Removing your inner thorn
We normally try to solve our inner disturbances by protecting ourselves. Singer uses the analogy of a thorn in your arm pressing on a nerve. You either
1. Make sure nothing touches it – to avoid pain or
2. Decide it’s so disturbing you need to remove it.
The first option (protection) becomes the work of a lifetime. The inner disturbance needs to be considered in everything you do, affecting your whole life.
Rather than doing things to avoid feeling pain you can take the second option and give the thorn a chance to work its way out naturally, by stopping avoiding anything that may brush alongside it, resulting in some pain.
We typically default to protecting ourselves by avoiding situations that would otherwise allow us to release our pain or inner disturbance. We may then end up pushing it down even further, as a result of trying to shield ourselves. If we can sit with our feelings of discomfort rather than defaulting to distracting ourselves or avoiding experiences and situations which may trigger them, we give them a chance to come to the surface and an opportunity to grow and also learn we have an inner strength and peace stronger than we realise; allowing us the ability to be with ourselves. If you’ve been brought up to not show your feelings or that feelings are a sign of weakness it may be a new experience to explore and discover that you can feel your feelings and be okay. It may take some time and you may need some support along the way but this is the path to freedom in life.
Singer writes ‘Once you learn that it’s okay to feel inner disturbances and that they can no longer disturb your seat of conscious, you will be free.’ in Chapter 9 of The Untethered Soul.
Reflecting this week ‘Is there an ‘inner thorn’ niggling away at me? And if there is someone or something inciting this in me. Is someone or something in my life this week offering me the opportunity to grow?'
Along with classical yoga classes, for which this is our weekly focus, we offer:
Yoga classes in bayside Melbourne on Monday, Tuesday & Thursday evenings and Wednesday mornings. Our yoga classes are suitable for beginners.
Qigong - Movement & Meditation class on Wednesday mornings.
Introduction to meditation courses running throughout the year in bayside locations. Learn to meditate through a variety of mindfulness meditations and ways to remember to practice these
Corporate – Mindfulness Meditation Programs | Cultivating a Healthy Lifestyle Programs
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