A well known Buddhist monk and meditation teacher, Shinzen Young, proposed a formula
Suffering comes from our resistance to discomfort
Pain and discomfort are part of life. Being alive involves feeling pleasant and unpleasant experiences. They all come from one same "faucet" and we can't choose to close one because, when we try to close what's unpleasant, we are also closing what is pleasant.
Emotions are literally "energy in movement" (e + motion). When we resist to difficult feelings in life, whether it's fear, rage, grief or sadness, we are not allowing the flow of energy and so we generate blocks. These blocks, which are both physical and emotional, gives way to suffering.
But clearly, many of us were not taught how to feel. For this reason, the key lies in finding what ever it is we need to allow to surrender our resistance to feel. In my case, sometimes I need to breathe and bring my attention inwards. Other times, I need to write. Other times, I need to talk to someone I love. Others, I need to move my body and dance. And others, I need my therapist. What do you need?
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