HOW TO OVERCOME PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PAIN

So last night i decided to incorporate the theme of pain into yoga class. Yes that was their reaction also, PAIN???? But let me explain. 

My opening quotes was 

So a few of my beautiful yoga students have certain ailments, injuries and "suffer" with pain. But my theme was to get them to melt and surrender and except the pain. We so often have pain in our lower back, shoulders, knees and not only on a physical sense but also an emotional level such as sadness, depression, anger, irritation and much more.

My theme was based on the Buddhist teachings. 

Visualise this....

Being shot by an arrow and this shot causes us pain either physically or emotionally.

We then allow ourselves to be shot by another arrow (the second arrow). Which ultimately causes us even more pain because we allow the mind to cause us more suffering by being cross with ourselves, blaming or letting ourselves dwell and think about what has been, what we want back, what was which then may spiral into depression, anger, blame and much more.

So to avoid more suffering the wise man will only allow himself to be shot by the first arrow. 

So how do we stop ourselves getting shot by that second arrow? 

Well during class i approached this by allowing students to explored there own pain from the first arrow, locating any given area that they experience pain in, this could be physical or also emotional. I gave them time to locate and feel the sensations and what was actually happening in their body rather than what the mental thought process was creating. Rather than avoiding or pushing it away i encouraged them to feel the sensations let the feelings rise and fall, experience them, learn from it instead and become unattached. 

I asked them to breath the breath into the area, saying "hello" yes i know you are their pain! Riding the waves. Nothing is ever still, the body will continue to change just like all things around us will. Embrace the experience now and take the journey and allow yourself to melt into it and accept it rather than fight it causing yourself more suffering.

So instead of fighting with the sensations allow yourself to have Patience, acceptance and be non-reactive towards it allowing yourself to be unattached and live a much more free and peaceful life.

When touched with a feeling of pain,
the ordinary uninstructed person
sorrows, grieves,
and laments, beats his breast,
becomes distraught.
So he feels two pains,
physical and mental.

Just as if they were to shoot a man with an arrow and,
right afterward,
were to shoot him with another one,
so that he would feel
the pains of two arrows.

–The Buddha

I hope this can help even just a little if you are suffering with anything at the moment. 

Namaste beautiful friend :-)