As wellness professionals it can be easy to focus on alleviating other people’s pain.
However, it’s essential that you have consistent practice of tending to your own pain so that you can truly create a transformative healing space for others.
The truth is that pain is part of the human experience.And you can’t teach others how to be with their pain in a good way (meaning not creating suffering by resisting or judging it) if we don’t practice it ourselves.
Recently, I’ve been dealing with some unexpected physical pain. As this unfolds, I’m so grateful for all of the mindfulness work I’ve practiced over the last twenty years that helps me be present with the pain, instead of resisting, or immediately trying to fix it.
Of course, this is an ongoing process. I can still judge myself for feeling pain, or for not getting over it “fast enough”.
A few days ago, I was feeling this impatience with myself as I tried to rush to fix the pain. As I reflected, I recognized that I had a thought, I must have done something wrong, playing in the background of my mind.That thought was creating suffering as I urgently tried to analyze what I could’ve done wrong and then tried to fix my “mistake”.
Sigh! It’s such a relief when we can identify the thought that is causing our suffering.From that space of relief I was then able to go within to ask my Soul for help. And from that inner exploration this heart prayer eventually arose:
I’m learning to love myself when I’m in pain.
It’ such a simple statement but in it lies so much Soul medicine.As I chanted mantra I could feel my body relax and my heart expand.As I chanted mantra I could feel my body relax and my heart expand.
I was grateful for how much this pain was teaching me and I knew this was expanding my ability to create sacred space when my clients are in pain.I invite you to try this mantra next time you’re feeling any kind of pain–emotional or physical.Let it start to dissolve your resistance and open your heart.
You can watch the short impromptu video below to practice this mantra with me.
Remember the Radical Self-Care for Wellness Pro’s training is coming next month. I’d love for you to join me! Click HERE to read more.