Befriending Pain

I mentioned that this is a guided meditation, but it’s more like a heartfelt conversation. While doing a Tarot reading for someone, I had a realization that I needed to embrace my own pain. I had been pushing my feelings away and keeping them bottled up. I’m sharing this meditation in the hope that it reflects the lessons I’ve learned in recent weeks about making peace with my own pain.

Transcript

Hello Magnificent Being,

It is me,

Serenely Samir,

And today we will be participating in a guided meditation on befriending your pain.

Oftentimes when I am experiencing pain,

Suffering,

Hurt,

Or any other kind of uncomfortable emotion,

My first instinct is to run.

My first instinct is,

How am I going to get this to stop?

But maybe the answer is in befriending the emotion that is coming up,

Understanding where and why it is coming to me,

And accepting it as a part of the journey.

What is the universe trying to teach me,

Or what hurt am I experiencing that I have pushed away for too long that I must face?

Avoidance and denial of our suffering is not going to give us liberation,

Freedom.

One of the noble truths is that suffering is a part of life.

I am not going to sit here and try to understand and debate the logistics of where the suffering comes from and whether it's divine or magnificent or whatever.

But in this moment,

I accept that suffering has been a part of my life.

Pain and hurt has been a part of my life.

And in this moment,

I accept them for the experiences that they were.

I do not have to be consumed with the should've,

Could'ves,

Would'ves.

I can be grateful that right now,

In this moment,

I am accepting my pain,

My hurt,

My suffering for what they are,

Parts of my journey.

What did they teach me?

How did they speak to me?

How have they transformed the way that I live?

It is safe for you here to be hurt.

When I first accepted my hurt,

I was met with brutal anger.

Because when the truth first presents itself to you,

It will piss you off.

It will anger you.

It will shake you.

So let yourself feel.

Let yourself be.

Experience what you need to experience in order to purge for a life free of the addiction of chaos.

Serenely living is not always peaceful.

But there is a way for you right here,

Right now,

To befriend your pain.

Ma'a salami.