Ways We Numb Ourselves - 60 Minute Baptiste Inspired Power Vinyasa Audio Video Recording
Here is an audio recording of a recent 60 minute Baptiste inspired power vinyasa yoga class I taught at Jai Dee Yoga in Tampa, FL. The reading I chose for the class was from the book Daily OM by Madisyn Taylor. The section was titled "Ways We Numb Ourselves"
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Ways We Numb Ourselves
Emerging from the Grey by Madisyn Taylor
Numbing yourself prevents you from confronting your issues and keeps you from ever finding resolution or peace.
We are born equipped to experience a complex array of
diverse emotions. Many of us, however, are uncomfortable confronting our
most powerful emotions. We may shy away from delight and despair and
deny life’s colors by retreating into a world of monotone grey. We may
numb ourselves to what we are truly feeling. It’s easier to suppress our
emotions than to deal with them, so we may momentarily turn to
pleasures such as alcohol, food, sugar, shopping and too much
television. We may even numb our hearts. While it’s normal to
temporarily seek distractions as a means of coping with intense
emotions, numbing yourself prevents you from confronting your issues and
keeps you from ever finding resolution or peace. When you are numb,
there is no pain or powerlessness, but there can also be no joy or
healing.
The activities that numb you may seem harmless or
pleasurable, but using them to numb yourself diminishes the quality of
your life. Numbing yourself so that you don’t have to feel intense
emotions can often satisfy a surface need while blocking your awareness
of a deeper need. You may find solace in food or shopping when what you
really need is spiritual nourishment. The less you feel, the less alive
you feel. Your feelings add vividness to your experiences and serve to
connect you to the world around you. It is possible to disavow yourself
of numbing behaviors a little at a time and once again taste life’s rich
flavors. When you sense that you are engaging in a particular behavior
simply to deaden your emotions, stop and ask yourself why. Examining the
feelings that drive you to numb yourself can help you understand what
is triggering your desire to emotionally fade out.
