From the sharp sting of heartbreak to the dull ache of disappointment, we all encounter painful moments that test our resilience and challenge our spirits. Pain is not a comfortable place to be. So, we often resort to numbing behaviors, seeking refuge from the rawness of our emotions.
Some of us turn to substances like alcohol or drugs, using them as a means to dull the sharp edges of our discomfort. Others bury themselves in work, and still others lose themselves in the digital abyss, scrolling endlessly through social media feeds or binge-watching TV shows to block out the immediate, prickly outside world.
But numbing can also manifest in subtle ways, such as denying our emotions, suppressing our feelings, or engaging in self-destructive behaviors. We may convince ourselves that we’re “fine” or that we don’t need to address our pain which means we just push it deeper into the most remote recesses of our subconscious.
Yet, despite our best efforts, the pain always seems to find a way to resurface. It lingers beneath the surface, gnawing away at our sense of peace and robbing us of the joy that comes from fully embracing life’s ups and downs in the moment. The cycle continues and with each attempt to bury the pain, we simply prolong our suffering.
It takes courage to confront our pain head-on, to sit with it and allow ourselves to feel it fully. But in doing so, we open ourselves up to our innate potential and proclivity to heal and transform.
The simple presence of our breath can gracefully embrace our pain so we can truly free ourselves from its grip.
