Paying attention to healing

“The word attention has two principal meanings: it means to focus the mind on something, and it means to care for” - Gary Hennessey

I had a fall this week that literally brought me to my hands and knees and they stung from the pain.  I tried to ask myself why this happened, but know only too well from past experience that this leads me down many unhelpful paths of thoughts.  Instead, I talked about the pain and how I felt to be with it, rather than to ignore it and pretend that nothing had happened.  I needed to acknowledge what had just happened and by doing this I realised that just before I fell, my attention was momentarily drawn somewhere else and I was distracted.

“By paying attention to the smallest detail, rather than ask myself why, I realise I have gained more information about the importance of a shared experience to help comfort and heal my internal and external pain.”

Rachel Podger

As I walked and talked more, I began to regain my balance and through the awareness of my breath and connection to the ground, I felt myself calm down and I began to notice the smell of the lime trees and the newly mown grass.  I felt soothed by this and my primary experience of shock and pain began to release from my body.  It has taken most of the weekend to feel completely back in my body and grounded and the time that I have taken to rest and listen to it has brought me to a deeper place of understanding and what it means to care for myself.  Thankfully, the grazes are not deep and I have realised the significance of kindness and self-compassion as a means of bathing a wound, however superficial.  By paying attention to the smallest detail, rather than ask myself why, I realise I have gained more information about the importance of a shared experience to help comfort and heal my internal and external pain.

As I write, I am in awe of the depths and light that can be shed on any experience by being with it.  It seems so simple I can hardly believe it is true!