Ep # 6 Jim Carson, PhD. – Author and Chronic Pain Expert on How to Effectively Treat Chronic Pain through Meditation, Breathing and Yogic Movement.
/Jim Carson, Ph.D
Our guest today is Jim Carson, Ph.D., author, researcher, father, and husband. He is the co-founder and senior teacher with his wife Kimberly Carson of the paradigm-shifting program, Mindful Yoga. He is a former yogic monk who has been practicing and teaching meditation and yoga philosophy worldwide for over 45 years.
Jim is currently a clinical health psychologist and Associate Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon.
Along with his wife Kimberly, he has applied his decades of expertise to the development and evaluation of yoga and meditation-based clinical treatments, including the first mindfulness program for couples, the first loving-kindness meditation program for medical patients, and the highly acclaimed Mindful Yoga program.
Dr. Carson has an ongoing clinical practice where he works extensively with patients suffering from chronic pain, including those with fibromyalgia, low back pain, and cancer pain.
Jim, in collaboration with his wife Kimberly, co-directs national professional trainings for yoga teachers and allied health professionals at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Duke Integrative Medicine, and VA Centers. Jim and Kimberly also lead annual meditation retreats at the Art of Living Retreat Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and a very special invitation-only annual retreat on Kauai, Hawaii.
His decades of teaching, clinical work, research and program development are reflected in his upcoming book, Relax into Yoga for Chronic Pain: An Eight-Week Mindful Yoga Workbook for Finding Relief and Resilience, which he authored together with Kimberly Carson, and Carol Krucoff. The book is due to be released in January of 2020 and is available now for pre-order on Amazon.
Our conversation today covers the complete trajectory of his path and awakening to Simple Being, the state of choiceless awareness established in each present moment.
We discuss his uncanny early experiences with an all-knowing and ever-present Consciousness, his early yearnings to know the Divine Presence, and his dramatic awakening through Shaktipat from the great master Swami Muktananda.
Our discussion chronicles his transition from a yogic monk to a clinical psychologist pioneering the cutting edge of chronic pain research. We discuss in great detail the program he and his wife Kimberly Carson developed over two decades at Duke Integrative Medicine. The results of their research and successful implementation that detailed in their upcoming book to be released in January 2020.
Jim’s remarkable story is one of intentional resolve and a rich life of focused and disciplined execution. It provides deep insights into the way and experience of the Divine Presence in a very active family and professional life.
To directly contact our hosts, visit their respective websites:
https://www.meditatenow.net/ – Show Notes, Links and Resources, including Glossary of Terms for all Episodes and to contact Marc directly.
https://larryholmespracticalwisdom.com/ – For All Episodes and to contact Larry directly and review his consulting and coaching services.
The main bulk of our efforts for a couple of decades has focused on the clinical, research, and training applications of the Mindful Yoga program. The book coming out from New Harbinger, Relax into Yoga for Chronic Pain: An Eight-Week Mindful Yoga Workbook for Finding Relief and Resilience, is the culmination of this work so far.
Kimberly and Jim have been leading week-long meditation retreats (by invitation only) on Kauai for the last 4 summers, here’s a description of that: https://mindfulyogaworks.com/kauairetreat/
They are currently set to offer a similar meditation retreat at the Art of Living Retreat Center next summer 2020 – https://artoflivingretreatcenter.org/