That pain is evidence of vitality came up yesterday in an Advanced Ongoing BraveSpace group I hold. We were mapping our experience of our bodies and then sharing what we discovered there. Pain was a theme. This isn’t unusual in my experience with groups. Perhaps it’s because culturally (universally?) we tend not to bring attention to our bodies unless there is pain. Yet, one of the things that has helped me make ‘sense’ of pain and how to engage with it is recognizing pain as evidence that I am alive. When I come from this place I am better able to hold my pain with grace. Pain is a form of longing–a longing for healing–and longing is a key way vitality manifests. I share this not to minimize the sometimes excruciating experience and effect of pain; yet pain is most likely affected when we understand that it is not objective.

Pain is an experience. It is often linked with the physicality of the body, but it is not a quality of the body itself. Pain exists in the subjective realm of consciousness. To affect my experience of pain, I use practices that shift my consciousness. Movement, breath, and meditation are pretty effective.

I’m offering a free Online Movement, Breath, and Meditation class Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30am Mountain Time for the foreseeable future. Here’s the class link–you will need to signup in advance to get the link.