Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND is one of the only licensed NDs in Canada who is considered an authority in the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and eating disorders.

A gifted speaker and writer, she has shared her personal story and philosophy of wellness with audiences across North America.  She has appeared on many health summits, podcasts, webinars, and radio shows, including the Jenny McCarthy Show and a docuseries, “Interconnected.”

Dr. Chris has helped many patients navigate through labels and stigma towards physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.  Her personal experience with mental health challenges has made Dr. Chris an exceptional motivational speaker on overcoming barriers in life and encouraging others to achieve their full potential.

Dr. Chris is the author of four books on mental health, and the creator of a 10-week online course as well as an in-person retreat on mental health. Her body of works helps teach how to regain mental health using a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual approach to health.

In this episode of the High-Tech Wellness Podcast, Dr. Chris shares her thoughts on spirituality and pain.

Highlights include:

1:30 Does God Hate You?

11:30 The Spiritual Role of Pain

19:49 Four Aspects of Being Human

29:52 Soul Contracts

37:50 Love Yourself First

Key insights that Dr. Chris will share include:

Does God Hate You?

When dealing with chronic pain, spirituality can be difficult.  People often find themselves questioning the idea of a loving God who has given them such incredible pain to handle.

Dr. Chris emphasizes that although it can feel like God is against you, it’s simply not true.

“We can get a bit jaded and we can lose our way a little bit in this connection with God. But what we really want to understand is God is always calling us to close this gap between this side of ourselves that might become a little bitter…”

The harsh way that people judge themselves can lead to fear of judgment by others and by God, she says.

“But at the end of the day, God is love…there is nothing but love and compassion there for you.”

The Spiritual Role of Pain

Physical pain signals can be a call for attention from the emotional side of pain.  The role of spirituality in pain is often to help the person suffering from pain reflect on difficult emotions that may not have been processed.  Learning to truly pay attention to the moment you are in can lead the way to real healing.

“One of the main spiritual roles of pain is for you to turn to the present moment…to figure out maybe what is the source and what is the root of this?”

Chronic pain can be the body’s way of letting you know what it needs to release in order to achieve wellness and optimal health.  Examining the trauma that you’ve been carrying allows the weight to be lifted.

Love Yourself First

The idea that love from someone else is necessary to make you whole is problematic, Dr. Chris says.  When people search for love outside themselves, they aren’t missing an essential component to healing.

Caretakers often make the mistake of giving so much to others that there’s nothing left over for themselves.  That’s why learning to set boundaries is so important, Dr. Chris says.

“We’re talking about really honoring who you are and what makes you tick as a human being. But at the same time, recognizing that you can’t give completely of yourself to the point where you’re depleting yourself to exhaustion and causing illness.”

Finding a spiritual anchor allows this self-love to develop.

“That’s something I’ve had to reframe, shift my attitude around…that understanding that I am here because I’m a representation of life and love, therefore of the Creator.”

Connect with Dr. Chris

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