The other day my 5-year old son Noah got a splinter in his heel while playing outside barefoot. He did not realize it until the end of the day when he noticed it being a little sensitive when putting pressure on his heel. Noah’s dad, Sean, explained to him that we had to get the splinter out for his foot to feel better. Noah’s breath shortened, he whined, he cried, and he exclaimed that he did not want to get the splinter out.
I held Noah, and we took deep breaths. I suggested that he soak his foot for a little while to make it easier to get the splinter out, and he felt good about this plan. After 15 minutes of soaking Noah’s foot, his Dad came in with the tweezers, and Noah immediately started balling, saying, “no, no, no, it’s going to hurt,” over and over and over again. Full on freak out! Back to soaking we went and I explained that getting the splinter out will actually make his foot feel better…yadda yadda yadda. Two more rounds of this, and, at this point, I’m not only attempting to keep my son calm, but I’m also working to keep my husband calm who was completely frustrated by the process. Oye! To be a parent!
I said to Noah, “babe, we gotta do this.” I positioned myself lying on the floor and had him lay on top of me. We practiced breathing deep. Sean came in and said to Noah that he did not have the tweezers, and all he wanted to do was run his finger over his foot. Noah agreed, and, once Sean did it, Noah shared that it didn’t hurt. So next Sean got the tweezers and asked Noah to stay still, explaining that being still makes it easier to get out the splinter. Noah agreed. Within seconds Sean got the splinter out, and Noah felt nothing but relief.
Noah exclaimed, “That did not hurt at all. I was so brave.” Noah’s Dad, exasperatedly agreed, “Yes, so brave.” I, with a half-smile and wide eye, also nodded in agreement with the bravery. And, while it does not seem like much but kid drama to us adults, Noah was indeed very brave. Overcoming the obstacles of the mind is not easy. Noah was so certain that getting the splinter out would result in more pain when in reality it was the exact opposite. He had to overcome this belief in order to be still and get the splinter out.
When I take a moment to reflect upon the whole situation, it really is quite amazing, in the scheme of things, how quickly he was able to be still and let go.
How often do any of us do this? How quickly do you let go? What stories are you holding onto? How long have you clung to these stories…maybe years?
We are all holding onto certain beliefs or stories that may or may not be true. Each of us has made up so much shit in our minds, it is actually quite ridiculous. And often, we’d rather cling, grip, and hold onto this shit, aka story or belief we’ve made up for dear life over letting it go and being at peace. Why? Because it’s a “normal” comfortable place to be and there is discomfort in letting it go. You see, in that story, our minds made up that we are right or justified in whatever it is we have decided to think about someone or something and then we act accordingly. We believe that to let go is to admit not being right, but letting go is not about being right or wrong…it’s about ditching the story that is causing you or possibly others pain. Pain via frustration, anger, anxiety, guilt, self-doubt, and the list goes on. It takes incredible internal strength and bravery to let go.
This is why I practice yoga…to dump the baggage.
Each one of us is likely holding onto something that is causing us pain. And when we let go, there is peace. Peace is where I am liking to be. How about you?
Yet another lesson learned from my son. Being a parent truly is an enlightening experience. Thank you, Noah, for the reminder to let go.
“Belief clings, but faith lets go.” – Alan Watts
Anna Ferguson is the co-creator of World Peace Yoga, a style of yoga that inspires peace in action, developing intuition, deepening empathy, and expanding compassion. You may connect with Anna via Instagram @annafergusonpeace or via Facebook