Pain is something we all experience. As mothers, many of you have felt it deeply, whether through the physical intensity of birth, the ache of a caesarean recovery, or the emotional pain of not having the birth you had envisioned. Pain, in many ways, is woven into the fabric of being a woman.
Recently, I had my tattoo touched up. I knew it would involve discomfort, but I hadn’t fully prepared myself for the intensity of the pain. When it hit, I realised how quickly I needed to shift my state. And I’m grateful, grateful for the decades of teaching hypnosis, mindfulness, and yoga that have given me tools to work with sensation rather than resist it.
Instead of getting lost in the discomfort, I became curious. I looked up at the skylight in the studio, watching the clouds drift by. I placed my pain inside a larger container, breathed, softened, and noticed the shift. It became bearable. Then, I decided to go further, what if I played with the sensation? I imagined it as a thick, heavy blade, watching how my mind responded. And just like that, the pain changed form. It was incredible.
This experience reminded me how powerful our minds are, how we can learn to navigate pain, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. These tools aren’t just for birth, or for meditation cushions. They are for life.
So I ask you, what tools do you draw on when you need to shift your state? What supports you when you need to move through discomfort, fear, or challenge?
Let’s explore this together.
With love,
Theoni