Blocking the Flow

No one likes to feel suffering.

Most of us do anything to block out the feelings of suffering in the body, such as: using alcohol and drugs, scrolling on social media endlessly, socializing to avoid being alone, and always seeking out entertainment. We can use anything and everything as an escape.

Resisting our suffering keeps it stuck inside of us. If you imagine that you are a river, when you resist your suffering, the flow of the river gets blocked.

Resistance increases the tension in the body, which then leads to chronic stress and physical malfunction. In addition to the physical stress, our mental-emotional state becomes exceedingly more fragile and restless. Our being simply cannot rest if we resist our feelings, we become weak and disturbed, and eventually breakdown.

In yoga we learn to sit with our suffering. We learn to acknowledge it and allow it to be felt completely without resistance.  What we find is that our suffering begins to subside, the blocks we feel in the body start to release, and the river begins to flow once again.

And, just like a river naturally flows to the ocean, we naturally flows back to peace when we release our resistance.

How to Practice:

1.     Sit in a comfortable position and focus on the flow of your breath for a few moments. You can count the breath if your mind is very busy (for example, inhale 4 seconds, exhale 4 seconds).

2.     Once your body and mind have become calm, begin to witness what you feel in the body

3.     Note the different areas where you feel “off”: uneasiness, discomfort, pain, restlessness, dullness, etc.

4.     Witness these places of suffering without resistance or judgment. Simply witness it.

5.     Remain in this way for at least 5-20 minutes