Compassion

What beliefs are not serving you?

Pain pulses into my knee joint with the strike of each stride. The next day I hobble across the gym to meet my physical therapist (PT). “What happened?” said the PT. I ran a couple of miles on the treadmill yesterday. “Why are you doing this?” he asks.

Great question, it stopped me dead in my tracks. Why was I punishing my severely compromised knees? Why don’t I listen to my surgeon and PT? Why do I have to challenge everything? Why do I believe excruciating pain is acceptable?

Later that evening, the adage no pain, no gain drifted into my head. Suddenly, it all made sense. I was raised with the belief that in order to achieve, you must also sacrifice. With no pain, there is no gain.

Only now, this belief is not serving me at all. As silly as it sounds, this is mind blowing. Push, push, push does not foster healing. My body communicates clearly but more often than not I choose to ignore it. I harbor the belief that success requires suffering so deeply that it trumps my wellbeing. I actually put on a “hair shirt”!

Recovery entails listening to the inner wisdom of my body that is asking for nurturing. Being compassionate with myself feels so foreign. Even the required rest feels indulgent. But I know shifting into a new belief pattern is essential for deep healing. The internal type of healing that penetrates all the way to the root of the “dis”- ease. “Dis”-ease that originates from stuck emotions, thoughts or beliefs that create an opening for illness and injury.

I replace the no pain, no gain sentiment with nurture and flourish. Repeating this daily as a mantra reinforces the behavior by creating new corresponding neuropath ways. I strengthen and engrain the nurture and flourish pathways with supportive actions.

“Let’s take the load off; arc and helix only”(low impact exercise machines), said the PT. I agree, easing into the new mindset- compassion. A slight smile creeps across my face every time I step onto the new equipment as I recognize that I’m really stepping into nurturing. My knees respond by growing stronger each day.

#compassion, #beliefs, #energyhealing, #rehabilitation, #healing, #energyhealer, #kerryjones