In my own journey and in working w/ clients I’m finding that shame is at the heart of suffering. It’s at the root of identified conditioning and trauma. It’s what fuels harsh self judgment, and what keeps things in a state of separation. It’s what gets in the way of love. And it’s what least wants to get felt and acknowledged- when i come across it in a person who’s not ready/willing/etc to go there, it feels like an actual wall. It’s quite visceral. It’s the ultimate thing to feel- it’s the key to freedom, and also the most backed away from. It’s like jumping into death, and in that there is rebirth.
The thing is, like anything, once it’s seen and felt it doesn’t stay. In my own experience I see and feel it pretty fast now, and in that recogniztion and willingness to dive into it, it doesn’t stay for long. For the most part anyway. It also seems that shame about feeling shame arises! As if after some kind of awakening shame shouldn’t be here, or that there is a “doneness” with shame. In my reality tunnel shame is just like any other thing that arises. It’s just another aspect of being human. it’s normal, and natural, and always evolving.
Shame is one of the gatekeepers. One of the things that holds us back from investigating what’s really there, when something seems painful. It’s also a sign that it isn’t quite investigated. That stories remain unquestioned and unloved.