[Narrator]: Over 100 million people in America suffer from chronic pain.

But you don't have to suffer needlessly, Lee Albert has the plan for you, for Joyful Pain Free Living.

[Christine]: After listening to Lee Albert speak the first time, I realized he's giving us information to take care of ourselves forever.

- [Narrator] Lee Albert is a neuromuscular therapist, who has helped thousands of people live a pain-free life and he shares his revolutionary strategies so that you can too.

- [Laura] The techniques are so easy and they're so simple.

So it's very easy to do them throughout the day, without even really kind of interrupting the flow of your day or your workday or your family life.

- [Narrator] His simple five-step plan removes the roadblocks that are keeping you from living your best, most active pain-free life, no matter your age.

- [Lee] This is an easy, effective practice that you can use the rest of your life.

- [Narrator] Lee delivers his breakthrough program to a home audience to show how anyone, anywhere, can join the Joyful Pain Free Revolution to create a life without pain, a life without barriers to happiness.

And now, Lee Albert.

(audience applauding) - [Lee] : Thank you, thank you.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

Welcome to Joyful Pain Free Living.

My name is Lee Albert, and I am very excited to share with you the knowledge I have gained in 30 years of practicing as a neuromuscular therapist and a yoga teacher.

It gives me such great joy helping my clients, students and readers, to overcome pain and stress and start to bring the joy back into their lives.

Let's talk a bit more about why we're all here right now, pain.

As we know everyone experiences pain at some point in their life.

So the problem with pain in our bodies can be complex and even far reaching, but the most common and universal kind of pain, is pain that is rooted the musculoskeletal system.

Now, musculoskeletal pain encompasses many different areas such as the head, neck, back, limbs, joints and bones, just to name a few, and yet, despite the wide ranging conditions and symptoms, all types of musculoskeletal pain share similar underlying causes and remedies.

So in the final analysis, most pain is foundational resulting from imbalances in a musculoskeletal system that is out of alignment.

And you know what?

That's the secret to how we can all start to heal the body.

I wanna introduce you to my revolutionary effective user-friendly 28-day plan to Joyful Pain Free Living.

And like any good plan, it has goals and action steps you need to take.

The Joyful Pain Free Living plan has three goals.

Healing the body, calming the mind and bringing joy to the heart.

Doesn't that sound great?

- [Audience] : Yes!

- [Lee] : I mean, who wouldn't want that?

So to achieve those goals, there are five action steps to this plan and each step is going to work in combination with the other steps.

So you have all the tools you need to succeed.

Step one: pain reducing, mood enhancing, muscle balancing movement.

Step two: pain reducing, posture improving, lumbar support.

Step three: pain reducing, mood enhancing, joint lubricating, hydration.

Step four: pain reducing, mood enhancing, stress relieving, breathing meditation.

And step five: pain reducing, mood enhancing, happy thoughts.

I will expand on each of these action steps later.

In my workshops, I teach to diverse groups, everyone from MDs to moms and dads, and by the way, moms and dads is also MD.

(audience laughing) I start each workshop by asking the same three questions.

How many have some sort of ache or pain?

How many feel stressed or anxious on a regular basis?

And how many have trouble sleeping?

The number of hands that go up after each question is quite startling, and really illustrates the scope of the problem.

So raise your hands, if you have some kind of ache or pain in your body.

Wow, see those hands go up, that's quite a few hands going up.

Raise your hands, if you're feeling some kind of stress in your body.

Yeah, think about it, maybe even a few more hands would go up.

And how many people have difficulty sleeping at night?

Raise your hand.

Wow, look at those hands.

Now, tell me how many experience all three of those.

Okay, look at that.

Well, that's more than we would like, that's for sure.

So unlike conventional treatment methods that focus on the symptoms of pain and pain management, some of which you may already have tried before, Joyful Pain Free Living takes a unique approach that seeks to eliminate musculoskeletal pain at its root cause.

So you can start to bring the joy back into your life.

In my experience, the cause of 80% of most people's pain, comes from musculoskeletal issues.

80%, that's a lot of pain.

That's the pain that comes from your muscles and joints.

That is what we are talking about in this program, and chances are, that's what you're feeling right now.

And you know what?

It's past time to make the changes to get you on the path to a joyful and pain-free life.

So, as I said before, pain can be complex.

So it is very important that you know that this program in no way substitutes for a proper medical examination, diagnosis or treatment for any specific condition or conditions you may be experiencing.

Please, please, always check with your doctor when experiencing pain and work closely with them.

There are painful conditions not caused by musculoskeletal factors and these do require proper medical care.

So let's take a look at one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal pain issues that affect most people, muscle imbalances.

Now, most people have not even heard of muscle imbalances, yet this prevalent condition is the root cause of most low back pain, neck pain, knee pain, and many, many more painful conditions.

So let me take a minute here to explain what muscle imbalances are, 'cause this is crucial knowledge to help you in recovery from chronic pain.

So basically we can think muscles always work in pairs.

And a muscle imbalance occurs when one muscle of the pair becomes too long like an over-stretched rubber band, and the other muscle becomes too short and all cramped up.

So the easiest way to explain this to you is to do a quick demo on myself.

So if you just quick look at my chest muscles here, you see I got pretty good posture here, so my muscles are pretty balanced but most of us you'll see, we have our shoulders rounded forward like this.

Now, when I did that, you can clearly see my chest muscles, they get start to get a little shorter, right?

So it starts to change the length of them.

Now, muscles work in pairs, like I said, so when my shoulders round forward and these get shorter, watch what happens to my muscles between my shoulder blades.

Round the shoulders forward, and you see how they now get a little bit longer.

And since muscles are attached to bones, these imbalances pull the bones out of alignment causing poor posture and painful conditions.

Poor posture is a sure sign you have muscle imbalances.

As a matter of fact, most people have muscle imbalances.

Now, if those imbalances are small, you probably don't feel them yet, but small imbalances can eventually lead to big ones.

And when the imbalances become large, that is when many musculoskeletal pain patterns develop.

Let's see what that feels like.

So I'm gonna ask you guys to do this on yourself here.

So we're just gonna have you take two fingers, round your shoulders forward a little bit like this, so you're good and hunched over, with those two fingers, poke a chest muscle fairly hard, and then poke between your shoulder blades fairly hard.

Can you feel the tightness there?

you see how they feel tight?

Yeah, you're feeling some of that there?

Yeah, so that's what a muscle imbalance feels like.

And of course, again, like I said, if it's small you don't feel too much, but when it gets bigger, now we're really making big here, that's when you can start to bring it on.

So this brings us to the first action step, which is, pain reducing, mood enhancing, muscle balancing, movement.

So when you learn movement patterns that can alleviate painful conditions, you're retraining your body to combat these imbalances.

Let me show you how simple movement patterns that balance muscles can help to alleviate pain.

Is there anybody in the audience who uses their hands a lot?

(soft music continues) How about right here?

So tell me your name, - [Vicky] : Vicky.

- [Lee] : Vicky, what do you do for a living?

- [Vicky] : I do some body work, I also spend a lot of time outside in my garden and I've been doing a lot of yard work lately.

- [Lee] : All right, so gardening, yard work, bodywork, you do use your hands a lot.

So people who use their hands a lot are using muscles in their forearms here, and they get very tight and they get out of balance.

So typically the imbalances at the muscles on this side the palm side of the forearm get too short and the muscles on the other side get too long and they attach up here at the elbow and it causes some pain.

So Vicky, what I'm gonna have you do, find the crease of your elbow here, maybe take your left hand and yeah, right there good, and on the outside of the elbow, see if you can find a sore spot in there, just poke around and see if you can find a sore spot.

- [Vicky] : So this side or over here?

- [Lee] : Yeah, yeah that side, yeah, the outside.

Yeah, does it feel a little sore in there?

- [Vicky] : Oh yeah.

- [Lee] : Yeah, okay, good.

So what we're going to do, we gonna balance the muscles.

So I'm gonna have you just move your hand backwards like this a little bit, so you're getting a stretch down here, move this hand backwards.

- [Vicky] : Yeah.

- [Lee] : And now tell me if that got a little bit better.

- [Vicky] : Yeah, it got a little better.

- [Lee] : Okay, so let's just hold it there a little bit.

So this is starting to make the long muscle a little shorter and the short muscle a little longer.

And we're bringing these muscles back into balance here.

So let's just hold that a little bit.

(soft music continues) Good, and then we'll take you right out of there, make your hand go, bring your wrist back down again, poke the spot again is it a little bit better.

- [Vicky] : Yeah.

- [Lee] : Yeah.

- [Vicky] : It is actually a little better.

Right in here.

- [Lee] :Yeah, and that's it.

That's right.

So that makes it a little bit better.

Now, it's not gonna stay that way yet, but you get incremental improvements.

But if you did this stretch consistently, you can start to do it a little better and all you have to do when you do it to yourself, it's gonna look like this.

That's it.

Now, one of the trick with these is, I don't want you to go too deep, this is tricky, 'cause if you go too deep you actually make it worse.

So you really wanna make this get a nice stretch here, but it should be gentle.

- [Vicky] : Yeah, it does feel nice right here.

- [Lee] : Right, that's it.

And I use this stretch myself all the time.

I use my hands all the time doing body work and gardening myself.

So if I hadn't done this, I'd be in a lot of pain, but I consistently do this stretch.

So just so you know, doing it once, doesn't make it go away forever.

But with consistent practice and by adopting the other lifestyle changes in this plan, you can train the muscles to ache less.

And remember, as you can see, you don't need a therapist like myself to make this work, you can do it yourself at home.

And this is how you do it yourself.

So everybody can try that.

Go ahead, guys.

You can try that.

Wonderful, yeah, don't go too deep and don't bring your arm way out here, bring your elbow in a little bit, so you don't make your shoulder too sore here.

Just like that.

And of course, even though we only poke one spot of soreness, try the other side a little bit, 'cause most people have both sides sore a bit.

(soft music continues) And the key is to hold them at least a minute.

If you hold them for about a minute, that's when you're gonna get the best result.

Longer is fine, but at least a minute, okay?

And you see how easy that is and just like that, we're starting to make improvements and heal the body little by little.

How about a round of applause for Vicky everyone?

(audience applauding) Great.

Wasn't she great, awesome, thank you Vicky so much.

(Vicky laughing) So let's try another little demo here.

You know, so many people have sore hands and especially here around the thumb muscle, 'cause you know, we're grabbing all the time, we're really making those muscles out of balance and a lot of people suffer from a painful condition here.

So let's see if we have anybody who might have a sore thumb out there.

How about right over here?

Great, hi, tell me your name.

- [Lisa] : Hi, I'm Lisa.

- [Lee] : Hi, Lisa, tell me a little bit about your thumb muscles or your hands?

How do they feel, a little sore sometimes?

- [Lisa] : Yes, I think I have arthritis, you know, as you get older.

So my thumb you know, my right thumb has been hurting a lot.

- [Lee] : Right thumb has been hurting a lot.

Okay, well, let's see if we can make that feel, just a little bit better for you.

So take your left hand and kinda poke the thumb muscle right about in here.

Did you find-- - [Lisa] : Oh, in there.

Yeah.

- [Lee] : Yeah, you found the sore spot there?

- [Lisa] : Yeah.

- [Lee] : Okay.

Gently take your thumb, so it touches the little finger like that.

- [Lisa] : The little finger, okay?

- [Lee] : Yeah, just like that.

Now poke that spot again and tell me if it feels just a little bit better for you.

- [Lisa] : Oh, I don't feel anything.

- [Lee] : All righty, right?

So let's just hold that a little bit.

- [Lisa] : Okay.

- [Lee] : So again, this happens to people who use their hands a lot, I use this for my knitters a lot.

This is all also great for mechanics and carpenters, and you know, anybody who's using their hands a lot.

This is just so common.

Great for massage therapists too.

I'm doing this myself all the time.

Good, so let's slowly bring that open again.

- [Lisa] : Okay.

- [Lee] : Poke the spot again, tell me if it feels a little better.

- [Lisa] : Oh, so much better, - [Lee]: A little bit better, right?

- [Lisa]: Thank you.

So again, that's gonna give it a little bit of temporary relief, it won't stay that way yet, but if we keep doing this, if you do it consistently, those muscles will stay in balance a lot more often.

And you know, just to take this to the next step after you do a few of these, you might wanna just give it a slight little stretch as well, and by doing the two movements, we'll really start to get that muscle into balance for you, okay?

Let's everybody give Lisa a big hand here.

(Audience applauding) Thank you.

So you see how easy that is and just like that, we're starting to make improvements and starting to heal the body little by little.

In a 2015 study, it was shown that balancing muscles produces better posture, less pain and more mobility, and who wouldn't want that, right?

- [Audience] : Yes.

- [Lee] : So no matter how much pain, stress or sadness you have in your life, I want you to reclaim your life.

I want you to feel good and have a happy fulfilling life.

Don't give up on yourself, I'm not giving up on you, I want you to be happy and to experience joy.

I want you to have a body that's free from pain, what a blessing that is, and that's what we're going to do when we come back.

I'll show you how to incorporate the rest of the action steps into your life and how it all comes together with the plan for a Joyful Pain Free Life when we return.

So please stay with us, I know you're going to love it.

(audience applauding) - [Narrator] : We're back, with Joyful Pain Free Living, with Lee Albert.

(people clapping) - [Lee] : Thank you, thank you.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

Welcome back, to Joyful Pain Free Living.

I'm Lee Albert.

And I have a plan, that is both practical and easy to do, with a little commitment.

I have shared with you the first action step towards a joyful pain free life.

Correcting muscle imbalances that will help alleviate many painful conditions in your body.

The second action step, is preventing muscle imbalances from returning, by using an effective lumbar support.

So many painful conditions can be avoided or mitigated simply by using a lumbar support.

So what is a lumbar support?

A lumbar support is a device that provides adequate support to the muscles and skeletal structure of the lower back.

Especially, when in a seated position.

Slumping in a chair is often the main cause of many muscle imbalances and the resulting painful conditions, especially back and neck pain.

So let me quickly demonstrate for you how you can use a lumbar support at home and you can start to get some of these benefits.

Okay.

So, like we said, sitting in a chair is one of the biggest causes of causing muscle imbalances.

You see, when you sit in the chair, like the ordinary person, you see how your head goes forward a bit, shoulders round forward, and you're just creating more and more muscle imbalances, which are leading to more and more painful conditions.

And yes, you can try to sit up straight, but we all know nobody can do that for too long.

We're not gonna last.

So, that's where a proper lumbar support really comes in handy here.

So, I'm gonna use this as a lumbar support.

This is such a great little thing.

Because, even though there are so many lumbar supports out there and many chairs have built in ones, usually, they're not adjustable enough or they're not big enough or they're too big or something, well this is totally adjustable.

So, since every chair is built different, every chair needs a different thickness of a lumbar support.

Every body is different.

Every body needs a different thickness.

So, the beauty of this lumbar support is that it is foldable.

You can move it to different thicknesses.

You can put it in all sorts of different thicknesses to work on any chair for anybody.

So I'm just gonna roll this up and put it in my low back here.

And it goes right above my belt line here, not too low so it touches the chair, not too high up.

Right in the curve of that low back.

And I put it there and I'm guessing right now, and you see my posture is now better.

But the truth is, see I'm still a little bit forward.

I'm not quite there yet.

So I'm gonna just take that and I'm gonna make it just a little bit thicker here.

There we go.

Oh, and that feels so good.

And that's how you're gonna know.

When it feels really good, you know you got it right.

So if you make it too thick back there it'll be uncomfortable and you won't like it.

And if it's too thin, you know you'll still be slumping a bit.

When you're feeling like you're sitting up right and you feel kinda comfortable, then you know you got it right.

This is such a huge factor when dealing with muscle imbalances and pain factors in your life.

Let me show you what I'm talking about.

How many of you have lower back pain?

Wow.

Look at those hands go up.

That's quite a few.

It's not surprising, you know.

Low back pain is one of the most common areas of discomfort that my clients are afflicted with.

Low back pain is often due to muscle imbalances in the hips.

By correcting these balances over time, your low back pain will likely feel much better.

Let me show you what you can do to help with this common condition.

It's a bit easier to see the lower back when it's not on a web camera.

So I recorded this to show you just how easy it is to do.

I've got Chloe here, to help demonstrate.

Hi, Chloe.

How are you?

- [Chloe] : Doing well Lee.

How are you?

- [Lee] : I am good.

And so you have a little back pain.

How long have you had that?

- [Chloe] : Since New Year's.

- [Lee] : Since New Year's.

Okay.

Well, that's too long already.

Some people have had this for years and years.

- [Chloe] : Right.

- [Lee] : And how did you do it?

Do you have any idea?

- [Chloe] : A little bit of dancing.

- [Lee] : Dancing?

Well, that could do it for sure.

Was it fun?

- [Chloe] : Yeah.

- [Lee] : Well, that was the main thing.

So let's see if we can help you with this.

And is your pain on one side?

Both sides or?

- [Chloe] : It's both sides.

- [Lee] : Both.

Okay, So let's lie on your back and I see if we can help you a little bit.

Okay.

And so is it kind of uncomfortable on your low back lying like that?

A little bit.

Yeah.

That's what I would expect by the way.

So I'm gonna come in here, I'm gonna poke a muscle very gently.

And I'm just gonna ask you how it feels here.

So, I'm gonna find that bone.

There we go.

Gonna go right in there.

It's a little sore?

- [Chloe] : Yeah, a little sore.

- [Lee] : Yeah.

A little sore.

Maybe more than a little sore.

Okay.

So, we're gonna have you bend your knees here, Chloe.

Put your feet flat on the floor.

Nice.

Now I'm going to poke the muscle again.

Does that make it feel better?

- [Chloe] : It still hurts.

- [Lee] : Where I'm poking?

- [Chloe] : Yes.

- [Lee] : Okay.

So I'm gonna bring your leg up a little bit.

And you can just let that leg relax just like that.

And how does it feel now?

- [Chloe] : There's relief.

- [Lee] : Good.

So, we're gonna hold that a little bit.

So, this is the position that starts to balance the muscles in your hips.

And of course you can do this yourself.

You don't need me cause poking the muscle is not necessary.

That's just a monitor point.

So, you could just lie on your back, kinda pull your both knees to your chest and that will give you some relief.

Or you can lie on your back, scoot your butt up to a chair and go 90, 90 with your legs.

And that will give you relief.

Now this doesn't fix it forever, but at least you'll get some relief until we get some of the muscle balancing exercises going, and you can get some long term relief.

So, does this position make your back feel better?

- [Chloe] : Oh, much better.

- [Lee] : Much better?

Yeah.

That's what we like to hear.

And it always will.

So, when you have low back pain it's important to know how you can get that relief.

It is just so huge.

Great.

Thank you very much, Chloe.

- [Chloe] : Of course, Lee.

Thank you.

- [Lee] : You're welcome.

(people clapping) And that brings us to the third action step.

Which is, staying hydrated.

Improper levels of hydration in the body, are a huge problem.

And a truly hidden little known factor in the fight against pain.

In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic older adults naturally have a lower volume of water in their bodies.

And may have conditions or take medications that increase the risk of dehydration.

You may even be dehydrated right now, and not even know it.

Being hydrated is like a magic tonic in your body that helps everything else in the body work properly.

According to Harvard Medical School, drinking fluids is crucial to staying healthy and maintaining the function of every system in your body.

Including your heart, brain and muscles.

Speaking of muscles, another painful area in the body that's very common, is pain between the shoulder blades back there.

Many people complain about pain back there.

They just don't know what to do.

But it's really a very actual, simple easy move to do it, to get rid of that.

So, let's see if we can find somebody who might have that pain.

Anybody here might have a pain between their shoulder blades?

How about over here?

That'd be great.

Tell me your name.

- [Laura] : I'm Laura.

- [Lee] : Laura.

Great.

You got a little discomfort between those shoulder blades?

- [Laura] : I do.

Yeah.

- [Lee] : Yeah.

So tell me what you do for a living.

- [Laura] : I'm a physical therapist.

- [Lee] : Physical therapist.

Yeah.

- [Laura] : So I do a lot of work with my hands, and I type the documents - [Lee] : Yes.

- [Laura] : a lot too on the computer.

- [Lee] : Sure.

So you're bent over clients and you're at a computer.

Yeah.

No doubt about that.

That will definitely do it for sure.

So for this one, let's take your hand and poke between your shoulder blade back there a little bit.

And then with your right arm, just move it back a little bit.

Like this.

And now poke it again and tell me if it feels a little bit better.

- [Laura] : Not as tense.

- [Lee] : Yeah.

You're getting a little better in there?

- [Laura] : Right.

- [Lee] : Yeah.

And maybe just bring it back a little bit more to make it even just a little bit - yeah is that even a little better?

- [Laura] : Mmhhmmh.

- [Lee] : Awesome.

- [Laura] : Yes.

- [Lee] : Let's just hold that a little bit.

Good.

You know, and I get that one too from being bent over a table all day long.

So this is really a good thing to do.

I do it all the time.

Good, so if you can come out of there.

Poke it again.

Tell me if it feels a little bit better.

- [Laura] : Yes.

It does.

- [Lee] : A little bit better.

Yeah.

Nice, great.

Now, if you wanted to do both sides at once, you can just squeeze both shoulder blades together gently and hang like that.

Easy to do for anybody at home as well.

I do this all the time, myself.

It is just so important.

Great.

Well thank you so much, Laura.

You were great.

I really appreciate that.

Let's give Laura a big hand.

(people clapping) You were really great.

- [Laura] : Thank you.

- [Lee] : Thank you So far, we have learned three action steps.

Muscle balancing movements, using an effective lumbar support and staying well hydrated.

Additionally, I have observed that stress can be a big factor when it comes to headaches and many other painful musculoskeletal conditions.

So tell me how many of you feel stress?

That's what I thought.

How many feel it a lot?

How many of you can feel that stress in your body right now?

Well, that's a lot of hands.

We can say that our stress makes our painful conditions even more painful.

That often leads to more stress.

And that can sometimes even develop into anxiety.

Which further compounds the pain.

Another vicious cycle.

So we need to stop that as soon as we can.

So fortunately, there're some really quick and easy strategies that anyone can add to their life for stress relief without spending a lot of time or having to buy anything.

And that brings us to action step number four, relieving stress by using breathing meditation.

Now, the beauty of breathing meditation is that all it takes is, you and breathing.

No special retreats.

No technology doodads or anything complicated.

An article by the Mayo Clinic, states, that meditation is a simple, fast way to reduce stress.

Even just meditating for a few minutes can bring results.

So let's see if we could start to use part of the 28-day plan here, to start alleviating some of that stress and starting to feel a little bit better in our bodies.

So do we have anybody who wanna volunteer for that?

Great.

So tell me your name.

- [Glynn] : Glynn.

- [Lee] : Glynn.

And tell me what you do for a living.

- [Glynn] : I'm a writer.

- [Lee] : You're a writer?

Okay.

So you probably spend a lot of time at a desk, right?

- [Glynn] : Yes, I do.

- [Lee] : Yeah.

And does writing bring you joy?

- [Glynn] : Yes, it does.

- [Lee] : I'll bet it does.

Absolutely.

Now, do you have a little bit of stress in your life too perhaps, like most people?

- [Glynn] : That's a silly question.

- [Lee] : Yeah.

Stress everywhere.

Right?

Let's just take our arms and open up the chest a little bit like this.

So we're giving these chest muscles a nice little stretch.

Nice gentle, nice and easy.

Just tilt the head back a little.

Now, from this position, take a deep breath, and let that go.

And just bring your arms back down.

Now, combining that with maybe a little drink of water at some point.

And that when you're at your desk, make sure you're writing, having all that joy of writing, make sure you get that lumbar support in there and things are going to improve.

Yes, there'll still be stress.

But remember, even if you have stress it doesn't have to affect you as much.

So by working with the plan here, you can take the stress, use our strategies and start to bring that stress down.

Can't eliminate stress from your life, but if we can make it feel better, that's well worth it.

So thank you so much, Glynn.

We appreciate that.

It was really great having you here.

Thank you so much.

Let's give her a big hand.

(people clapping) But to truly heal the body, calm the mind and bring joy into the heart, that's action step number five.

Happy thoughts.

Okay, okay.

I know, I know.

Maybe that sounds just a little too simple.

Think happy thoughts?

Like come on.

What's that going to do?

Well, let me tell you.

It's going to do a lot.

What we're talking about here, is the complex interaction between the mind and body, that's been studied extensively by researchers all over the world.

The power of mind-body medicine is very real.

I call it happy thoughts.

But it's actually a well-documented phenomenon that goes much deeper.

When positive thoughts are generating, when we're feeling happy or optimistic cortisol decreases.

Cortisol is the stress hormone that gets secreted into your system when you get into a "fight or flight" response.

Now cortisol is important, because without it, we wouldn't respond well to any kind of threat.

The problem is, that we live in a world where we seem like we're always on red alert about everything.

So our bodies are pumping cortisol into our bloodstream all the time.

And that much cortisol is doing some real damage.

So anything we can do to decrease the cortisol levels in our bodies, the better it is for our overall health.

When you start to think a happy thought and it doesn't have to be anything hard, think puppies, kittens, chocolate, whatever it takes, the brain produces chemicals.

Like dopamine and many others that can reduce pain levels and anxiety, making you feel calmer and more optimistic about life.

So, would anybody like to help me out with my little happy thought experiment?

Come on over.

Great.

Hi, tell me your name.

- [David] : Hi, I'm David.

[Lee]: David, well we're gonna try a little experiment here.

Okay?

- [David] : Okay.

- [Lee] : Do you have any pets?

- [David] : I have a cat.

- [Lee] : A cat.

Great.

So what I'm gonna ask you to do here, just take one slow deep breath.

Let it all out.

Now I'm gonna ask you to actively think about 15 kittens running around and playing with each other.

See that, it happened immediately.

That's the chemicals that were being produced and they're produced immediately.

It's not like it takes a long time.

That's all it takes.

Every time you think of something that makes you happy, you're gonna be giving yourself healing beneficial chemicals.

You can't even believe the power of this.

And all it took was thinking of kittens.

Great.

How about up here?

Great.

So tell me your name.

- [Jennifer] : I'm Jennifer.

- [Lee] : Hi, Jennifer.

How are you doing today?

- [Jennifer] : I'm doing well.

- [Lee] : Good.

I'm glad to hear that.

And what do you do for a living?

- [Jennifer] : Well, I'm retired, but it seems I'm working more than ever.

I do visuals for church services and a lot of work on a computer.

- [Lee] : Okay.

So you're keeping yourself busy.

- [Jennifer] : Very.

- [Lee] : That's good.

Okay.

So let's do a little experiment with you.

So what do you like to do?

Do you have hobbies or anything that you like to do?

- [Jennifer] : Oh, Sure.

I like to travel.

Haven't been able to do much of that lately, but I do like to travel.

- [Lee] : You like to travel?

Great.

Okay.

So let's do this little experiment here.

So what I'm gonna ask you to do is think of the most exotic, wonderful place you wanna travel to.

What can you think of?

Yeah.

See the smile on your face already?

It's happening.

And you don't even have the whole place figured out yet.

Tell me what it might be - [Jennifer] : Going down the Danube River.

We've done that.

It was wonderful.

- [Lee] : Wow.

Sailing down the Danube River.

Look at that smile on your face.

Now do you think you could think of that three or four times a day in your everyday life, take a little time?

- [Jennifer] : Oh, yeah.

Easily.

- [Lee] : Easily.

And why wouldn't you?

Look at the benefits you're giving.

And here's another little aspect of this.

You know how they say fake it till you make it?

Even if you're having a bad day, and you just fake a smile and think about the Danube and floating down it, you're gonna start making good chemicals and your day is going to improve.

Thank you so much, Jennifer.

You were great.

Thank you so much.

Let's give her a hand.

(people clapping) The secret sauce of the Joyful Pain Free Life, is these small steps add up to form a comprehensive toolkit that can help you on your journey to heal the body, calm the mind and bring joy to the heart.

Having a pain free life means, less dependent on painkillers and other medications.

This is a safe and effective approach that can literally transform your life.

Now, let me be clear.

Doing it just once doesn't make it go away forever.

But, with consistent practice and by adopting the lifestyle changes in this plan you can train the muscles to come into balance and not ache so much anymore.

And remember, you may not need a therapist like myself to make this work.

You can do it yourself at home.

So, stay with me and you're going to learn how I transform the five action steps and the principles of Joyful Pain Free Living, into an easy plan for you that anyone can do in the comfort of their home.

Stay with us.

You're not going to wanna miss it.

(people clapping) - [Narrator] : Welcome back to "Joyful Pain Free Living" with Lee Albert.

(clapping) - [Lee] : Thank you.

Thank you so much, appreciate it.

Welcome back to "Joyful Pain Free Living."

I'm Lee Albert.

I have a plan that is both practical and easy to do.

A plan that will focus on movements and practices, that will help correct your posture, lower your pain and stress levels, elevate your mood, and bring your muscles back into balance.

The exercises and suggestions I have revealed as part of the 28-day plan will empower you to feel better and to have your body functioning as nature intended.

Try my easy suggestions for 28 days.

If you feel better at the end of 28 days, hey, great!

(laughing) Keep using the program to gain even more benefits.

So let's look at what we've learned so far.

Muscle imbalances are the root cause of 80% of musculoskeletal pain patterns.

These pain patterns are then exacerbated by certain lifestyle factors like stress, mood, posture, and hydration.

When the root causes of pain are not addressed fully, this can lead to chronic pain, which in turn often leads to more stress, anxiety, and disturbed sleep patterns.

Conversely, the anxiety, stress, and sleep deprivation exacerbate the painful condition.

It's just becomes a vicious cycle.

Here are the five action steps and the benefits of each.

Action step number one, pain reducing, mood enhancing, muscle balancing movement.

So according to the "Canadian Medical Association Journal," moving your body has enormous benefits for your physical and mental health.

Movement is a fundamental aspect of life.

So moving your body on a regular basis helps to strengthen your bones and muscles, improves heart function, reduces your risk of numerous common diseases, helps with memory and mood, reduces stress, and helps to reduce inflammation and pain levels in the body.

I mean, that's a lot of benefits for just a little bit of movement.

And when we combine these with the muscle balancing movements, the benefits are even greater.

So let me demonstrate on someone and let's see if a balanced muscle can help them feel better.

So I'm looking for someone who might have pain on the top of their shoulder, or behind their shoulder blades, between the shoulder blades, anybody got that kind of pain here?

Oh, how about over here?

That would be great.

Hi, what's your name?

- [Christine] : Christine.

- [Lee] : Christine.

And what do you do for a living Christine?

- [Christine] : I'm a 20-year, licensed massage therapist.

- [Lee] : Oh a massage therapist.

Okay, so you're bent over a table a lot.

You feel tight up there sometimes or?

- [Christine] : Yes, definitely, - [Lee] : Definitely, sometimes, yeah, of course.

That would be expected in your kind of a job.

So let's see if we can make that feel a little bit better.

So let's look for a spot on the top of your shoulders, so take your right hand and find a spot right on the top of your shoulder and press down and tell me if that's a little tight.

- [Christine] : Absolutely, it is.

- [Lee] : Yeah, and it is for most people, for sure.

So you could stop poking it, but keep your hand there, and take your other arm, and slowly put it on top of your head, in what we call the "slacken the shoulder" position, sometimes known as the, "Oh my God" position.

Oh my God.

Good.

Now poke the spot again and tell me if it feels a little better.

- [Christine] : Yes, it feels softer.

- [Lee] : It feels a little softer?

That's what we're looking for, for sure.

So let's hold this for about a minute here, because... And again I do this on myself all the time, 'cause I do body work too, I'm bent over a table, that muscle does get tight, and boy, this really does help.

So, you know, 60 seconds is usually ideal, a little longer is okay.

So then slowly move out of that position, put your arm back down by the side, poke it again, tell me if it feels just a little bit better.

- [Christine] : It definitely does, it feels much softer.

- [Lee] : Exactly.

- [Christine] : More pliable.

- [Lee] : Yeah a lot softer, and more pliable.

And that's great, because that is what it's gonna be.

Now that won't last of course, and you can keep doing that over and over but if you do this long-term, we're going to keep rebalancing your muscles, and eventually those muscles won't get so sore anymore.

So Christie, thank you so much, we really appreciate you doing this, it was really great to have you here.

- [Christine] : Thank you, Lee.

- [Lee] : Let's give a big hand of applause to Christine.

(clapping) Action step number two, pain reducing, posture improving lumbar support.

A proper lumbar support will help you sit up straight, keep your spine properly aligned, so all the bones, muscles, and tendons can support the body in the way they're supposed to without any strain thus lowering pain levels.

And this has been confirmed by a study published in "The Journal of Physical Therapy Science."

This is an easy, effective practice that you can use the rest of your life.

Action step number three, pain reducing, mood enhancing, joint-lubricating hydration.

Your body is constantly losing water through breathing, sweating and digesting.

You are actually losing water with every breath you take.

It is so easy to become under hydrated.

By staying well hydrated, your muscles and joints will work better, and your skin will stay more supple.

Consuming more fluid also helps remove waste from the body.

Proper hydration is a secret key that makes sure the other steps all work as well as possible.

Action step number four, pain reducing, mood enhancing, stress-relieving, breathing meditation.

Numerous medical schools like Harvard, Yale, and UCLA have conducted studies that prove a consistent meditation practice, especially with slow breathing provides significant benefits to those who suffer from chronic pain, stress and anxiety.

Action step number five, pain reducing, mood enhancing happy thoughts.

Science tells us that every thought produces some type of chemical in the body.

When positive thoughts are generated, cortisol decreases, and the brain produces happy chemicals that can reduce pain levels and anxiety making you feel calmer, happier, and more optimistic about life.

So these five action steps are all designed to rebalance key systems in the body, and finally address the underlying cause or causes of your pain.

They are backed by science, and have been tested on over 35,000 clients, and have been found to have a high success rate.

So now let me explain how the 28-day, "Joyful Pain Free Living" program works.

Here's one of my favorite super easy movement exercises that can help anyone feel better right now.

So you put your hands down by your side, you gently squeeze your shoulder blades together, open your chest, and if you start to think some happy thoughts, think kittens and puppies.

Now you're doing two of the action steps, and you're starting to bring a little bit more joy into your life and balancing some muscles.

And you see how simple that was?

- [Audience] : Yes.

- [Lee] : Well, that's how easy it is to get started with the program.

(clapping) So many people suffer with neck pain.

This is a very common condition, and it's usually because the muscles in the front of the body are too short, the ones in the back are too long, causing this painful condition.

We're a bent forward society causing a lot of pain in the back of the neck.

So let's see if we might find somebody here that might have some neck pain going on, I'm sure it won't be too hard to find somebody.

Anybody here might have a little bit of neck pain going on?

How about over here?

Great.

So tell me your name.

- [Angela] : Angela.

- [Lee] : Angela.

And you got a little soreness in the back of your neck there a little bit?

- [Angela] : Yes.

- [Lee] : It's pretty common for sure.

Tell me what you do for a living that might be causing that.

- [Angela] : Well, I do a lot of paperwork and computer work.

A lot of desk work sitting.

- [Lee] : Desk work sitting, it could be... Yeah, that'll definitely do it, there's no doubt about it.

And that's not fun, that can also lead to headaches and other things as well, so it's really good to get rid of that.

So what I'm gonna ask you to do is, take your right hand and reach up behind your head and you'll feel a bony ridge going right across near the lower part there?

- [Angela] : Mm-hmm, yes.

- [Lee] : And right underneath it, poke a spot and see if it's a little sore.

- [Angela] : Yes.

- [Lee] : You find it?

- [Angela] : Oh yeah.

- [Lee] : Okay.

Now that you found it, don't poke it, but keep your hand there, tilt your head backwards ever so gently, and just turn it away from the tender spot a little bit.

Now poke it...

Yes, now poke it again and see if it feels a little better.

[Angela]: Wow, that's better.

[Lee]: Feel better?

Good, so let's just hold that for a minute or so here... And again, this is so important to do, to get rid of all those aches and pains back there.

Great little tricks that anybody can learn.

This is what we call taking charge of your life, learning how your body works, learning how you can get rid of your own aches and pains.

So take your arm out of there, Angela.

And it's a little bit better now, right?

- [Angela] : It is, it's amazing.

- [Lee] : Right, and again, it won't stay that way forever, but by doing them consistently, and using a lumbar support perhaps, and you know, just making your body as straight as possible, getting your muscles balanced, and doing the plan, you too could get rid of that, and it never has to come back again.

And if it does, you're gonna know what to do.

Angela, thank you so much, it was so great, - [Angela] : Thank you.

- [Lee] : Thank you so much.

Appreciate it, thank you.

(clapping) In the "Joyful Pain Free Living" plan, we incorporate these five action steps into your life over a course of day-by-day, week-by-week building process.

It starts very gradually, but we build on each day's success and each week's success until it becomes a part of your life.

But you know what?

It only works if you make this commitment to yourself, that you're going to try this plan.

So each day of every week, I'm going to ask you to take the five action steps, and we're going to make those second nature for your daily life.

It's going to be easy, too.

I'm going to ask you to incorporate a lumbar support in your life every time you are going to sit for periods of time, such as at your computer, and when driving.

You will have less pain and better posture if you make this a lifelong habit.

Do you think you can do that?

- [Audience] : Yes.

- [Lee] : And once you see how much better you'll feel, you know what?

You're going to want to keep doing this.

I'm going to ask you to measure the amount of water you are drinking, so you can get a good sense of how much you are drinking every day.

So this action step has you tracking your hydration.

Your commitment is 20 ounces a day for the first week.

And over the course of the month, we will gradually increase that amount.

It is important to check with your doctor when increasing your hydration.

I'm going to ask you to commit to deliberately thinking happy thoughts every day and limiting negative thoughts that can cause stress.

So a great way to do that is by significantly limiting your news consumption.

Another easy way to do is just to laugh more, I mean, who doesn't wanna laugh more, right?

Well, now you have another great reason to do that.

A 2011 study conducted by researchers from Oxford University, showed that more subjects laughed, the less pain they felt.

Now this action step asks you to think three happy thoughts per day, and to limit your consumption of the news.

You don't have to give up the news, but by thinking less about the news, you soon begin to feel better.

By the end of four weeks, the goal will be seven happy thoughts a day.

You can set your cell phone to give you a reminder to do this until it becomes a habit.

I want you to be aware of how that makes you feel.

I'm going to ask you to commit to making movement a part of every day.

This include things such as walking, biking, swimming or other gentle movements, and the muscle balancing movements.

Movement doesn't have to be difficult or even that strenuous, but getting your body moving is so important to having a pain-free life.

I'm going to ask you to commit to practicing the breathing meditation.

This simple practice is done by slowing your breathing and keeping the focus on your breath.

Now this can be done sitting in a chair, or lying in a bed.

That's right, you can do this lying in a bed, even in your jammies if you want.

And in as little as 10 minutes a day, that's all it takes.

You can do it when you wake up, or before you go to bed.

Maybe as a break in the middle of your day, whatever works, but make time that is consistent for you to get the benefit.

By the end of week one, you will be starting to develop the healthy habits needed to have more joy and less pain.

It takes time to make habits a part of your life, so you need to stick with me for those full 28 days.

So like with any plan, there are also some pitfalls that can derail your progress that you need to keep an eye out for.

First of all, overstretching.

After the first week of following the plan, some of my clients get too excited, and they start to do something I call overstretching.

They think that if a little stretch is good, more is better.

Well, they didn't realize overstretching can cause tears in the muscles.

Overstretching can stretch tendons which is usually not a good idea.

Overstretching produces a poor result.

Overstretching can actually make it worse so please don't stretch too deep.

And one of the biggest pitfalls is not being consistent or just skipping some of the suggestions.

Following the plan as closely as possible and comfortable will give the best results.

So by consistently practicing these action steps, you too can heal the body, calm the mind, and bring joy to the heart.

You too can have less pain in your life, have less stress and anxiety, sleep better and wake up feeling rested, which means feeling happier and more peaceful.

And more importantly, you will start to bring back the joy of living.

My ideas and protocols have helped thousands of my clients, and now you can reap these benefits in the comfort of your home.

So of course the big question is how long will it take to see results?

Well, the plan is designed to be put into practice for 28 days, but it doesn't have to stop there, in fact, it shouldn't.

The techniques and tools I'm giving you are a way to build a joyful and pain-free life, for the rest of your life, so you can keep enjoying life.

My hope is that after 28 days, you will start to realize how incredible a joyful pain-free life can be, and you will want to keep it that way.

My plan can work for you and it works for life.

Wouldn't you like to be able to participate in the activities that you love?

- [Audience] : Yes.

- [Lee] : Wouldn't you like to feel the joy that comes from being able to play tennis or golf again?

- [Audience] : Yes.

- [Lee] : Get back into the garden, and be able to get a good night's sleep?

- [Audience] : Yes.

- [Lee] : Would you like to feel the calmness and peace that comes from being less stressed?

- [Audience] : Yes.

- [Lee] : Let me share a quote with you from Abraham Lincoln, "Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality."

Please make a commitment to your own health.

You are worth it.

Don't give up.

Your joy and happiness are worth a little effort.

The commitment is a small price to pay for the reward of better health and happiness.

You can do this, you are worth it, you can take responsibility for your own health and develop new habits.

Remember, if you do what you always did, you get what you always got, so if you don't like what you got, you need a plan.

It is my utmost desire that the information contained in this program will be of value to you on your journey through life.

I hope you will also help others feel better even if it's just sharing a smile with them.

This is a plan for the rest of your life, if you choose.

Put into practice what I have suggested, and see for yourself that you are capable of making the changes which will lead you to a more empowered and fulfilled life.

I wish you well on your journey of healing the body, calming the mind, and giving joy to the heart.

Live the Joyful Pain Free lifestyle.

Thank you for the time we've spent together, and for the connection that we have started to build together.

I send each one of you watching my very best wishes for a very wonderful life.

Thank you so much.

(clapping) [MUSIC]