Learning how to accept discomfort can change your life

No one wants to walk around experiencing pain all day long. We wouldn’t be able to function this way. However, in order to do the important work of healing we’re going to feel the pain. 

I like to create dedicated moments where I make a conscious decision to go towards the pain. 

I know. It’s a seriously hard thing to do.

Some people, like some meditation masters, train themselves how to do this on their own. But for most of us, moving towards our pain, whether physical or emotional, can feel impossible. Especially if we try to do it on our own.

This is where Somatic Therapy comes in.

There’s something special about therapy, especially when it’s trauma-informed.  It’s safe. You know you’re protected. And most importantly, you’re not alone.

Safety is central to this kind of therapy. 

As a Somatic Therapist I know that a sense of safety is a precondition for healing. It helps the nervous system relax, which allows learning and exploring beyond our comfort zone. 

This is why I do everything in my control to help my clients settle and feel safe before we go into any exploration.

But even inside the safe container of the session, it can be hard to keep our attention on our sensations.

It's not necessary or useful to stay with uncomfortable feelings for long periods at a time, but for trauma renegotiation, we do need to experience those at some point.

The safest way is a little bit at a time. 

This titrated way of looking at our trauma contributes to the sense of safety.

We're always listening to the nervous system to see when enough is enough. 

Knowing that we can go in and out of experiencing those sensations, and have someone at our side to hold our hand as we do, allows us to explore our pain in ways we’d never do on our own.