Pain as an Indicator Light

As someone who deals with chronic pain, I can sometimes find myself feeling frustrated, discouraged, and even (dare I say it!?) hopeless. A recent meditation (led by Jeff Warren) helped me to shift my perspective--and I’m passing it along in the hopes that it might be useful to you, too.

Whether our pain is physical or emotional, suffering is part of life--something we will all inevitably face. But what would happen if we started to see that pain as an indicator light; a reminder to turn care toward ourselves? As it turns out, this novel idea was just the metaphor I needed to reframe my own experience.

When pain comes knocking at our door, we often feel trapped, choiceless, helpless. “I didn’t sign up for this!” or “Why me?!” are common refrains. And while these are all normal, very human responses, they tend to constrict us energetically--and make us feel even more stuck. Noticing this tendency in myself, I decided to try a little experiment, a la Jeff Warren : ) 

I decided that whenever the pain showed up and ‘reared its ugly head’, I would remind myself to see it as a call for more care; an opportunity to consider where I might apply more rest, more compassion, and more gentleness toward myself. It felt strange, but I went with it.

After all, when an indicator light in my car popped on, it wouldn’t make sense to curse it or ignore it--so why do that to myself? No, the indicator light is intended to help me; to guide me in providing excellent care for my car, so that it will run as well as possible, for as long as possible.

I certainly want the same outcomes for my personal vessel, so I have made a concerted effort to no longer view pain as a ‘nuisance’ or something to fear, but rather a call for more love. 

I can’t say that it’s been easy to make this shift--or that I am flawless in my execution (far from it!) What I can say is that it feels a whole lot better than my old “constrict and contract” approach, and that when I remember to apply it, the discomfort resolves more quickly. 

So, what about you, my friend? Is there a pain in your life that is irking you or causing you to recoil? And what might it be like if you were to view that pain as an indicator light--reminding you to turn care toward yourself? You just might find, as I have, that this new perspective is precisely the medicine you need. 

Wishing you peace and compassion on your journey…

Namaste, 

~Dr. Abby Ampuja