Life slams us down hard sometimes. Really hard. As in “I don’t know how I’m going to get back up” hard. So how do we find the strength to recover? A key first step is to let ourselves BE where we’re at, instead of wishing we were somewhere different.
What does this look like? Tuning in instead of tuning out. Feeling what it feels like in our bodies to be right where we are, in the middle of our pain. Because when we wish we were somewhere different, we are inherently rejecting ourselves. We’re kicking ourselves when we’re down, instead of giving ourselves the love and compassion that we so desperately need when life has us flat on our back. I know it can be terrifying to face ourselves in this place (I’ve been here lots and it’s not pretty!!), but the irony is that it’s only when we allow ourselves the dignity of our uncomfortable, messy, human pain that our feelings can slowly begin to shift, which will eventually allow for a bit more fluidity and less stuck-ness.
Sidenote: For those of us with a history of trauma, PTSD, panic, dissociation, etc……the journey home to ourselves can be trickier depending on where we’re at, because often we aren’t able to be with ourselves in this way or just “feel our feelings” without blasting off into another terrifying world. For us, it is important that we approach things a little differently, and do some groundwork before we attempt to go right to the eye of the storm, so that we don’t flood our bodies with sensation, get overwhelmed and leave ourselves (which will just create more pain).