Contraction and release.

To birth a child, there is a period of contraction, until there's the release of the baby. The Unified Being knows that nothing is separate. Everything is connected. Therefore, the birth of a child can also be seen throughout life experiences. Although most woman experience tremendous amount of pain in labour, that is not a fact or law that it must be this way. In fact, hypnobirthing is one of the many techniques that teaches how to actually experience pleasure through it, by changing the meaning of the experience in your subconscious mind, through hypnosis. Tantric teachings also say that a child born from tantric practices is delivered in a painless manner. We always experience contractions before the release. That is the nature of this dual illusionary reality. But we can free ourselves from suffering, by simply allowing the pain to become pleasure. Sexual acts can be extremely painful if one is not comfortable, or even scared. It is in fact, very painful. How can something that brings so much pleasure, also bring so much pain? Perception. When we understand what is actually happening, through dissolving duality and illusion, there is no more pain. Just contraction. You can experience the contraction, without it having to mean anything. When the mind stops giving negative connotations and judgements. When the heart simply allows for the experience to flow freely. When the ego quiets down. Contraction is beautiful. It prepares you for something amazing. It might make you uncomfortable, but all you need to do is breathe your way through it. Observe. Don't judge. Let it happen. Without contraction, we don't have the force to actually birth our desires. Contraction is simply the flexing of muscles (literal or, of course, emotional, spiritual, energetic, etc). In pregnancy, contractions are actually what helps deliver the baby, because it pushes it down the birth canal. If it weren't for it, the baby wouldn't come down. We need this impulse, this flexing of our muscles, to push out our desires, our creations. It doesn't need to be painful. Just as in menstrual cramps, the muscle is also contracting, so the lining (menstrual blood) can be expelled. But pain is usually related to a hormone called prostaglandins, which increases production when there's inflammation. We can use that as a way of seeing life experience in general. And I'm sure it is very accurate, since I used to experience insanely painful cramps, and they stopped completely after I switched to a plant based diet, and only come back when I eat too much junk food (which causes inflammation). If we are inflaming our minds, of course contraction will be painful. Feed yourself with more silence, more bliss, more love and peace, and the contractions will be just that. Contractions. Preparation for your desires. Find that daily quiet moment, sit by yourself, breathe and just allow your heart to speak to you. Let go of the mind's chatter for awhile and feed your soul with a little bit more love. With time, contraction periods become less and less painful and also, more and more rapid. I hope you find your glow in the middle of this chaotic jungle movie we call life. You are a fierce creature, bringing your unique beauty into it. You simply have to recognize yourself as so.