Welcome to this week's SUNDAY ROUND UP.

 

Thank you so much for joining the class for this winter session.

Saturday's spring classes with start on April 22; if you have missed a class, you are welcome to catch up at the next month's FREE! Pain Care yoga class on Sunday, April 9th - all registrations are here.

Today, I'd like to talk to you about vulnerability - mostly because this is currently a practice I am learning to embrace.

Back in the fall I wrote this post about the way that pain can disconnect us; how we get sick and tired about explaining how sick and tired we feel all of the time, and how that can alienate us from even our loved ones. I also wrote about brain chemistry - and how it changes when we feel connected, heard and accepted.

I believe I've discovered yet another piece of this connection puzzle, and that piece is, in fact, vulnerability.

Now looking back at my life and how I related and connected to others in the past, I can clearly see that I was building more walls than windows. At the time that I was at my most raw, frustrated, and feeling broken on the inside, I tried to appear strong and capable on the outside. The worst I felt, the harder I tried; back then it seemed that maintaining this appearance gave my life some sense on normalcy. And maybe it did - who knows? - everything serves its purpose.

Now, having gained this little experience with vulnerability, I can see how in fact I was building my own prison walls by keeping up with the appearances. I felt so very lonely and isolated - I couldn't connect even with my closest friends - yet baring it all (or, at least some of it) wasn't an option I was aware of.

I do remember the moment that I actually let myself be vulnerable for the first time - it was scarier than all heck. But what came out of that scary moment was this beautiful soft connection to another person. Soft with a capital S, this connection felt differently in my body - try as I may to describe the experience of that connection -  I can't quite put it into words, except to say this was like nothing I've ever felt before.

It was freeing.

Comforting.

Open.

Flowing.

And yes - SOFT.

It required no extra energy to maintain - it felt like a natural state of being - which made me wonder about the amount of energy I spent trying to keep with the appearances.

So how does that fold into pain care practice?

Here are some ways I can think of - and as usual, I do really appreciate all of your input, words of wisdom and your experiences - please share!

~ vulnerability is required for authentic self-expression, and authentic self-expression is a prerequisite for being (and feeling) heard, seen and understood. Our brain chemistry changes dramatically whenever we connect with another in this authentic way - we produce more pain-dampening biochemicals in the state of connection.

~ to me, keeping up the appearances requires insurmountable amount of tension - even if I am not consciously aware of that tension. This tension consumes huge amount of internal resources - and the only outcome (besides body-wide tightness) is alienation from others.

This week's pain care yoga challenge - I consider being vulnerable both an act of courage and also a huge personal challenge - to be authentic in the way that you connect with others.

For example, my answer to one of the "how are you" this past week was " I don't know," - simply because I had a busy morning and didn't have a chance to actually check in with myself as to how I felt.

Did you get outside yet?!

Oh my gosh, has it ever been beautiful this last week!

I want to invite and encourage you to get outside as much as you can  - walking is what our human bodies have evolved around and are built to do.

Love, hugs and gratitude,