Learning to “sit with discomfort” is something you will commonly come across in yoga. But what does it actually mean?
It is a difficult one as there is a huge difference between discomfort – as in something that at the time is maybe challenging but not detrimental, and pain which is distinctly unpleasant and is our body’s way of telling us to get out of a damaging situation.
Firstly the only person who can distinguish between the two is you!! It is so important in yoga as in many other situations, to develop an awareness of your own body and it’s signals and limitations on any given occasion. What is perceived as a deep stretch to one person could be detrimental to the body for another and so the “look” of a yoga stretch or posture is a lot less important than the feel.
The same can be translated to life situations in general. Sometimes a little bit of pressure is a good driver to achieve and sometimes enduring a challenging situation can make us much stronger, but the most important thing is to really listen to your body and mind! If anything perceived as uncomfortable starts to become damaging then don’t think twice about really evaluating the situation and getting the hell out of there if ultimately you are going to suffer!!! Remember what works for one person doesn’t always have to work for another!
Spend some time on self awareness and give yourself permission to look after yourself – whatever that might need to be.
Namaste 🙏🏻
Be a Yoga Warrior 