Turning Towards Difficult Experiences

For those out there who are practicing "Turning Towards" Approaches like Alan Gordon's somatic tracking, The Presence Process, many meditation approaches, Tara Brach's Radical Acceptance, etc. I thought I'd share this quote I came across by Pema Chodron:

"Without Loving-Kindness, staying in pain is just warfare."

I need this reminder sooooo much...all these teachers that encourage us to turn toward, track, stay with, investigate (etc.) the symptom also teach us to do so with compassion and kindness for ourselves. Alan Gordon calls it "soothing", Tara Brach calls it "nurturing", Michael Brown calls it "compassion", Chodron calls it "loving kindness" and so on.

But somehow I forget that part all. the. time. I'll be a good little girl and focus on a symptom or difficult emotional state for a really long time and totally totally totally forget to be nice to myself while I'm doing it.

Chodron's quote really made it clear for me.... it does feel like warfare when I track my symptoms without self-compassion. It's effective, but much more unpleasant than it needs to be. And it really motivated me to put some extra gentle effort into the kindness/soothing/compassion piece of the process.

I just thought someone else out there might get some benefit Wishing you all safe, happy, healthy, and well!

 

I LOVE (and so need) this reminder. Thank you.