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The Purpose of Pain

Wow!  What a week….

I just spent an incredible week in snowy Colorado at The Ultimatum with my Chiropractor and teacher, Donny Epstein.  It was so many things…  I expanded into states of gratitude, joy and connection like I have never experienced before.  And, I also got to feel the depth of my suffering like never before.  At one point during the program I felt so much physical and emotional pain and kept asking myself what is this about?  As if he heard me asking the question, Donny spoke about the purpose of pain and the 4 types of pain the next morning,

The purpose of pain is this….

Simply, pain interrupts the life we are living so that we can find more resources and do something different.  When we are living in an energy poor or neutral state (which is living less than what we are meant for), our bodies give us the gift of pain, so that we can be aware that we need to bring more energy in so that we can live in a more energy rich state.

The 4 types of pain are:

1. The pain of avoiding pain.  Let’s be real…life can be painful- physically and emotionally.  Most people avoid taking the time to really feel the depth of their pain.  When we stop, acknowledge and accept the pain and just be with it, we are adding energy into the system, which creates change.  I had an amazing experience this week.  I had so much physical pain when I woke up one morning and instead of rushing to make it on time to the morning talk, I stopped, put my hands on my body and started to cry.  I cried so hard for a long time, and just accepted the physical pain and after a while knew that I was feeling the emotional pain of the women in my lineage and was expressing what they could not.  I accepted this emotional pain and blessed and thanked them for being who they were, so I could be who I am, and when I was done, the pain was 90% gone.

2. The pain of not being able to manage circumstance.  The more we have a need for certainty in life, the more pain we experience.  When we are able to connect with and accept the mystery of life, and actually start to get excited about instability in our lives, the more freedom we feel physically and emotionally.

3. The pain of not making enough progress or fast enough progress. This is the pain that creates a hunger in us for more energy richness.  It helps us move towards greater states of energy in which we can be fueled by soul and be more of who we are meant to be in the world.  Staying small creates pain, which again is the gift that says, “Wake up and start living as if this were the last day of your life!”  How would you be and how many lives would you seek to touch if you lived this way?

4. The pain of soul. This is the pain of not knowing or giving the gifts you are meant to give, and not receiving the gifts of others.   This is most painful type of pain, and hurts the most people around the one who experiences it.  Again, the pain is there to remind us that this is ultimately why we are here- to know what our unique gifts are and to give them, while being open to the medicine of others in each moment.

When you experience pain, the key is to add energy.  Whether that means just stopping to experience the pain and be with it to let something else emerge, inviting in more instability, doing your practices that energize you and help you play more full out, embracing new thoughts and behaviors that are more aligned with who you truly are, or simply giving your gifts and shining your light more brightly!