We each have corridors within us which we don’t simply want to open and walk through. Within these corridors, we carry the pain from our childhood and perhaps the particular sensations around what it felt like to feel unseen and unheard. Neatly packaged are our fears, the words spoken to us which we still remember and the memories of lost loved ones. I usually speak about pain in these terms to bring to our attention that we’re each carrying within us so much more than simply the present moment alone. Our bodies have such profound wisdom – it remembers what it feels like to feel loved, cared for and nurtured, just as it remembers the particular sensations of what it may have felt like to hurt.

In last week’s blog (click here to read), we initiated the conversation behind the how of healing. Healing is a word thrown around all over social media which seems easy in theory, but proves a lot more complicated in practice. We chatted about opening the door to this dark corridor you may be carrying within and that first step, although seemingly small, is in fact huge. I’m glad you made it here..

So, let’s take a step inwards.

Remember to reach out if you feel you can’t do this alone. There’s absolutely no shame in that. For now, however, I’ll walk alongside you and remind you that you are not your pain. If we can look at it, it means we are not identified with it. Let’s invite more compassion in. Every dark room needs more compassion and love. I want you to place your hand on your heart centre and invite more compassion in. Allow your heart to expand. You’re safe here. Let’s choose to face pain with love and curiosity. We don’t need to bring judgement into these corridors. These corridors are sacred territory and pain must be handled with care.

Our wounds may look scary, and they indeed feel scary too, but the reality is that our mind has a tendency of magnifying them beyond what they are. Now that we’re wearing the lens of finely attuned love, care and compassion, let’s look at what lay just in front of us.

Don’t worry about how long or dark the corridor may seem. That’s not where we need to direct our attention to for now.

Shine a light of awareness on what lay just in front of you. There may be a box waiting for you, right there. Sure, it looks dusty because it hasn’t been opened for so long, but it’s okay. We’re here to give it attention right now..

As you open the box, you may feel fear and trepidation for what lay inside. Notice the sensations in your body and the fear and resistance which surges through. These feelings are not wrong and neither are they harmful. Now, gently, let’s take a peek inside..

You’ll be surprised at what you see, now that you’re wearing the lens of compassion and awareness..

(Stay tuned for our weekly series on how to make space for pain – entering the dark territories of our inner wounds)