Dear ones what is pain? Pain is described as being beneficial for one. Now to my mind comes the question, why? Why should one have to suffer pain? There are many proverbs describing the benefits of pain.

‘No pain, no gain.’ It means that enduring hard work and suffering makes one successful.

‘That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.’ Again, trials and tribulations enable one to become resilient.

‘The cure for the pain is in the pain.’ Facing the grief and processing it is the only true way to heal.

‘Time heals all wounds.’ Emotional pain softens and becomes manageable as more time passes.

How do we view pain?

Pain is felt by almost everyone. There are many kinds of pain. The gurus say that we must look upon pain as a process which enable us to become aware and is one of the obstacles in the pursuit of the spiritual path.

I have had a fair share of physical pain and mental anguish. My experience is that when one experiences pain, one is aware of its presence. I came to Prana healing because of the pain. I have understood that pain is one of the experiences, which brings one closer to the Divinity.

So, what should one do?

Physical pain is real and can be unnerving. I have found that chanting and doing ujjayi pranayama takes one focus away from the pain. As long as the pain continues and one does not concentrate upon it, then one can try breathing slowly in and out to So Ham. One can use one’s personal mantra. It has got to do with transferring one’s awareness to a neutral activity.

There are two kinds of pain, physical and mental. I have worked with children in palliative care. They experience very acute pain. Using imagery, happy memories and guiding them through them, works well. Facing tragedy is accepting the sadness and not questioning it. Saying ‘Why me‘ is not a solution. One can resolve this by just breathing in Samvrit pranayama, 5 in, 5 pause, 5 out. Here one is not engaging with the thoughts, which keep recurring, but one is self-aware and is concentrated on the neutral activity. Therefore, one is becoming detached.

We cannot deny the presence of pain. We can attempt to work with it in a constructive way. It is not an easy task but connecting with our inner self and divinity we can become self-observant and evolved. There is no pain free existence.

Aim Hrim Klim

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