Apr 21, 2017
Here is an audio recording of a recent 60 minute Baptiste
inspired power vinyasa yoga class I taught at Jai Dee Yoga in Tampa, FL.
The reading I chose for the class was from the bookDaily
OM by Madisyn Taylor. The section was titled "Ways We Numb
Ourselves"
Ways We Numb Ourselves
Emerging from the Grey by Madisyn Taylor
Numbing yourself prevents you from confronting
your issues and keeps you from ever finding resolution or
peace.
We are born equipped to experience a complex array
of diverse emotions. Many of us, however, are uncomfortable
confronting our most powerful emotions. We may shy away from
delight and despair and deny life’s colors by retreating into a
world of monotone grey. We may numb ourselves to what we are truly
feeling. It’s easier to suppress our emotions than to deal with
them, so we may momentarily turn to pleasures such as alcohol,
food, sugar, shopping and too much television. We may even numb our
hearts. While it’s normal to temporarily seek distractions as a
means of coping with intense emotions, numbing yourself prevents
you from confronting your issues and keeps you from ever finding
resolution or peace. When you are numb, there is no pain or
powerlessness, but there can also be no joy or healing.
The activities that numb you may seem harmless or
pleasurable, but using them to numb yourself diminishes the quality
of your life. Numbing yourself so that you don’t have to feel
intense emotions can often satisfy a surface need while blocking
your awareness of a deeper need. You may find solace in food or
shopping when what you really need is spiritual nourishment. The
less you feel, the less alive you feel. Your feelings add vividness
to your experiences and serve to connect you to the world around
you. It is possible to disavow yourself of numbing behaviors a
little at a time and once again taste life’s rich flavors. When you
sense that you are engaging in a particular behavior simply to
deaden your emotions, stop and ask yourself why. Examining the
feelings that drive you to numb yourself can help you understand
what is triggering your desire to emotionally fade out.
With each numbing activity that you cut out of your life, you’ll
find yourself being more aware and experiencing a greater
emotionally acuity. Senses once shrouded by the fog of numbness
become sharp and acute. Traumas and pain long hidden will emerge to
the forefront of your consciousness and reveal themselves so that
you can heal them. You’ll discover a deeper you—a self that is
comfortable experiencing and working through intense emotions with
courage and grace.