘
Wow, thank you!
Raelen, in my short time on your channel, you’re transforming from megaphone for others to being a healer yourself. More like this 🙏🏻
So kind of you, Alex! Thanks! ❤️
Beautifully said! Love the exercise. I have learned so much from you and your channel. So grateful for what you do 💖
Oh my goodness, Moonflower! Thanks so much! 🙏 So glad that sharing my experience was helpful to you. Sending you much love! 💗
I am safe. My body is fine.
Thank you from a new member!
You are the patron saint of ME/CFS 🙏
Welcome aboard! 😊 Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated! 🙏❤️
I would love one day to be a recovery story on your channeone day.
It would be incredible, Felicia! ❤️ You're welcome to share your experience whenever you feel ready to talk about it. We learn so much from each other at any stage of our recovery journeys. 🌟❤️
@RaelanAgle well currently I'm 22 years in my cfs/me battle. I have tried most things I feel like. Hopefully one day.
This is what I am working with my psychologist on. She herself is recovered. We are working with internal family systems and I believe this is my route through this.
Wow, so glad to hear! More and more people keep mentioning IFS as deeply transformative. Wishing you all the best! ❤️
@RaelanAgle that's good to hear. I had an email with your helpful support person the other day. I'm hoping next year I can get on and explain it all but I have to make it work for me first but it's the only thing that seems to touch the right part of me. I'll bore you on meds getting in the way too. Pregabalin is no joke
❤️ Take your time; eager to hear more when you're ready!
This was a really great explanation! I started doing this when I was early retraining and incrementally training from neurocovid and would feel some mental fatigue from starting to do more cognition each day. I would put on some spa like music and lie flat on the floor(great bc you're grounding here too) and do exactly what you just described. I only had patience to do a few minutes at first but even just that was like a brain fog clearing exercise. This would also make me feel more alert and awake if I was having a mid-day blah. It was like a cup of coffee without all the negative effects. Sometimes when I am out and about and can't lay down I will just put on water music or bird sounds and put my seat back for 3-4 min in a parking lot. It's amazing!
This is an excellent video on brain training Raelan, your explanation is so clear and I finally feel like I've gotten my head around brain retraining, even though I've been hearing and reading about it for months. Thank you for making this video - super duper helpful. Please keep up the work you are doing for so many people who are suffering, myself included. Lots of love.
I love this exercise!! Thank you Ralean ❤. I'll do this in addition to my other brain trainings. ME/CFS good bye !!
Your channel is so inspiring. I watch your videos when I’m having a flare up and they give me so much comfort. I would love to hear more recovery stories from people who are or were in challenging life situations that they couldn’t control but recovered despite this. Carers for example, my teenage son has additional needs so it’s more of a challenge for me to feel in a safe space. Would also love to hear your take on the effects of perimenopause and menopause on women with long covid and CFS. Keep up your amazing work 💕
Thank you so much for pointing this out, Jo! So many incredible recovery stories are coming up - there's a 6 month waitlist right now because so many people want to share. Much love to you! ❤️
Can’t wait to watch 😊💕
Thank you. I combined this with IFS training and talked to the internal parts of me that didn't feel safe. Had a good chat with them, reached a true agreement that we are all safe. Will do this daily until it feels easy, Thank you 😊 🙏
Thanks Raelan - these tools are extremely useful to people those of us who have spent a lot of money trying different things; but haven't yet found that key to help us get through the door to healing ourselves. I'll give this one a try.
I can believe that my body is healthy. I just can't believe that Im safe. I have high-functioning autism and I often experience misunderstandings in communication with others, especially at work. I just dont understand social situations fully.
This causes misunderstandings with coworkers and triggers my stress and fatigue. I might have to leave my job now because of a long sick leave due to burnout. I have applied to so much help for this issue, but the health services dont know how to help (not even autism habilitation).
This exercise was good because it helped to highlight that I dont actually feel safe... although, when I try to have help with it I cant seem to get that help.
It feels so hopeless somehow.
@s.b200, aww please know that even people without autism have social misunderstandings. We all feel misunderstood at times, and we all misunderstand at times. If you accept yourself knowing that you're doing your best, then you are safe (so long as YOU accept yourself).
Doing your best is all you can do. God didn't make a mistake when He made you. Let go of control and the need for everything to flow perfectly. Accept the bumps in the road, but be okay with it.
Maybe your phrase should first be, "I deeply and completely love and accept myself." This is a phrase from Emotional Freedom Therapy (said when tapping).
Much love to you! 💗💗
Thinking of you!
😂4d@@PeaceIsYeshua
I thought I wrote what you wrote! Same here and for years rd I’ve been on add meds and coffee to try to counteract this. All I know is I’m exhausted and physically and mentally tired of trying to unravel it alll and daunted by the task of sort of having to create a world in which it can be healthy for me- learning to communicate when you’ve been learning all your life anyway- how to deal in every situation- too much. Too much. I just pray these days- am truly burndedn by it all.
I have a question: you talked about catching thoughts and how you transform them from negative to positive. I find that incredibly difficult for things we NEED to do each day. For example: I know I still have to clean the house and do the laundry and so on. The thought of it stresses me out, but I still have to do the housework, I also have to cook to eat. How can I formulate a positive thought that does NOT stress me out?
Second example: I'm annoyed about processes at work, which causes me more stress. If I am annoyed about the processes and they cause me stress and I say this, it gives me at least a small possibility that something will change. How can I just ignore the fact that it doesn't cause me stress, because ignoring it and not saying it doesn't change anything.
Thank you so much :) for helping
What about reframing laundry and cooking as self care instead of chores and saying to yourself "I am cooking a healthy and delicious meal to nourish my body and soul because I love and care for myself" etc.....?
Good idea. I'm going to say that to myself!@@RufusToots420
Thank you so much for this explanation of how the nervous system works and how to do a brain training exercise 🙏. Looking forward to hearing a follow up exercise while having symptoms after doing to much (as I do so often..) ❤
Thank you Raelan I always listen to your videos when having flare ups, they are full of wisdom and hope.
Thank you sooo much. I’m 1 month into DNRS and it is so helpful ! I’m still dealing with ebbs and flow of course but finally I have hope
Thank you very much for an educational and inspirational channel, Raelan!
I appreciate that so much, Kristina! ❤️
Raelan, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom in the graceful manner that you do. It is a profound act of kindness. God bless, and I wish you health, joy, and happiness on your path :) 😃🙏❤️
Thank you for your video for the good information and the exercise. And thank you for talking about your worries about money. I think it is also a part of being ill and recovery and would love to hear more about this part. Not beeing able to work, sometimes for some years adds a layer of stress.
I will definitely try this out!
The way my body reacts to stress that it registers as "unsafe" is that it wakes me up 3am in the morning going like: " hey, what are you doing, we can't be sleeping now! You need to stay awake so that "thing" wont attack us in our sleep!"
This is just golden, thank you so much!
Raelan, I enjoy your interviews and the fact that you’ve reached a consensus and conclusion about the importance of brain training. I am getting a state of the art neurofeedback device tomorrow which has a lot of clinical research supporting its efficacy in terms remodeling the brain and patterns of thinking. I’d love to do an interview with you after I’ve used it for a few months. I’ve been battling CFS/severe anxiety for about 3 years. Much of what you talk about resonates with me.
Can you share the name of this device? I’ve come across a few different biofeedback devices and I’m not sure which one to go with
Can you share the name of the device please ?
Honestly smiling during the day helps really a lot. :)
Love that!
Thank you for your hope. And all the information that you find and put out there. I truly believe that having hope of being truly well again is the most important factor for recovery
Keep up the good work Realan. Im almost there now. You've been a massive help
My heart is exploding hearing this, Ian! So happy for you! 😊🌟
Great, Raelan … almost had this clear, now really clear. So well expressed! Thanks
Through my recovery I have incorporated these words into my meditation. On inhale I think "I am safe." On the exhale I think "I am healing."
❤ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. I WILL TRY, AND SEE HOW IT AFFECTS ME. I LOVE THE FACT THAT ITS VERY SIMPLE
Wonderful!
Thank you so much for this! The journey from fatigue to wellness can get so expensive and that in itself is a stressor. Thank you for the gift of a free exercise from someone who has lived this experience. I appreciate you so much!!!
Thank you🙏
Thank you, Gitte. Much appreciated! ❤️
Many thanks Rae, quite possibly the most important channel out there.
Raelan thank you for helping the next one in line. Thank you for not forgetting the struggle though you have found freedom. ❤️
❤❤❤
You are the very best! I wish you personally all the best, health and so many beautiful days to come!
❤❤❤
Thanks a million! Same goes for you - here's to tons of happy days ahead! 😊🌟
Thanks, you are a total star
Much appreciated, Babycakes ❤️ Love your work! Keep capturing those amazing moments! 📷✨
@@RaelanAgle why thank you! Great to hear 😊
One to watch and rewatch!
Much appreciated, Aunt E! ❤️ Thank you so much 🙏
Love simple, effective practices like this, thank you!
You're so welcome!
Thank you so much for this very helpful video 🙏❤️
Hy Raelan I don't know why but when you said the sentences I started to cry and more when you were explaining it, maybe because it's so hard to see wathever damage not only physical can an illness do to the body and the mind. I'm 14 months in long covid and I really appreciate your videos. I know is do important to you create contents abiut cfs/me but I will really really will so thankfull if you do content about people like me wich are part of the group that have two kinds of sympthoms: the ones with the brain and the ones with the body structure as toy call. I have hypotirodism thanks to covid, and hormonal issues but I have sympthoms that has to do with the brain, it's hard to me to do brain trainning knowing that actually not all the tests came back good how to deal with this? Please can you do interviews with recovery people with structural body damage? How to align my brain with safety even knowing I will have to take a pill all my life for my thyrod. I love you work, would you help me? Thank you very much.
Thank you for such a good explanation & simple excercise for brain training. LC has really been a long way for me. i was hit by the delta variant in 2021/Aug & still feel its jitters till today will follow these tips & give u feedback. also i wud like to know if u have made video about sleep issues in LC. Thank you & God bless you 🙏 🙏🙏
Would love more recovery story on pots ❤
I think my “trigger” or “holding back” thought is that I am that 1 in 100 case where this is set in stone, considering I’m bedridden. I ruminate on it. I really hope that that’s not the case & that truly anyone can heal from this if they work at it.
You can get better! I was also bedridden and in excruciating pain for years... I am finally up and about and recovering my old life & old self!
Never Give up! 🙏 🤲🏻 🕊
Hi. You can and will definitely recover. Vanessa who was just interviewed by Raelan was bedridden and is fully recovered. She used DNRS, which is what I am using too.
@@calista1280I'm so glad to hear that you managed to get better! Was it brain training that helped you most or something else?
THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANKNYOU
Love this, thank you! ❤
So glad! 🌟
Great content once again. I’ve found that the more simple the mantra is the better. I’m using the same one, as introduced by Curable.
Wonderful, Dave! Rooting for you ❤️
Thank you! Really helpful - will be applying this.
Wonderful! Keeping my fingers crossed🤞❤️ Let me know how it goes!
Really great xxx
18:42 Explanation exercise
great vid! :) your interviews are also helpful, would be nice to see more about mcs
Thanks for the channel!
Thanks so much, Exo! ❤️❤️
I've been a member for a few weeks now, I just wanted to support all the great work you do!
Much appreciated, Kathy! ❤️
Thank you! This is gently motivating.
You're so welcome!
Thank you Raelan for everything you share!
Great video as always!!
Glad you enjoyed!
Mindset is so impt isnt even if u have underlying chronic immune responses and inflammation. Mindset just is so impt. It takes time . But worth learning abt it to keep our mind calm no matter how shit we feel.
Thank you so much for this. An amazing episode!
For future videos: more brain training exercises would be good. (The courses are expensive.)
Just subbed. Such interesting research. I see RA begin akin to this. I meditate anyway. So easy to do. Thank you.
Thanks and welcome! ❤️
I'm now a channel member! 🎉
Welcome, Matt! Your support means a lot 🎉 🙏❤️
You can also mention neuroplasticity is MASSIVE in stroke recovery! Neuronal pathways are killed in a stroke. So stroke rehab is all about creating new pathways. Again on scans physical growth of the brain can be seen when compared to imaging done initially post stroke. Neuroplasticity does happen faster in children so I wonder if that's why usually children recover faster from CFS. Our brain learns by recognizing patterns. When we first get sick our brain learns exercise = I feel awful! So neuroplasticity is also how symptoms can begin in the first place. In a way CFS Recovery is undoing those connections made at the start of the journey. From a physio who spent a few years in stroke recovery. ☺️
Thanks once again.
Always welcome ❤️
There are so many programs out there to buy it is overwhelming to figure out one to invest in.
I can relate! On a website called 'Heal With Liz', there's a CFS Recovery Programs Guide that costs $19. (I presume it's US$). It might be helpful. I haven't purchased it, so can't give any feed-back on the Guide itself. Some brain re-training programs have a free trial period.. the Gupta program does, and I think DNRS does also. I did a 28 day free trial with the Gupta Program, which is the original & first brain re-training program around. It resonated with me, so I ended up joining the full program today! I have high hopes for a good outcome.
Good luck with choosing a program. 😊
Love your videos! Do you have any that cover GI issues? If not, would you please consider doing one in the near future? :)
Very good video, thank you!
This was very helpful thank you
You're welcome, Mary! ❤️
Does anyone else start doing this but then just fall asleep from being laid down with eyes shut 😅
I’m genuinely asking: what about what scientists found recently that in ME/CFS there’s a protein that’s stopping the mitochondria from doing what it’s meant to do? I feel maybe brain retraining and somatics can help and maybe help fix what’s going on there, right?
Thank you for this video, it was very interesting, it sounds very much like mindfulness. Do you think it is the same thing or are there differences?
Your speaking to your autonomic nervous system not your current state of reality.
If one for even an ounce of a second has to step into or into the platform of belief that their body is actually “fine”, “nothing really wrong”, etc. anything at all that denies truth then there can be a block to the re-wiring.
Keep it in truth…. What you are speaking is what you know with your thinking and conscious brain will calm your autonomic nervous system. IF the autonomic nervous system can be caned, THEN the opportunity for your brain and body to allow healing is possible.
It’s a tool to open that door that is locked down. That might or may just open the door for everything to heal
Thank you so much 🙏
You're welcome, Chris! 😊
I understand completely you are saying right now I am having both mental and physical so glad you mentioned so I can start working both my body has been receiving a beating for different reasons. I would like to ask you something I don’t have amygdalae’s it was removed when I was a child could this be something that could affected me my recovery
I really appreciate this video and channel. My challenge is as a long hauler Covid is still around (and spiking now), so trying to rewire my nervous system seems counter intuitive because I feel like the threat is real...? But I agree with this concept and am trying to use it. Just not sure what to do with a "real" threat? (It seems real?)
Hey kasflo704- I had the same issue and have a couple of suggestions. I think the key with brain training (that took me AGES to clock on to!) is that it isn't to tell yourself your symptoms aren't real. It's to remind yourself that you're okay in that moment, and that the symptoms will pass. I have had to change my mentality from 'this might fix me' to 'this will likely make my mental state a whole lot better', meaning I can cope with the challenges thrown at me better. It's a similar approach they use for OCD recovery too- the idea isn't to say that the threat you perceive isn't real (which create the intense fear that drives OCD), but that you are okay in the moment and that you are building more strength to get through whatever comes.
@@underachievingoverachiever thank you I sincerely appreciate your reply.
Raelan, you're doing such a fantastic job!! Have you a patreon account? I'm assuming 'youtube channel system' take a bigger percentage than patreon, so may be worth checking out? 🥰
Excellent video!
Glad you liked it, Kathy! ❤️
Thank you
Love you!
I asked two neurologist to take a spect image of my brain, they refused only willing to do MRI which showed nothing wrong
Raelan, would it still be effective to start with maybe ten minutes per day? I struggled with twenty minutes...felt almost stressed by the focus/ breathing intentionally/ tension in my facial muscles etc ..i guess it will feel better with consistent repetition? Curious to know how other people get on trying this for the first time?
Begin without the breathing, then. Incrementally build up on that later as your body feels safer. Smiling also sends a message of safety to our brain 😊
@@lianpeet3502thank you very much!
Hi Raelan. Can you tell me. In your experience, is chronic fatigue a response to a highly elevated stress response or not? Does it always preceded long term anxiety and even depression? Can an individual get chronic fatigue without anxiety? Great info and thank you so much for taking the time.
In my opinion there are different things that can cause CFS but the brain and nervous system as well as "t" can be major root causes. When the brain and nervous system do not feel safe one over protective mechanism can be for the body to keep the mitochondria from producing the energy we need. A program called Primal Trust by Dr Cathleen King does a great job of explaining the science behind all this such as the cell danger response and more. You don't need the program to heal, I just like how it goes into the science in the first module that gave me a better understanding on what my body was doing and what I could to get better.
@allaboutstress361, I've heard many stories of people who got sick who weren't anxious or depressed--I am one of those people. I got sick during one of the happiest times of my life. I loved life and looked forward to the future, then BAM... I will say though that I was a high achiever, and she does mention that is common in people who get this condition.
What did you do for gut health?
Hi from Germany!!!🙌🌼I hope someone has please a tip for me!?? I am bedridden caused by lyme 7 years now, i live alone and i have lost everything caused by the illness...also my family and my Job as a socialworker and i have Not enough Help Here but i cant stay or move to someone else...there IS No Other solution to stay abd i live😢also in mold.. What can in so when If the sentence " i am save.." Sounds like i am lying...can brain retraining Work for me and i should do IT anyway
@kirstensuhr7094, I'm so sorry for your situation! :( Yes! Brain training can make your body less reactive to mold from what I have been reading. I would try it for sure!
Thank you, Raelan. Quick question, is this similar to Yoga Nidra? :-)
Do i repeat the sentence for 20 mins straight? no pauses ?🤗
Great, but if somebody has brain and nerve system damage, its so overwhelming to listen this lot of information. Instead of this, it would be better to know what to Do and later understand the rest. Thank you.
Good point! You can sign up for my free weekly newsletter with bullet point summaries, or join the Brain Training 101 course with super short (5-7 minute) lessons.
@@RaelanAgle Does the 5-7 minutes includes step by step what tod do exactly without a lot of info?
Yes, that's exactly the idea - no fluff, just practical stuff!
Hello Raelan ! If you could only recommend 1 book about this topic, which book would it be ? I really want to read some more about this topic. Thanks in advance! best regards Lukas
The Way Out by Alan Gordon
@@RaelanAgle Thank you! I will check it out 😊
I get very emotional saying this and nearly start crying. Any thoughts?
I dont feel safe because of my condition and symptoms which have made me cognitiv dysfunctional out of my self and without control, and i feel alone and emotional unsafe and lonley. Can the teqhnicue still Work?
This is the same limbic reset that people are experiencing micro (or macro) dosing psychedelics and dissacociatives like Ketamine. They help calm down the PTSD. Use with qualified practitioner!
Thanks. I will try it for my bad CFS. So every day? And how long to notice change? Im guessing weeks.
11:59
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Would you add music to this exercise?
How do i to Contact for your Course 101 on braintraining. I get go email to change kg passar
The best way is to send an email to "contact@raelanagle.com"
My husband has long covid- but the tests shows that he has like tons of spike proteins in his body (also after two years of Corona) so that the blood tests ecc. are Not OK. And he also has the Epstein - Barr virus reactivated. In fact the body is really working against him. Does this mean that brain retraining will not help hin? Thats what she mentions after 5 min of the video - as she says that the tests on the persons that will get healed are fully ok with the tests . Please give US an advice My husband has long covid- but the tests shows that he has like tons of spike proteins in his body (also after two years of Corona) so that the blood tests ecc. are Not OK. Also the Epstein - Barr virus is reactivated. In fact the body is really working against him. Does this mean that brain retraining will not help hin? Thats what she mentions after 5 min of the video - as she says that the tests on the persons that will get healed are fully ok with the tests . Please give US an advice. Thank you