Echoes of Pain
As I sit here, I can hear Tina's voice resonating from the other room as she engages in a phone conversation. I listen carefully to her voice emanating from a distance. Her words reveal a night overshadowed by neck pain. The heaviness of her experience permeates the air with an almost visible aura of suffering. She confides that her life force is slowly draining away, and she finds herself wrestling with thoughts of surrender. It seems she is entangled in a relentless struggle with her own thoughts. When these thoughts arise, they generate waves of energy that permeate the surrounding space, affecting the vibration of my internal landscape. Under such circumstances, maintaining my state of mind becomes challenging, sometimes even impossible.
From Turmoil to Tranquility
While Tina's painful turmoil continues to reverberate through the room, I choose to hold space for her, offering support and empathy while simultaneously safeguarding my inner tranquility. It is a delicate dance between compassion and self-protection, which is not an easy task for a caregiver like me.
She told me she had endured a restless night and a sleepless state. However, determined to alleviate her distress, she engaged in a double dose of meditation practice this morning. Through the power of this spiritual practice, she was able to find a path to alleviate her state of suffering, almost as if invoking the profound wisdom of the Dalai Lama and other revered sages who proclaim, "Pain is an inevitable part of life, but suffering is a choice." This wisdom teaching is supported by research studies that suggest adopting certain strategies, such as acceptance, mindfulness meditation, and positive reframing, helps individuals manage and reduce their suffering (1).
As the soothing waves of meditation embraced her, Tina accepted that pain, whether physical or emotional, is an intrinsic aspect of the human experience. This realization unlocked the door to liberation from the prison of suffering. By surrendering to the present moment and accepting the impermanence of her circumstances, she achieved clarity and inner peace.
In sharing her experience, she conveyed not only the power of meditation but also the truth that suffering is an optional response to the inevitable pain that we encounter in life. It suggests that while pain is a part of life, suffering as a response or interpretation of that pain may be influenced or controlled by our mindset and changed perspective. Suffering arises when we resist or attach ourselves to pain, amplifying its impact and prolonging our distress. By recognizing that suffering is a choice or an interpretation of our circumstances, we can learn to respond to pain in ways that minimize or transcend suffering.
Mindfulness and Pain
Different philosophies and spiritual practices offer techniques to help us reduce suffering and find inner peace even when in pain. These may include mindfulness, acceptance, reframing thoughts, cultivating gratitude, developing resilience, somatic tracking (2), or seeking meaning and purpose in difficult experiences (3).
Mindfulness, the most encompassing of all, offers a range of techniques and practices that can alleviate the suffering caused by pain and promote well-being. Mindfulness encourages us to observe pain without labeling it as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. It involves acknowledging the sensations and experiences associated with pain with an attitude of non-judgment, allowing for a more open perspective (4). Mindfulness involves bringing attention to the present moment. By just observing the sensations without getting caught up in the stories or narratives, we can develop a greater understanding of their nature and fluctuating qualities (5).
Instead of resisting or trying to suppress pain, mindfulness practice accepts the presence of pain as a part of our current experience. This acceptance does not mean resignation or giving up but rather acknowledging the reality of the situation and responding to it with kindness and self-compassion. Acceptance diverts our minds from dwelling on the negatives and refocuses them on the present moment-to-moment sensory experience with an attitude of curiosity and loving-kindness. It teaches us how to be with the experience rather than trying to control it (6).
The Emotional Pain-Body
In his influential book (7) Eckhart Tolle explores the nature of suffering caused by pain and its lasting impact on our lives. He emphasizes that every instance of pain leaves behind a residue that combines with past pain, becoming lodged within our minds and bodies. This accumulated pain forms a negative energy field, which Tolle refers to as the "emotional pain-body." The pain-body can remain dormant or become active, and while some individuals live predominantly through the pain-body, others may only experience it in certain situations. Anything that resonates with the pain patterns from the past can trigger it, even the slightest sensation, emotion, thought, or remark.
The pain-body possesses a survival instinct, similar to any other living entity. It continues to exist if it manages to unconsciously captivate our identification with it. It strives to rise up, take control, and live through us. It seeks out experiences that match its own energetic frequency, specifically those that generate more pain. When the pain-body gains control, it creates situations in our lives that reflect its energy frequency, perpetuating a cycle of suffering. Habits are formed, deeply lodged in our mind and body, becoming as familiar as old shoes that we have difficulty giving up despite them no longer serving us.
Interestingly, the pain-body, which is like a dark shadow cast by the ego, fears the illumination of our consciousness. As I recently heard from another spiritual teacher: Awareness serves as the enemy of habit; the pain-body dreads exposure and relies on our unconscious identification and feeding of the pain for its survival.
While certain spiritual teachings assert that all pain is ultimately an illusion, there is truth in the fact that the pain-body consists of trapped life energy that has detached from the wholeness of our being, assuming autonomy through the process of mind identification. Even when we begin to disidentify with the pain-body and adopt the role of the watcher, it will attempt to deceive us into identifying with it once again.
Therefore, it is crucial to become a vigilant guardian of our inner space. Directing our attention to the sensations within, we must acknowledge the presence of the pain-body without indulging in excessive thinking, judgment, or analysis. We must refrain from constructing an identity based on it. By staying fully present and observant of what transpires within us, we not only become aware of the emotional pain but also of the silent watcher within us. This is the essence of "the power of now," the potency of our conscious presence in the present moment.
Healing Power of Qigong
In the most recent times, Tina has embraced qigong, a practice that combines gentle movements, breathing exercises, and meditation to promote physical and mental well-being through harnessing the power of qi, life force energy, according to ancient Chinese healing teachings. She has experienced multiple benefits, including a reduction in pain, supported by recent studies (8).
It is intriguing how many people remain unaware of qigong, despite its millennia-long practice. To remedy this situation I will briefly outline the main principle of qigong. Its healing potential revolves around the concept that the body contains meridians or energy channels, guiding the flow of qi. When this qi flow is harmonious and unimpeded, it supports a sense of well-being and vitality. Nevertheless, factors like stress, unhealthy lifestyle choices, pain, and emotional imbalances can disrupt the qi's natural flow, resulting in illness and suffering.
Through qigong, Tina has discovered a practice that helps her restore physical, emotional, and spiritual balance while eliminating blockages and promoting the seamless circulation of energy for healing. In this way, she channels the spirit of her teacher, Chunyi Lin, who believes that all of us are born healers (9). Tina has embraced this wisdom, recognizing that our bodies possess an innate capacity for self-healing. With passion and determination, she has become a qigong teacher, inspiring many others to embrace this practice and helping them tap into the boundless healing potential that lies dormant within every individual.
1. Conceptualizing suffering and pain, Noelia Bueno-Gómez, Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, 12:1-11, 2017
2. The Way Out, by Alan Gordan, Avery, 2022
3. Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl, Beacon Press, 1992
4. Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies, by Shian-Ling Kenga, Moria J. Smoskib, and Clive J. Robins, Clin Psychol Rev., 31(6): 1041–1056, 2011
5. The Pain Management Workbook, by Rachel Zoffness, New Harbinger Publications, 2020
6. Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha, by Tara Brach, Bantam, 2004
7. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle, New World Library, 2004
8. Qigong and Musculoskeletal Pain, by Marks Ray, Curr Rheumatol Rep., 16, 2019
9. Born A Healer: I Was Born a Healer. You Were Born a Healer, Too! by Chunyi Lin, Spring Forest Qigong Company, 2019
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