Seeing Setbacks As Feedback

Our bodies are amazing. They support us, even when we neglect them, and they give us great feedback. They want to be listened to – and pain is their way of communicating.

I found this out the hard way recently, when I smashed my knee during (of all things!) a Sumo wrestling match at a friend’s 50th birthday party. One awkward tumble later, and I managed to tear one ligament, completely destroy another, and also chip some cartilage. My doctor told me it’s the type of injury he’d normally see from footballers after a particularly heavy tackle!

While, thankfully I’m still able to work, it’s meant a huge rearrangement of my plans over the coming months. As well as having to cancel my attendance at this year’s Sexpo, I’ve also had to postpone my dream trip to Africa. Now it’s just a waiting game, as I give it time to heal, with a lot of gentle coaxing and support from sessions of pool therapy and regular visits to a physio.

Putting aside my disappointment at having to change my schedule, there’s always an opportunity to learn during moments like this. I strongly believe that there’s usually an underlying energetic and emotional reason behind any illness, injury or dis-ease. Unprocessed emotional energy will at some point get ‘stuck’ in some layer of our being – so every disorder carries with it an emotional component, and a lesson for us to learn from.

Interestingly, problems with knees are said to signify stubborn pride or ego, an inability to bend, and to much inflexibility. Recognising this, I’ve been able to look at my own patterns in this area, accept their reality, and then begin to let them go and clear the ‘stuck’ energy in this area of my life. The experience has been a humbling one, but I’m grateful for how it’s helped to shine a light into some of those dark corners that we all have.

Any pain is an invitation to learn – and while the gifts may not always be apparent at first, there’s awareness and growth for all of us during times of adversity.

In love and light,

Taranga