You may see the equation of suffering= pain x resistance as the distillation of thousands of years of buddhist philosophy or as the concentration of modern psychology, in either case this intuitive idea leads to a logical conclusion contrary to instinct- you don’t have to fight pain. Acceptance, compassion and trust may seem like noble ideals but by putting our self-preservation energy into the right places we can harness our instincts towards adaptive strategies that free us from scrupulous ideas of fairness or intractable feelings of malaise and bring us genuine relief. The resources below explore self-compassion and radical acceptance in the hopes of offering comfort and peace.
Understanding Radical Acceptance-
Inviting Mara to Tea by Tara Brach for Psychology Today
WHAT IS RADICAL ACCEPTANCE? (AND WHAT IS NOT) by Don McCarthy for MyTherapyNYC
What Is Radical Acceptance? by Arlin Cuncic for VeryWellMind
Radical Acceptance: Sometimes problems can’t be solved by Karyn Hall for Psychology Today
Accept Your Pain; It Will Hurt Less by Leslie Becker-Phelps for Psychology Today
Practicing Radical Acceptance-
Awakening through Anger – The U-Turn to Freedom from Tara Brach
DBT- Distress Tolerance STOP skill
What Is Vipassana Meditation and How Do You Practice It? by Sayadaw Upandita for Lion’s Roar
Radical Acceptance in a Time of Uncertainty by Andrew Harris for Hopeway
How to practice Radical Acceptance from Bay Area DBT & Couples Counseling Center
Suffering = Pain * Resistance by Patrick Buggy for Mindful Ambition
Further Reading-
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski PhD, Amelia Nagoski DMA
Tara Brach Meditation-
Meditation: Vipassana – Opening Our Hearts to Life as It Is
