Willing to Feel Some Discomfort

From the Tarot of St. Croix, the Three of Swords; from the Archetype Cards, Samaritan:

To grow in the ability to know what to do when an emotion grabs you, it’s helpful to remember three words: embodied, present, and kind. Drop into your body, bring your attention to where you are right now, and be kind. When there’s an upsurge of emotion, these three words can help you to deescalate. The main instruction is to stay conscious and, as Tsoknyi Rinpoche has said, “You have to be willing to feel some discomfort.” —Pema Chodron

It is not too surprising that researchers have found many of the same areas of the brain are activated when we experience social rejection or heartbreak as when we're in physical pain. We may feel that we not only lost a group or person, but part of our identity as well. The St. Croix card shows an unusual distinction - one of the swords has become a needle, sewing up what was broken. Samaritan indicates helping what or who you would prefer to ignore - in this case, our self. It's tempting to want to mentally replay every word and action, however this has the same effect as acid reflux. Instead, we can stay with the feelings in our body and be kind to ourselves. Therapists would suggest we seek support, develop a routine, and embrace this change as an opportunity for self-discovery. Like the stitches in the heart, our recovery will take time and won't occur in a straight line.