Inspiration – dealing with pain

I was drawn towards these words from Mark Nepo:

“No matter how we feel in any one moment, we are not just our feelings, our roles, our traumas, our prescriptions of values or our obligations or ambitions. It is so easy to define ourselves by the moment of struggle we are wrestling with. It is a very human way, to be consumed by what moves through us.”

~ Mark Nepo from “The Book of Awakening”

He then goes on to describe how Michelangelo carved away the excess marble in order to reveal the beautiful statue that was inside, and asks: “What if the many ways that we suffer, both inwardly and outwardly, are the chisels of God freeing the thing of beauty that we have carried within since birth?”

Yes, we are consumed by what moves through us, and we are more that our bodies, feelings and our thoughts. The Source or Divine seed within every one of us is the same. Yet, sometimes it takes the acute pain from an accident or a tragic event, for us to pay attention.

Pain gives us the opportunity to be with ourselves and deepen our understanding of what is most important to us. Many of us will turn to the divine or life force energy for healing … and in doing so will open up to a new awareness of our spiritual Being.

Pain becomes a door for further understanding and awakening, beyond who we think we are.

In Tara Brach’s words:

We cultivate Radical Acceptance of pain by relaxing our resistance to unpleasant sensations, and meeting them with open, clear awareness. This exercise is especially useful if you are presently distressed by physical pain.

If you find that pain feels like “too much,” rather than turning against yourself or the pain, let your response be compassionate. In moments of acute unpleasantness, it can be wise to redirect your attention away from the pain, or to take care of yourself in ways that provide ease and comfort. Then, when you are able, begin again.

As you practice bringing gentle mindfulness to pain, your ability to meet life with equanimity will grow stronger. You’ll be able to let go of resistance more readily, and discover peace and freedom in the midst of whatever is arising.  

Presence in the face of pain dissolves the perception of an oppressed, struggling self—a self who is at war with life. What’s revealed is a tender openness that has room for living and dying.

~ Tara Brach from “Radical Acceptance”

Perhaps more than anything, pain is the messenger for us to learn to stop being at war with life, and with ourselves.

Sending love and healing to all those experiencing pain.