Enough. Already.

Enough.

Is it time to do something else? Photo of a young deer with antlers tilting its head up and looking at the trees by Jeremy Manoto at Unsplash.

Every time I'd read the news, my back hurt. It started in January. Readers of this space may remember I work with people in chronic pain situations, and I wrote about taming my own recent experience with back pain that has returned like a “black dog” throughout my life (read that blog post here). Since then, I have been strengthening my back (my body) and my mind in response. My back pain came and went as I engaged muscles when walking, lifting weights, and doing meditative movement especially Animal Frolics Qigong, which has been great for my back pain, particularly the Deer back stretches, imagery, and breathing. (I will be leading a class on Animal Frolics Wu Qin Xi Qigong on Zoom very soon, and you are invited.)

I feel I have had a valuable chance to apply mindbody principles as I did my back care and observed the pain and stress in my body throughout the day. The pain radiated to the front part of my left hip and kept me awake at night sometimes, and it would come on strong whenever I doom scrolled or read the news. It has been surprising, and not surprising, to see this pattern. Some teachers teach that back pain “maps to” fear and rage. Yeah. That can be true in some (not all) instances of back pain. Fear and rage were definitely what I felt each time I found myself doom scrolling and scanning news headlines and reading news articles.

I decided the most important thing I could do was to set some limits on my doom scrolling and news-seeking behaviors. So I deleted the news apps off my devices and limited my intake of news and headlines to not much more than once a week.

At first it was hard. The doom scrolling has been my way to not look away and stay present to what is happening. Or so I thought. As I continued to observe my bodily reactions and sensations throughout my daily activity, which included reading news, I experienced an unmistakable connection between reacting to the news (including just wanting to check the news for updates) and feeling pain in my body (mostly in my back).

Enough!

Enough with this obsession with the decline of civilization, I thought. The times are feeling like we are being collectively bullied and pummeled energetically to the point of exhaustion and apathy with all the uncertainty and instability that seem to increase daily. It is terribly important to stay engaged. But not outraged. Not exhausted. Not defeated. Especially not entertained by the extremes, the cruelty, and the chaos. Enough of that. 

I find I need to say no to the insanity of the world and stay strong in what I hold dear.

The times are calling for something more than reactiveness — more than the rage, worry, fear, and panic. All those big feelings are an invitation to pay attention and see what is truly here in the human experience, both individual and collective. But you need to pay attention in the right amounts. You can be aware of what is happening, ready for what is coming, ready to act, and still be strong and Calm at the Center. “Calm at the Center” is a Qigong move that involves turning and looking around at “the world” while you stay in touch with yourself. It can be done.

The right timing of an honest expression can come when your heart and mind are clear. An authentic response in the moment is all that is needed, and it can come from clarity. It requires you to be in touch with your authentic self — that part of you that is always there, always taking things in and speaking to you in a voice that does not use words.

Simply being in touch with the ordinariness of what is happening in your own mind and body is enough to be in touch and in relationship with your authentic self and in touch with what matters.

And: It's probably the most important time in our lives to come together and express common decency, civility, and kindness in the small forms of courtesy and consideration. Be an ordinary human being with others. It's a good time to remember how to share — the road, the air, earthly resources, understanding. It can be done.

So, over these weeks, I have also spent time with friends and family in real life and in person. The conversations, the listening, sharing tea, having dinner, hearing the human voice, engaging in unified movement, being in a room full of laughter (doing Laughter Yoga) can be the ordinary and extraordinary things that help “right size” the pain and suffering however and whenever they show up. The pain in my back got more manageable as I recognized my feelings, sat with them (through meditation, prayer and journaling) at times, and connected with others about ordinary things. When I “shared my life” and connected with others, I did not talk about my back pain all that much to be honest. Being present with and for others can be ordinary, and being with others can help us navigate these times of change.

And things will continue to change.

Amidst all that is happening, we can meet one another in the vastness and bear witness together.

Has there been anything you have had enough of that prompted you to do something different?

I invite you to share by leaving a comment.

Thanks!