Week 8:
Acceptance: Pain vs. Suffering
Stop Struggling With Yourself
Often times, life can feel like a big struggle. This can certainly be true when it comes to being physically active, whether walking, running, or something else, the effort and discomfort associated with physical movement can sometimes be a deterrant from being active. In earlier weeks, we've talked about noticing some of the different thoughts and sensations we experience while running or walking, and being mindful to observe rather than judge these experiences. This week, our focus is on acceptance of the sensations and, sometimes, discomforts (physical or emotional) that we feel.
Pain vs. Suffering
Inevitably, when we exercise, there is bound to be some level of discomfort, otherwise most of us would exercise a lot more than we do! With running, you may find you experience unpleasant sensations in your body, or even in your emotions if you are feeling bored, anxious, dissappointed, or something else. These initial sensations and/or emotions are part of the human experience. Pain, in this sense, is inevitable, and also not always a bad thing. Pain can draw your attention to something that is important in your body or in your life in general. For example, pain in your hand when you touch a hot stove means you will remove your hand from the stove. This protects you from further injury. In this case, pain, or an uncomfortable sensation, is a good thing.
On the other hand, suffering occurs when you judge yourself for the pain you are experiencing. Ruminating or lamenting over it, getting upset or angry with yourself for experiencing it, creating additional negative thoughts and/or emotions about it. The level of suffering you experience as a result of unavoidable pain is something that is much more in your control. Trying to embrace it, understand it, explore it (be curious!), versus reacting negatively to it can be an initial step in acceptance of pain.