Leaning into Discomfort

Here is a sequence that can help you process uncomfortable emotions, feelings in your body, or help get you through tough circumstances (plus much more).

I have personally used this process to help me find peace while experiencing chronic vertigo, and more recently during my first 50 litre, 5 minute ice bath.

Here is a refection of my minds journey during the Ice Bath:

“No no I don’t like this, I don’t think I can handle it, I’ll have to bail soon”.

Body check in: “Alright I’ll observe how I actually feel, yep I feel like a thousand needles are at me”.

“Well I know I don’t like it, but can I be ok with it?”.

“How can I lean more into this, so it can work for me” (Realising it was better to be in there with only my head out!)

“Ah this isn’t so bad”.

The process

Resistance: A natural response when we’re faced with discomfort.

Acknowledgement: Acknowledge what is happening & how it makes you feel. Ease into it. Sit with it.

Acceptance: Can you accept it as another human experience? Even saying to yourself “this is just a human experience”, can be comforting.

Adaption: Instead of meeting it with resistance, can you adapt in a way that will reduce its opposing force (you).

Surrendered: Finding more peace.

When feeling the 1st signal - resistance; remember the process of acknowledgement, acceptance, and adaption. This changes the discomfort from it taking control of you, to instead you leading the way.

This doesn’t mean you love what’s happening, but with less fear tied to it, you can move through the situation with more ease.

Let me know in the comments, could this help you?