We’ve all experience emotional pain at one time or another. If you’re human, you’ve had pain. That’s just a fact. Feelings of pain can be excruciating and can even reach unbearable levels. Why should we accept that we have pain? and even more, embrace it? Embracing pain may sound counter intuitive but only in allowing ourselves to experience every emotion, whether good-feeling or bad-feeling, can we live fully authentic lives.
This is part of a weekly blog series called “Quotes that Inspire.” They’re meant to add a little inspiration and awareness to your week. This week’s quote is about embracing pain or negative emotions.
Quotes that inspire
Our tears are precious, necessary, and part of what makes us such endearing creatures.
David Richo
Our tears are precious. Love this! What a brilliant way to describe tears. We don’t think of pain or whatever is causing our demise, as “precious.” But it is – as all life is truly precious. Maybe it doesn’t feel like that in the moment but as time passes and we’ve had enough time to reflect, we may see how and why certain things had to happen.
Sometimes there may be no reason to the cause of our pain and it is just the way it is. However everything comes in ebb and flow; life will have its ups and downs. Tears are precious because the act of crying is an emotional release. We need to feel and allow those feelings to arise. It is unnatural, unhealthy and cowardly to avoid feeling emotions.
Tears are necessary. Think about a time in your life when you’ve experienced the most growth. Chances are, pain was involved, and most likely, the greater the pain, the more growth you experienced. Embracing the pain does not mean flipping it on its head and pretending all is well. It simply means, we are not avoiding it, but rather we are welcoming the experience and being open to what it might teach us.
Preventing pain is a very rational thing to do as no one prefers discomfort over comfort. However when pain is already present we should not resort to avoiding it and “masking” it with other activities and distractions. This may work temporarily but when the mask wears off, the pain will still be there. It may even get louder and thus harder to ignore. This is an injured and delicate part of you that needs nurturing. The pain wants to be felt but also to be let go. Embrace pain and then let it go. Pain is and should be temporary. Masking it only keeps you stuck and unable to move forward.
Your pain makes you endearing. It makes you vulnerable and unique. Those delicate parts of you that were once broken but is now healed or still healing all come together to form the big picture of your life and what makes you who you are. Embrace it because turning your back on it is the same as denying yourself.
Journal prompt: Embracing pain
How do I feel and release my emotional pains? Do I tend to mask them?
What is the most painful experience of my life and how has it impacted me?
What are the biggest lessons of my painful experiences?
Yoga pose to try: Embracing Pain with camel
Camel pose is a very vulnerable position. It can be a bit uncomfortable so make sure to modify as needed. In camel the chest is open and we assume a very open-hearted position. This is a pose that embraces all parts of ourselves and encourages feelings of openness and vulnerability.
Ustrasana | Camel
Camel pose stretches the thighs, torso, shoulders, chest and neck. This pose gently opens the hips and also strengthens the legs, pelvis, and lower back. Some may find this pose uncomfortable at first but with practice, it can be a great anxiety and stress reliever.
Sanskrit: Ustrasana
Drishti: upward or closed
Counterpose: child's pose or standing forward fold
Materials
- Yoga mat
Instructions
- Kneel on the floor with thighs parallel. Place both hands behind on your lower back with fingertips pointing down. Point the feet straight back and press your shins to the floor.
- Inhale and lengthen the spine. Exhale and reach back to place your right hand on your right heel, lifting the chest up and curling the shoulders back. Repeat with your left hand.
- Keep the neck long and curl your head backwards. Keep the hips reaching forward as the spine is bending back.
- Hold for a few breaths. On an exhale, root down through the shins and slowly lift up to release by bringing one hand up at a time to your waist.
Notes
Modification: For a gentle variation, keep hands to waist and do a slight back bend instead of placing hands to heels. You can also place blocks next to both shins for an extra lift.
Preparatory poses: cat and cow, child's pose
Follow-up poses: child's pose, savasana, wheel