How do you relate to mental, emotional and/or physical pain? Most of us have been taught to run from it, fix it and/or try to get rid of it. We instinctively want to remove pain from our experience as soon as possible. Understandably so; however, when we relate to ourselves or others through this “primal brain” approach we are narrowly focused, short-sighted and blindly living our life. By not being in a dialogue with our pain we excise ourselves from the full breadth of interaction and communication with our deeper selves.
Pain is a form of communication. It is a link to something within us that needs to change. Like domino's the source of our pain may be far removed from the actual site of pain and is usually more in depth then the physical symptoms. A part of us is demanding our attention. Usually it is the subtler parts of our self, like our habits of thinking that the body is expressing through the symptoms of pain. For example, in the case of an injury life may be communicating you need to slow down, change your lifestyle, behaviours and/or simply reveal to you your relationship to pain. This is the case for diseases and/or emotional pains.
Pain is a language like French or Italian. It is a world in itself. Pain acts as a signal, a clue to discover what we believe, how we habitually behave and what we are investing our precious life energy into maintaining that is not in harmony with who we are. This disharmony shows up in our physical experience. To make the necessary changes to come back into harmony, we need to train ourselves to be present with pain to be able to hear its wisdom.
As a culture we have generally forgotten how to honor and decipher the language of pain. We tend to give our power to an outside authority that helps us numb, dull, or diminish our pain. That approach is analogous to taking the battery out of a fire alarm going off inside a burning home. Pain is the alarm system that tells us that something is wrong. Within our pain lies answers, solutions and cues; truths that help us change our trajectory in order to lead our life more successfully.
We have lost touch with the art of listening, understanding and respecting the communication of pain. We have forgotten how to be our own physician and act wisely. When we experience pain we tend to numb ourselves through a variety of approaches based in fear and ignorance. We need to be willing to listen to ourselves and our pain so we can learn and grow from it. We need to reacquaint ourselves with its language, be patient and know that pain is a doorway that invites us into self-discovery, healing and greater self-understanding.
The first step to opening that door is to not run from the pain. Be present, sit with it and befriend it. Listen to it and what it has to say. At first it is screaming for attention and you will have very little discernment as to what it is communicating. As you stay with it you will begin to decipher the wisdom within its voice. As you learn to be present with the discomfort and listen, you will discover what internal pattern(s) the voice is embedded in and what you need to change. You will find the root cause of the voice of pain.
This is a crucial step. Most look for external reasons for their pain. It is instinctual and habitual to blame and want to point the finger at a person or occurrence, thinking that is the cause or if something external changes then the pain will disappear. This is a temporary truth. An enduring truth is that it is ones interpretation of oneself and life situations that create pain. This truth seems much more obscure, because as a culture we have not been taught to take responsibility for our reality, emotional reactions and views. It requires growth and contemplation to experience what I am saying.
I encourage you when the fire alarm inside is going off, listen, pay attention, be present and let your inner knowing and life communicate to you what you need to change, to let go of. Be open. Be a student. Be wise. Heed the call of pain at once so it doesn't require a more drastic form of communication to get your attention; like a serious disease, a car accident or a divorce.
Honor your pain. It comes to you as a friend. Listen and heed its words and your life will change.
Love,
Lisa
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Lisa Hartnett, D.C.
Fulfilled Living Wellness Center 503 D Street, Ste. 7 • San Rafael, CA 415-457-0155
About Me
- Helping Hands
- From a young age, I have always been inquisitive about life and its deeper meaning. At the age of twenty-two, my questions began to be answered. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and bedridden for a year. Life, as I then knew and understood it, crumbled. This opened me to alternative ways of healing. Thus began my path of personal healing, Network Chiropractic and facilitating others in their healing. I now lead a vibrant and healthy life practicing Network Chiropractic, Embodiment Sessions and Songs from the Cells. I also travel throughout the East Bay, the South Bay and Marin helping animals and their caregivers through communication and healing. I am passionate about helping people and animals heal, and empowering them to know and experience their inherent healing power.