A Pain in the Ear or What We Resist Persists

I had, had a common ear infection and performed all the earthly, yet natural, remedies possible. I figured I had it under control, until I was awakened at around 1 AM with extreme, excruciating pain far beyond what had previously been experienced. Having exhausted all physical resources there was only one possible place to Be and that was in a state of prayer. It was as if a sense of light came and scooped me up in its loving arms and the moments which followed where most remarkable. 

Immediately thoughts floated into my mind and I recalled the words of my prayer practitioner, Lavonne, whose similar event in context (previously with an ankle injury) matched this one. She recalled the words of David R. Hawkins, MD, PHD with his suggestion for handling pain, which was to “1st let go of resisting the pain, then focus on it and say “more more.” At the level of spirit, this made sense, since what we resist persists.  Well, at first my ego had a real tough time with this one!  It certainly did not want more of this!  According to Dr. Hawkins, negative emotion is self-limiting and dissipates of its own accord. This strategy worked for Lavonne, so this ego trusted and gave way.

This idea of “more, more” seemed to work as a catalyst to stimulate a consciousness of ‘moving toward the fear.’ This was a fear, which seemed to consist of all variety of implications this condition might possibly represent. It occurred to me that it was not the content of the event but the fears, which lie under the event that I found myself moving toward.  I was not commanding more pain, illness or injury, but found myself embracing the fear rather than resisting it -- a kind of holding the pain in abeyance, at its origin. It was the act, or rather inaction, of not naming it, the absence of giving it a meaning. This facilitated a powerful effect of relaxation, especially in the area of discomfort. All tension and resistance released.

The next thought, which floated in, was that ‘this too had too be good’ and indeed it was.  There was a warm sense of Gratitude, which filled me that facilitated a great sense of peace.  It was in that instant that I found those same loving arms of spirit lifting away the pain as is it dissolved into the nothingness from which it had actually come.  My pain was primarily made up of fear and not the actual injury or illness.  It took a very brief time for my ear to decongest and my hearing to return fully. The recovery was remarkably rapid and never did the pain or inflammation return. In practicing this, I ceased giving energy to resistance and redirected my energy to the healing of my spirit and my form.

This technique of non-resistance, learned from Dr. Hawkins, has been used since this time on many occasions. The following are just a few examples:

• a bad fall, and literally flying through the air onto a slippery wet tile floor and impacting several areas, resulting in absolutely no bruising, or residual pain.
• a twisted ankle (probably broken)
• a pinched finger in a folding chair, with full body weight, and no marks or pain remaining, within in moments.

As long as we’re focused on content, the ego continues to operate and regenerate itself. When we take the power away from the ego/fear and move to context, we’re taking away the energy upon which the ego operates. Context doesn’t support negative emotions.  When we resist something, we’re giving it energy. When we go towards our emotions (which is obviously not an ego operation, because the ego wants us to resist), we’re allowing the emotions to run their course, which won’t be very long. Non-resistance — going toward the emotion — is not an ego maneuver. Once we switch to non-resistance, we’ve made the consciousness shift into the Observer, or a higher place of consciousness.

In brief:

I believe we can apply this process to any seeming challenge in life

• Recall the object of our fear, noticing the fear rather than the feared event.
• Bravely move toward and embrace the fear (only) which encapsulates any thing we seem to resist.  The absence of money, the absence of relationship, the absence of health, the list could go on. Say “more, more.” Relax into it.
• Do not name it or label it!
• Affirm that this too must be good.
• Notice what shows up!