When you feel yourself about to ‘act out’ can you pause? Can you hold the tension and discomfort in your body and be curious about what is happening for you. Can you think, “wow! I am feeling so much anger right now, it is moving from my stomach, up my chest and feels like a volcano leaving my head. I feel like I am about to explode. Wow, that is intense. Can I stay here without saying or doing anything and just observe the power of this feeling.” Then to reach in. What wound has been poked? What tender spot is aching for you to see it, to hold it and witness it? Can you hold that tender spot as you hold your inner child with all of their feelings? Sending the sweetest embrace back through time to gently hold them? This is one of the ways we can learn to hold ourselves when we feel the inevitable pain of living. It’s not possible to avoid all pain. Pain is part of life. How can we meet that pain in a new way?