Sitting With Discomfort Without Breaking

Lessons from the Mat for a World on Fire.

Lately, I’ve found myself overwhelmed. Not just by my own work or healing journey, but by the heaviness of the world itself.

Every scroll through social media feels like a scream:

• Videos of suffering.
• Stories of injustice.
• Children being harmed.
• Families torn apart.
• War and genocide in real time.

The weight of the truth that's been coming out everyday is more than we were ever meant to carry alone.

And yet… we do.

As someone who teaches others how to work with their bodies to find release and healing, I continue to return to a simple but powerful idea that I share with my classes and clients:

It can be useful for us to sit and work with discomfort, but we need to recognize pain and make adjustments as needed.

Wisdom of the Body



Pain and discomfort are two different things and they need to be addressed in different ways.

In yoga, we hold poses that challenge us. Our muscles tremble. Our breath catches. Our mind resists. But when we stay present, breathe deeply, and allow ourselves to soften into the experience, something opens. That’s discomfort.

And within discomfort, growth is possible.

But sometimes a sensation shifts...

A stabbing feeling. A joint twinge. A signal that something isn't safe. That’s pain.

And pain is the body’s way of saying: "Something is wrong. You need to adjust."

If we ignore that pain — physical, emotional, spiritual — we risk real harm. We risk breaking something that might take a long time to heal.

The World Is Burning...



And We’re Still Here.

Right now, the world feels like one long inhale held too long.

• Gaza.
• ICE raids.
• Police brutality.
• Child exploitation.
• Environmental collapse.

The list is longer than I want to admit.

It’s right to feel disturbed by these things.

It’s right to feel angry. Or grief-stricken. Or stunned into silence.

Discomfort in the face of injustice is a sign of humanity. It’s the body of the soul whispering,

"Stay awake. Don’t look away. This matters."

But when we soak in these horrors without pause, without breath, without compassion for ourselves, we shift from discomfort into pain.

And from pain, we can become rigid. Shut down. Burnt out. Broken.

Work With Discomfort, Not Against It



The lesson from the yoga mat applies here, too.

It's important to notice the differences between discomfort that has potential, and pain that causes harm.

Discomfort says: "This is hard, but I can breathe through it."

Pain says: "Something is too much. I need to shift or step away."

Both experiences are valid. Both require awareness. But only one builds us up. The other demands healing.

We don’t have to numb ourselves to survive the truth of this world. But we also don’t have to destroy ourselves trying to fix everything all at once.

It’s okay to pull back.

It’s okay to rest.

It’s okay to care deeply and also care for yourself in the process.

You were never meant to hold it all alone.

3 Gentle Practices

To Stay Regulated in a Dysregulated World

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world or your personal healing work, try one of these simple but grounding practices:

1. Anti-Anxiety Breath (1-2 minutes)

This breathwork practice can reset your nervous system quickly:

• Inhale a short, quick breath in through the nose
• Quick pause
• Inhale a second short, quick breath in through the nose
• Quick pause
• Inhale a third short, quick breath in through the nose
• Quick pause
• Exhale a long, extended breath out through the mouth
• Looks like: Inhale - Inhale - Inhale - Exhale

Repeat 4–6 rounds while sitting or lying down.

2. Body Check-In

Take a little time go within and ask yourself: Where am I holding tension right now?

• Slowly scan your body from head to toe.
• Wherever you find tightness, send a few deep breaths to that space.
• You can even whisper to yourself: “You’re safe. I’m here with you.”

3. Create a Media Boundary

Before you scroll or watch something difficult, light a candle or set a timer. Give yourself permission to stop consuming content once the flame goes out or the timer chimes. Offer a silent prayer, a word of hope, or a breath of release afterward.

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