From Pain to Peace: Living well with chronic pain
An 8-week mindfulness program combining pain neuroscience education with meditation practices - specifically designed for people with persistent pain.
Chronic pain changes everything - how you move, sleep, work, and relate to yourself and others. You've probably tried multiple treatments. The pain persists. Neuroscience now shows that many forms of chronic pain are maintained by learned brain responses, and that retraining these responses can reduce suffering and, in many cases, the pain itself.
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How Does This Actually Work?
This isn't about positive thinking, it's about neuroscience
The reality you're living:
Pain that won't go away despite treatments. Doctors who've run out of options for you. Medications that help somewhat but bring side effects. Physical therapy that provides temporary relief. Pain being unexplained. The constant calculation of whether activities are "worth" the pain increase. The isolation of people not understanding what it's like to hurt all the time. Or simply exhausted and disillusioned by the idea of anything being of help
What makes Pain to Peace different:
This isn't another program telling you to think positively or distract yourself. It recognises that pain is personal, specific and real – and needs attention. It's grounded in cutting - edge pain neuroscience showing that chronic pain involves changes in how your nervous system processes information - changes that can be reversed through specific practices.
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Pain Neuroscience Education
From the 'Explain Pain' program by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley. Understanding how your brain creates pain experiences, why pain persists even after tissues heal, and how fear and stress can increase pain.
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Mindfulness - Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Evidence-based meditation practices that build awareness of your own body sensations, emotions, thoughts and impulses, calm your nervous system, reduce pain-related anxiety, and help you respond to pain differently.
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Self-Compassion training
Learning to be kind to yourself when pain and associated suffering is high, help calm and regulate the nervous system, and to bring patience and kindness to your experience as you learn new ways of relating to your pain.
What this combination does:
Research shows it reduces pain intensity for many people, but more importantly, it reduces pain-related suffering, disability, and psychological distress - even when pain levels don't fully resolve. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to "uncouple the physical experience of pain from pain-related suffering," helping people develop acceptance-based coping while reducing fear-avoidance and catastrophising. You get your life back even while managing ongoing pain.
Zgierska, A.E. & Burzinski, C.A. (2019). Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Low Back Pain. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Whole Health Library. (https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/mindfulness-meditation-for-chronic-low-back-pain.asp)
Critical distinction:
This works alongside medical treatment, not as replacement. It’s an active approach that builds your capacity to influence pain processes, alongside medical care.
What you'll learn over eight weeks:
Week 1: Understanding your Pain
How chronic pain differs from acute pain, why it persists after tissues heal, and how your brain creates pain experiences. This knowledge often provides immediate relief - understanding that pain doesn't always mean damage reduces the fear that amplifies suffering. Get to know each other and how the 8 weeks will unfold.
Week 2: How We See Things Makes a Difference
As well as more pain science, we bring gentle, curious attention to physical sensations without trying to change them. This practice helps change the relationship to the body – even one that is hurting - by desensitising your nervous system, building your capacity to pay attention through a lens of safety and curiosity.
Week 3: Recognising Feeling Tones
Further exploration of the body through gentle yoga and stretching practices to help you move with awareness rather than fear. Discovering the edge between helpful challenge and harmful strain. Knowing more about the science helps you learn to trust your body again.
Week 4: The Power of Emotions
Understanding the relationship between emotional states (anxiety, frustration, grief, anger) and pain intensity. Developing skills to work with difficult emotions that accompany chronic pain.
Week 5: Finding Another Place to Stand
Language matters and how we speak about our pain can really change things. Exploring thinking patterns ("This will never end," "I can't handle this," "My life is over"). Learning to notice these thoughts without getting consumed by them. Even more clarity about the nature of pain.
Week 6: Kindness and Compassion
Specific practices for being kind to yourself when pain is high, when you can't do activities you value, when you feel isolated or misunderstood. This is the antidote to the self - blame many pain sufferers carry.
Week 7: Living on Purpose
The production of pain is complex. Knowing that each small choice in the day can be transformative for your body, mind and immune system is powerful. Connecting with your values and expressing them in the moment with wise actions.
Week 8: Living Well With Pain
Integrating everything into sustainable daily practice. Creating your personal pain management toolkit. Planning for flare-ups and setbacks.
Plus: Half - Day Retreat (Saturday, Week 6)
9am - 1pm extended practice session for deeper integration. All practices adaptable to your physical capacity.
Ready to begin your journey from Pain to Peace?
Who this is for:
Pain to Peace is designed for people living with:
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Neuropathic pain
- Headache and migraine disorders
- Persistent pain of unknown origin
You don't need to:
- Have previous meditation experience (we teach from scratch)
- Be able to sit cross-legged (chairs, cushions, lying down all fine)
- Be "good at" meditation (there's no such thing)
- Believe this will cure your pain (realistic expectations welcomed)
- Stop other treatments (this works alongside medical care)
Teachers who understand pain from inside
Dr Adele Stewart MBBS FRACGP
General Practitioner, Pain Specialist, MBSR Teacher
30+ years as GP in Illawarra region, Chair of RACGP Pain Management Group, recognised for extended skills in psychological medicine and pain management. Co-developed Pain to Peace with Openground founder Timothea Goddard.
Why Adele teaches this course:
"I've worked with thousands of patients with chronic pain. What I've learned is that fighting pain makes it worse. Mindfulness teaches us to approach pain differently - with curiosity instead of fear, acceptance instead of resistance. That shift changes everything. I came to mindfulness through my own health crisis and 35+ years of practice have shown me that these tools work even when conventional medicine reaches its limits."
Dr Mandy Mercuri PhD
MBSR Teacher, Pain Reprocessing Therapy Certified, Explain Pain Certified
30+ years living with chronic back pain following scoliosis surgery as teen. After a 3 - week intensive pain management program transformed her relationship to pain in 2009, trained in MBSR, Pain Reprocessing Therapy, Explain Pain neuroscience and Modern Qigong. Brings deep empathy and extensive knowledge from lived experience.
Why Mandy teaches this course:
"I know what it's like to wake up every day in pain, to worry about and brace against every movement, to feel like your body has betrayed you, to have tried everything and the pain only gets worse. I also know that understanding the neuroscience of pain and learning to work with your nervous system rather than fighting it can give you your life back – that’s what has worked for me and countless others. I believe recovery from chronic pain is possible because I now live in that reality, everyday."
Mindfulness for physical pain and emotional pain
with Dr Adele Stewart
Adele has been a GP for over thirty years. She came to mindfulness partly through her own chronic pain and trauma history, and has never looked back. She talks about the paradox at the heart of the practice: that the harder you try to fix yourself, the more the trying gets in the way.
What's included?
Eight weekly sessions (2.5 hours each):
- Live instruction with Dr Adele Stewart or Dr Mandy Mercuri
- Small group size (personalised attention possible)
- Safe space to discuss pain experiences without judgment
One half-day retreat (Saturday, Week 6):
- 10am - 3pm extended practice
- All practices fully adaptable to physical limitations
Course book:
- Week-by-week guidance
- Pain neuroscience explanations
- Meditation practice instructions
- Home practice tracking
- Resources for ongoing learning
OpenGround Meditation App (3-month access):
- Guided meditations specifically for pain management
- Practice tracks: of various lengths
- Practice when and where works for your body
Ongoing teacher support:
- Email access throughout course
- Individual check-ins as needed
- Post-course guidance for continuing practice
Investing in your wellbeing - pricing that works for you
We've designed our pricing to make this training accessible while sustaining the quality teaching and support that makes it effective. Here's how it works.
Standard Rate: $695
Our foundation rate. The true cost of delivering this program with experienced teachers.
Supported Rate: $495
Partially subsidised. Made possible by generous donors.
Scholarship Rate: $195
Significantly subsidised rate for those facing substantial financial barriers.
No one is turned away for lack of funds.
If you need further assistance, contact us today.
Frequently asked questions
Will this cure my pain?
We cannot promise to eliminate pain. What we can promise: evidence - based tools for changing your relationship with pain, reducing suffering, and improving quality of life. Many participants experience reduced pain intensity, but even when pain levels don't fully resolve, people report dramatic improvements in functioning and wellbeing.
Do I need previous meditation experience?
No. The course teaches everything from scratch. All practices are taught step-by-step with modifications for pain.
What if my pain is too severe to sit for 2.5 hours?
We provide chairs, cushions, and lying - down options. You practice in whatever position works for your body. Many participants lie down for entire sessions - this is completely normal and encouraged. Take breaks as needed.
Should I stop my current pain treatment?
Absolutely not. This program works alongside medical treatment, physiotherapy, medications, and other interventions. Never discontinue treatment without consulting your treating doctor. Many participants find they can reduce medication over time, but that's always a decision made with medical supervision.
What if I'm too tired or in too much pain to practice daily?
The program is designed for people with chronic pain. Home practice starts at just 10-15 minutes. We help you find what's sustainable for your situation. Imperfect practice is better than no practice.
Will I have to talk about my pain in front of others?
Sharing is always optional. Some find it helpful to connect with others who understand; others prefer to listen. Both are completely fine.
What if I have PTSD or trauma related to my pain?
Both teachers are trauma - informed. We create safe, supportive environments and never require anyone to share trauma details. All practices can be modified for trauma sensitivity.
Is this online or in-person?
We offer both. Online courses work well for people with mobility limitations, those in regional areas, or anyone who finds travel difficult.
What about flare-ups during the course?
If you miss a session due to pain flare-up, you can watch the recording of the session so you don’t have to miss out. The course is designed with this reality in mind-life with chronic pain isn't predictable.
My doctor is sceptical about mindfulness for pain. What do I say?
Share the research page with them. MBSR for chronic pain has strong evidence base. Many participants' doctors become supportive once they see outcomes. We can provide materials for your medical team