20 - Collective Pain, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion with Dr. Anita Chakravarti
In episode 20, we speak to Dr. Anita Chakravarti who is a physician and anesthesiologist with lived experience of chronic pain. As we wrap up Season 1, this powerful episode has Anita providing listeners an incredible overview on how mindfulness and self compassion can assist in someone's pain journey, understanding the experience of collective pain, and how to start to incorporate "kindfulness" as a pain management strategy in your own life. This one you don't want to miss!
In episode twenty, we are speaking to Dr. Anita Chakravarti who has been a prominent member of the pain community in Saskatchewan as someone with lived experience of pain, and as a care provider.
Anita is a physician, anesthesiologist, and member of the department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Anita was the first medical director for the Chronic Pain Centre in Saskatoon, has been a physician at the St. Paul’s Hospital Pain Clinic, and is a Medical Advisor to the Canadian Pain Coalition. She was a long-time board member of the Saskatchewan Pain Society, and is also a facilitator of mindfulness and self-compassion which she regularly presents on.
In this episode, Anita shares about her own experiences living with chronic pain. We delve into the topic of mindfulness and self-compassion – or, “kindfulness,” as Anita calls it – which can be an instrumental resources in one’s tool kit while on a pain journey. Anita details pain as a collective experience, and how current medicine has focused on the separation of mind and body as it relates to the pain. Further, she explains the neuroscience behind how self-acceptance can assist someone living with pain, the sense of betrayal that can occur while experiencing with pain, and the importance of “befriending” your body as a pain management strategy.
This episode is jam packed with incredible wisdom, personal experience, and tools for both physicians and people with lived experience of pain, so we hope you enjoy our final episode of Season 1!
If you wish to contact Anita directly for more information about these topics, she is available at anita.chakravarti@usask.ca
Additional Links and Resources
Anita is a physician, anesthesiologist, and member of the department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Anita was the first medical director for the Chronic Pain Centre in Saskatoon, has been a physician at the St. Paul’s Hospital Pain Clinic, and is a Medical Advisor to the Canadian Pain Coalition. She was a long-time board member of the Saskatchewan Pain Society, and is also a facilitator of mindfulness and self-compassion which she regularly presents on.
In this episode, Anita shares about her own experiences living with chronic pain. We delve into the topic of mindfulness and self-compassion – or, “kindfulness,” as Anita calls it – which can be an instrumental resources in one’s tool kit while on a pain journey. Anita details pain as a collective experience, and how current medicine has focused on the separation of mind and body as it relates to the pain. Further, she explains the neuroscience behind how self-acceptance can assist someone living with pain, the sense of betrayal that can occur while experiencing with pain, and the importance of “befriending” your body as a pain management strategy.
This episode is jam packed with incredible wisdom, personal experience, and tools for both physicians and people with lived experience of pain, so we hope you enjoy our final episode of Season 1!
If you wish to contact Anita directly for more information about these topics, she is available at anita.chakravarti@usask.ca
Additional Links and Resources
Anita Chakravarti's Profile
For Physicians: Mindful Practice in Medicine – Centres for Mindfulness
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Eckart Tolle - The Power of Now
Kristen Neff - Self Compassion
For Physicians: Mindful Practice in Medicine – Centres for Mindfulness
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Eckart Tolle - The Power of Now
Kristen Neff - Self Compassion
SaskPain Website
SaskPain Facebook
A thank you to our sponsors and supporters:
The Saskatchewan Pain Society
The Community Initiatives Fund
Our Editor, Chris Enns, of Lemon Productions
We happily welcome feedback on this podcast, and are always looking for guests to speak to! Contact us at info@saskpain.ca, or message us on our Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn pages if you would like more information.