Migrate, Hibernate, Tolerate
I’ve been going to this awesome new yoga studio, and at my Vinyasa class yesterday (which kicked my ass, as per usual), our instructor led by talking about how winter or sustained bad weather kicks off three kinds of responses in living beings — migrate, hibernate, or tolerate. As humans, the only one of these that we can biologically do is tolerate.
I guess you can hop on a plane to Palm Springs and “migrate,” but you can’t really get there on your own like birds or whales can when they migrate.
And while we feel like we can hibernate (aka stay in bed all day), we can’t really sleep for months on end without having to eat, drink, or use the bathroom.
So, tolerate. Which is an interesting theme that’s been coming up a lot for me lately.
My instructor pointed out that as humans, our ability to tolerate has lessened over time with all of the technological advances we’ve made. I don’t have to tolerate super hot weather because I have AC, same with super cold weather and heat. I don’t have to tolerate a long walk to school when I can drive or take a bus.
She then had us hold our arms up to the sky for three straight minutes to give us an example of tolerating discomfort. SO RUDE. But I did it. And I felt great afterward (and sore).
How many of us like to sit in discomfort? Tolerate it? It’s not the most fun. And it’s something I actively avoid, especially, especially when it comes to uncomfortable feelings.
I will do almost anything to avoid an uncomfortable emotion or feeling. Eat, drink, sleep, read, talk to someone, watch TV. Pick a fight with my husband about something trivial. Dive into an easy and not necessary project. Here’s how not being able to tolerate discomfort hurts us:
You’re ignoring your body’s signs that something is wrong, or at the very least needs attention.
You’re much more likely to fall prey to numbing activities that aren’t great for you (excessive eating, drinking, etc.) and definitely don’t help you process feelings.
Avoiding discomfort only leads to a greater degree of discomfort once you’re finally forced to face it. Which you will.
So, next time you catch yourself avoiding discomfort, stop and picture sitting on the ground and holding your hands above your head for three minutes — or actually do it, if you want. Feel the burning of your arms, the clenching of your core, the sweat running down your face. Physical signs of discomfort.
Then, try to feel the feelings that are making you uncomfortable. It might feel similar in your body to holding an uncomfortable pose. It might feel a little different, but you know what discomfort feels like and you can handle it.
Did you know the average feeling only lasts about 90 seconds? You can let those uncomfortable feelings in for 90 seconds. It’s way less than three minutes.
I still wouldn’t mind being able to migrate, though. It’s real dark and cold here in the PNW in wintertime…
Disclaimer: there is a different between good discomfort and bad discomfort. If someone or something is making you feel uncomfortable by acting like a jerk or a creep, you don’t have to tolerate it. If you’re uncomfortable to the point of suffering, you’ve crossed a threshold past manageable discomfort. Listen to your body, your heart, and stay away from harming yourself.
