Pain Appreciation

As we moved through our asanas today, we were encouraged to focus on what felt good about each pose. For me, this didn’t always mean what was most pleasurable. Some poses caused various parts of my body to burn like fire but rather than trying to escape, I breathed into it, facing it and feeling it fully. And with my attention focused on the feeling, I felt it morph and change. My very acceptance brought appreciation and often a softening of a tense muscle. 

At present, I’m going through a time off loss. Two of my very good friends, friends I associate with my life here in DC are moving away within the next few months. One to New Orleans, the other to India. Another of my friends has met a man she thinks might be The One and if he is, she’ll be moving to Boston. A childhood friend who I haven’t seen since I was 13 was staying with my family this week but will be going back overseas shortly and I’m not sure when I’ll see him again. All of this has made me feel sad. And the sadness is ok. But I realized that in this pain, there was also sweetness. And if I brought attention to it and sat with feeling of loss I’d be left with how much these people mean to me. How much I care them and how great my life is to have them in it. The depth of my sadness was equal to the depth of my love for them. While life may not be all pleasure, I can find the lesson in the discomfort.