If
you are experiencing pain
that is either chronic or has come "out of
nowhere," take a moment to breathe into it.
Find a quiet spot away from any distractions.
Lay down or sit in a comfortable position with
your back straight, and take a few deep breaths.
On the inhale, breathe in through the soles of
your feet up to the top of your head. And on the
exhale, breathe back down and out your soles.
Breathe in comfort, space and warmth. Breathe
out tightness and pain.
Inhale. Exhale.
Once you have established a good
relaxed rhythm, pause your attention at the site
of your pain and introduce yourself to that long-lost
friend. What does the pain want you to know? What
is it trying to tell you? It could be as simple
as needing to adjust your chair at work or as
insightful as realizing that your back pain comes
on when you are not feeling supported in your
own life.
Inhale. Exhale.
One reason the breath is used in so many forms
of meditation, is that it is a bridge between
the unconscious and the conscious mind. While
we do have conscious control over it, i.e. we
breathe, when we are sleeping you might say, we
are being breathed. It is an unconscious involuntary
mechanism. And it is in this interplay that great
self-awareness can be explored. When we tune into
pain in our bodies, mind or spirit, even if the
message is buried deep within our unconscious
Selves, with enough time, compassion and patience,
we can learn to bring it to the surface so we
may finally listen to what it has been trying
to tell us for so long.
When we become more accustomed to tuning in to
these messages in real time, we can actually prevent
painful experiences from burying deep within us;
we can undo those long-standing triggers so they
simply become benign events. We have an experience;
we step fully into it; we feel it with all our
spirit; and we let it go. We get what we need
to get, we get it now, and we move on.
We inhale. We exhale. The space in between is
what we call Life.
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