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Mountain Joy, by Nat Segal
“The mountains bring us so much joy but what happens when movement in them brings you pain?” is the question Nat Segal asks in her new short film “Mountain Joy: A Film about Pain”. What draws us to the mountains is very personal, but the common theme is that we are drawn to them for inspiration, well being, physical challenges and spiritual connections, just to name a few… but not pain.
Nat Segal, a profession skier, who has been dealing with increased chronic pain from physical activity was finally diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis two years ago. She is having to battle both the pain and, the perception that we must battle our way through it. Her film “Mountain Joy” gives a small glimpse into the journey she is on, to not just deal with the pain, but her own perception of it and how to get back to finding joy in the mountains and the activities she loves.
Mountain Joy is Directed and Produced by Nat Segal and Presented by Helly Hansen, with support from Orthovox and Tourism Revelstoke.
We had a chance to ask Nat some quesitons about the film and her journey learning to deal with chronic pain in the mountains.
What inspired you to do this film? What are your hopes/goals for it?
My inspiration for this film came from realizing how many people were struggling with a similar issue to me around pain, injury and the identity loss that comes from dealing with these things. Living in a small mountain town, you meet many people who are trying to learn to manage physical and mental health setbacks. My goal in making the film was to acknowledge this and start a conversation around building healthy ways to manage these issues, especially in the outdoor industry where we often try to push past or ignore them.
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How have you replaced the dark thoughts?
No, I don't think it is possible to fully replace the fears and feelings of not being enough. I try and support them with positive self-talk and gentleness.
What specifically do you tell yourself now? What is an example of a story that serves you?
These days I try to ensure that everything I do has some type of intention that is led by what I need rather than what I think is expected of me. This way I am creating my own story rather than going by one that has been written by someone else.
What do you mean by ‘radical’ acceptance (it sounds cool)?
One example would be when I was undiagnosed and living in a world of pain and fear of losing my ability to ski and be outdoors. At one point I had to make a big jump to accept that my life may change in big ways, that I may not be able to ski in the future and I had to take one day at a time. I had to go against all my instincts and manage the blows that I was dealt.
What advice do you have for someone who is active and facing chronic pain?
Move, movement is medicine. However, work with people who understand pain to problem solve and find out what movement is best for you. I think when dealing with different chronic diseases and pain there is no such thing as 0% pain but I also recommend advocating for yourself to find the best solution for you out there and don't be ashamed of pushing for something more. I am still pushing, problem solving and every week I learn something new about my body and how to live better in it.
How has getting back on the mountain helped? Has it helped?
Being back in the mountains was empowering. It is a place where I can challenge myself and funnily enough there were many days where days in the mountains helped me mentally manage pain, because of movement and also the way it helps me to manage my stress.
You can learn more about Nat and other projects she is working on: https://www.natjsegal.com/about
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