You gotta resurrect the deep pain within you and give it a place to live that’s not within your body. Let it live in art. Let it live in writing. Let it live in music. Let it be devoured by building brighter connections. Your body is not a coffin for pain to be buried in. Put it somewhere else.
~ Ehime Ora
The most transformative aspect of healing is learning to work through the pain and release it from your body. For so long, my trauma and grief were lodged within me, gnawing at my bones, screaming to be released. Years of carrying this burden resulted in chronic pain and illness.
But now, it’s time to let go.
I’m learning how to move the pain out of my body and into something else. Often, this takes the form of physical movement. As someone who facilitates many groups, some of which are heavy, I used to believe I was unaffected. I felt numb, but in reality, I was dissociating. The vicarious trauma continued to disrupt my nervous system because I wasn’t moving it through my body. Now, after groups, I shake my body, and after particularly tough sessions, I dance. I also cry now, without shame. I used to suppress my tears and then wonder why I’d get a migraine later. We aren’t built to stuff down our emotions. Now, I cry unapologetically.
Finding ways to move trauma and grief out of my body has been crucial. I live with a debilitating chronic illness, and most days, I am in pain. But I do what I can to continue facilitating healing. Sometimes I go for a drive and sing at the top of my lungs—songs that honor my feelings and those of others that I’ve internalized. I belt them out, releasing the pain.
Writing down my feelings also helps. Getting them out of my head and onto paper, out of my body and mind, and onto the page. This way, they have a place to live that isn’t inside me, slowly killing me.
Pain doesn’t have to be a permanent resident within us. By finding ways to express it, through movement, music, writing, or tears, we can give it a place to live outside our bodies. We can transform our pain into something beautiful and liberating. My journey of healing continues, and with each step, I honor the resilience of my spirit. I choose to let my body be a vessel of peace, not a coffin for pain. And in doing so, I create a brighter, more connected world for myself and others.
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