Pain and suffering. Dark ages. Hurt and loss. We’ve all been there. Knocked to our knees and pleading with the gods above, “Please, I just want to be happy,” “Make this stop.” This cry for help can be heard light-years away. Yet, it seems like no one notices you slipping away from reality, barely tethered to life. “Please,” we plead. It is a sad conclusion to an era that once felt never-ending and hopeless.
This is rock bottom. This is the place where it feels almost impossible to stand up. Ironically, this is the space where radical transformation happens, where strength yanks us up for that first breath of air after seemingly years of drowning.
Please.
In the womb of life, where we sulk, rest, and wait for the birth of a new existence, we sit with our feelings in a liminal space. Aren’t you ready to stretch? To use your limbs and experience this thing called life? We go through this rebirth many times during our lives, spiritually, often without realizing it. It is that uncomfortable transitional moment of being on the edge of new beginnings, but still caught in our current circumstances.
I want to introduce a concept I call “Radical Growth.”
Radical Growth is the experience we feel when faced with a new way of being that requires growth and development of the mind, body, and spirit. It involves pushing our limits and embracing discomfort as a necessary part of the process. The unfortunate truth is that most of us stay in what is comfortable. But like the womb, our potential cannot be realized if it is never brought into the light.
Surrender.
“Grow me from the inside out. Make me aware of the energy that courses through my body, and expand it. Make me loose and fluid to experience the elasticity of being. Grow me from the inside out.”
There were a few times in my life when I had to surrender my pain. Most notably, when I was 12 years old. I was going through the worst depression and anxiety I have ever experienced to this day. My days and nights were full of paranoia, mental pain and agony, and fear. Until one day, I was at my wits’ end with it all. I could not handle another second of the grey life. So I pleaded. I surrendered. I asked, “Will I ever be happy?” and took that much-needed nap. The magical moment happened when my cousin told me I had woken up with a smile. Those words shook me to my core. They answered the very question I fell asleep asking. They restored my faith in my path, but I had to surrender. I had to give up the emotions and fear I was holding inside, offer them on a platter, and say it’s not my problem anymore. I had to give up the very weight I was holding and know that it wasn’t for me to carry. I had to give it up.
Breathe.
It’s that first breath that matters the most. It calms our nervous system, bringing us to a place of peace. Here’s a trick: when you take your first intentional breath in and out, hold that mental space at the top of the breath as you breathe out. Keep doing it for every breath. Feel the oxygen rush to your brain and spread through your limbs as you focus on breathing. Sit with your breath for 5 minutes, feeling it course through you. Mentally hold that energy at the top of your breath throughout the exercise, allowing it to rise with each breath. Start with 5 breaths and gradually increase the duration to five minutes. Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself in this space for more than 10, 15, or 30 minutes without realizing it.
Be.
Be one with yourself. Being is where we make room for radical growth. Sit with your body in a space of your choice and see how long you can go without thoughts. When the thoughts start to arise, dismiss them and go back blank. My therapist once said, “When thoughts start to come, say, ‘I see you, but not right now.” If you want to take it a step further, go for a walk and practice this. You can be in this space as long as you can hold it. The last strategy for now is called body scanning meditation. In this exercise, you pay attention to every body part starting from your head and going down to your toes. Notice if there are any tense areas, discomfort, or energetic blockages taking space in your body, and consciously release them. Take this moment and be with your body.
Now that we have laid a foundation for our work, I am excited to bring you on this journey to explore deeper. More concepts, ideas, and experiences will be shared in upcoming articles. Comment “same” if this article resonated with you, and follow me for more content. Contact me at info@radicalrootswellness.com if you want to go even further in this journey through coaching and being a part of our community. Till next time!
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