Do nothing

Sometimes, without even being aware of it, we try so damn hard for so damn long to avoid feeling. Our lives become littered with avoidant habits and rituals that steer us around and away from unpleasant feelings.

We often exile these painful parts to such far flung corners of our minds that they find it hard to be heard. As with anyone whose pain goes unseen and unacknowledged, these exiled parts can become increasingly hurt and alienated, at times building into a deep sense of indignation and anger. This fuels even more extreme or persistent avoidant habits and rituals as we push the exile back into its corner where it feels most convenient to us for it to remain.

Emotions are just energy in motion. They can't harm us. They're not life threatening in and of themselves and like energy in motion they are transient. They pass in time on their own accord.

Stillness allows us to experience this. We can sit in stillness. Not trying to do anything. Not focusing on our breathing or trying to reach a meditative state. Simply sitting with whatever comes up. We can show the exiled parts that we acknowledge them. We feel how they feel and we're not going to ignore that anymore. We're here now. We're ready to hold their pain. No more running. No more distractions.

There is a peace and stillness that awaits the other side of this as the hurt it feels gets acknowledged and given space. Just like we calm down once we feel heard so will it, because after all, 'it' is us.