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No Pain, No Gain? 3 Body-Mindful Practices to Get Yourself Off of the Hamster Wheel, by Jennifer Kreatsoulas, PhD and Robert Butera, PhD

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Yoga philosophy teaches that we have everything we need inside of us to tend to all of life's moments, from the happiest to the most challenging. When we slow down, get quiet, and pay attention to our personal wisdom, we can gain tremendous clarity about what we need to improve a situation, make a decision, or solve a problem. In other words, all the answers we seek exist inside of us already; we need only trust in our ability to access them.

This philosophy counters our overly stimulating, consumer-driven culture. As a society, we are conditioned to look outside of ourselves for answers, seeking external validation for our decisions, feelings, and dreams. We are taught to go faster, push harder, buy more, follow others' advice, keep up with trends, chase an ideal. The well-known expression, "no pain, no gain" perfectly captures the social belief that it is necessary to suffer or work hard to be successful. As such, many of us find ourselves in a constant state reaching outside of ourselves to prove our worth. All the striving weakens our connection to our inner wisdom, especially if we do not carve out time daily to pause, get quiet, and all our inner wisdom to reveal itself.

The History of "No Pain, No Gain"
Thanks to Jane Fonda and her popular aerobics videos in the 1980s, "No pain, no gain" has become much more than a household phrase; it has become a social attitude and cultural mindset, a moral code of conduct and measure of a person's work ethic. Pain equals progress, and without pain, success counts less. Accomplishments are evaluated in terms of how much a body can withstand and a mind can endure.

"No pain, no gain" invokes a spectrum of desirable attributes that have become associated with the fitness, athletics, diet, beauty, and fashion cultures, from intensity, focus, and determination to sacrifice, self-denial, and punishment. Related slogans, like, "Just do it" and, "Beauty is pain" are intended to be motivational and inspirational and to push an individual toward a goal that is usually physical in nature.

Although these days, "No pain, no gain" is associated with personal achievement, especially in the sports and fitness arenas, a form of the expression, "According to the pain is the gain" (which appeared at the beginning of the second century in Pirkei Avot: Ethics of the Fathers, part of didactic Jewish ethical literature), taught that spiritual gain is impossible without the pain involved in doing what God commands. The versions of this slogan that appeared in the 1500s and 1600s ring of the familiar modern connotation, which emphasizes that suffering is essential to progress and that hardship and achievement are inseparable. In his 1758 essay "The Way to Wealth," Benjamin Franklin, in his persona of Poor Richard, stated, "There are no gains, without pains," to explain the maxim "God helps those who help themselves."

Ancient Greek thought may be at the root of many fitness slogans that have been reinterpreted in the modern era. All armies from the dawn of time would endure pain and show no sign of weakness to their enemies. Valor on the battlefield was meant to demonstrate not just the willingness to fight when the odds of survival were low, but to fight with courage and dignity. Hence, "No pain, no gain" was an attitude used in military training to prepare for the ultimate potential use of one's life for the sake of one's tribe.

Embracing A New Mentality
The normalized cultural meanings of "No pain, no gain" can be internalized in different ways. For some of us, the slogan truly is motivational and even helpful. But for others, the message might lead to feelings of inadequacy or a need to push past healthy limits. Even if commonly accepted phrases like "No pain, no gain" are popular, they may not be body- or life-affirming.

How do you relate to this slogan in your own life? Are you comfortable affirming yourself or do you find that you need to always strive to prove yourself to others? Do you feel compelled to work hard all the time, or do you give yourself permission to take time to turn inward and let go of being in a "doing" state?

If you find yourself on the "no pain, no gain" hamster wheel, we invite you to incorporate one or all of these visual and auditory body mindful practices into your life. A yoga practice is any activity that guides self-awareness. A body mindful yoga practice adds the dimension of purposefully tuning into self-talk and intentionally using self-affirming language to change your brain, uplift your mood, and ultimately, improve your sense of self. Our book Body Mindful Yoga includes a variety of mental, physical, auditory, and visual practices designed to help you establish an awareness of your inner dialogue and incorporate body mindful language into your life with the intention of improving self-confidence. Over time and with diligent practice, the kinder words will become more readily accessible, and the less kind words won't be as quick to show up.

These three visual body mindful yoga exercises are less language-intensive and more sensory-focused, giving your brain a rest from hard work while nourishing your senses and restoring your energy.

1. Spend time in nature appreciating the colors, sounds, creatures, and mysteries of the natural world. Practice watching yourself observe what you see and hear without judgment. In turn, observe your self-talk as it bubbles up, and practice matching the neutral observing you do of nature with that of yourself. For example, "I see a red bird" is a neutral observation statement. Through practicing neutral observation with nature, you can begin to practice it with yourself.
2. View paintings, drawings, statues, and other pieces of artwork that inspire positive feelings. Notice the colors, textures, and other fine details that capture your attention. What unique qualities do you appreciate about these artistic pieces? If a work of art is especially pleasing to your eye, consider using it as a point of meditation. Gaze at it first thing in the morning for an allotted period of time as you recite your mantra, affirmation, or prayer.
3. Watch or listen to lectures, presentations, movies, and plays with messages that reinforce a healthy mindset toward your body and self. Music also fits in nicely here. You can create a playlist of music that is uplifting and inspires self-confidence and empowerment.

Doing these practices regularly will not only help restore balance to excessive working and striving mentalities, they will also help you reconnect with your inner world, offering you time and space to listen to your thoughts, notice your emotions, and appreciate the world around you. You deserve these few precious moments to unwind, reset, and simply be.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018. All rights reserved.

I'm a Sagittarius. The day I turned 38, I realized I'm psychic. This explains why I have been called eccentric and anti-social all my life. (Crowds bother me.) Apparently, I come from a long line of psychics. When I decided to embrace it all, I found peace and my place in the universe. I seem to instinctively know how to meditate; call on light entities, spirits and energies; read people; protect myself from negative energies and forces; and avoid people who claim they are psychic when I know they're not (or when they're not as powerful as they think they are). I dream of water and wind and dancing naked under a full moon all the time. I want to know if being psychic is in your blood. Do you think some people are born with this gift because they developed their psychic abilities in past lives? I feel guilty when I think of this gift as a great power, but it seems to be growing stronger and stronger. Thank you.

Aileen

Astrea:

Fire Signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) often come to the realization that they are psychic all of a sudden as they mature into grown-ups. Even if they've been totally unaware they had any ability before, it can all come rushing in whether they want it or not. Sagittarians realize that the use of these abilities can open doors that have been closed to them in the past.

The age of 38 is just right for most Sagittarians to accept their psychic capabilities, for the mystical gifts of people born at the closing of the year often come to light between the ages of 38-42. While I'm sure you knew you were a bit psychic before, I understand the sort of discovery you made at that age. It really IS like a light coming on! Everything looks different, and it's easy to get lost in a dream world. Responsibility is the key to having your gift work for you in the best possible way.

The sources of psychic ability are so varied that it would be difficult to pinpoint one thing that would cause sudden awakening for an individual. It can arise from personal experiences, outside influences, family traits and past lives, and can certainly be in your blood. Past lives do play an important role in the acceptance of our psychic abilities. With each incarnation, a little more of what we can do is revealed until we can accept the entire spiritual package.

The dreams you have of being free and easy with nature could certainly be part of a past life experience, or you could be astral traveling during those experiences. Since you're such a natural at other spiritual arts, if you keep a journal of those dreams, you'll discover how you can use meditation to interpret what you're dreaming. You should be able to interpret your dreams and other people's dreams in no time.

Please be aware that you can get into trouble judging other people's level of psychic awareness. Also, don't look down your nose at psychic posers. You don't have time to evaluate the psychic competency of people who may be very different from you in terms of their spirituality, and you have a lot left to learn about taking responsibility for your own abilities.

As a Sag myself, I know how difficult it can be for us to keep our big mouths shut. Beware of thinking of yourself as powerful. Confidence is a good thing, but you would be wise to think before you speak of your power to others. Feeling it is one thing; talking about it to people who don't understand can be a big mistake.

*****

Susyn:

I believe that, whether or not we are aware of it, each one of us possesses psychic abilities. They are a facet of our spirits that come to life when we are ready. Sometimes this happens in early childhood, sometimes later in life, and in some cases, not at all.

During the awakening process, many of us do discover that we are already familiar with certain metaphysical practices such as tarot, astrology, Reiki and other energy work. For those of us who practiced these gifts in a past life, it can be more like we are remembering them than learning them.

I awakened at a later stage in life and was amazed to discover after only two classes that I was able to read the tarot with ease. I also discovered a similar affinity for astrology. Once I had a few past life readings with a psychic, it was confirmed that I have spent many past lives as a witch, psychic or gypsy, honing my skills in the metaphysical arts.

Many psychics talk about having the same experiences you described: Feeling like they are different from others and being labeled as eccentric, anti-social or in some cases, just plain weird! Along with the discomfort you feel in a crowd, these are all common experiences for those of us who grew up unaware of the strong psychic abilities we possess.

It sounds like you have advanced powers and are working to make them even stronger. This is natural, for once this door is open, it's difficult to close it. People who attempt to ignore or bury their psychic side often end up with physical or emotional problems.

It is important to protect yourself as you continue to investigate your psychic powers and learn more about various spiritual practices. In the early stages of awakening, we can get caught up in powerful feelings, and it can seem as if nothing can get in our way.

In truth, it's a good idea to have a mentor to guide you through the development process so that you don't find yourself going down the wrong path. Many gifted psychics have fallen victim to the darker side of the occult. When this happens, we may begin to use our gifts in ways that are not supported by Spirit or Universal law.

As you continue on your exciting path to enlightenment, you may feel inspired to use your special gifts to help others, and you may also be called to teach those just beginning the process of awakening. As you move forward, always keep in mind that your gifts are Spirit-given, and be open to seeing how the Universe would like you to best use them.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.