The portal to unexpected peace
A story about the loosening of resistance
It started early. The drill again. That shrill, cracking noise through concrete. Even with the windows shut, it pushed straight through the walls and settled in her bones.
Mira winced, fingers stiff on her mug. She hadn’t even had her tea yet.
She felt it coming—the tension, the surge, the silent “I can’t do this today.” She glanced at the clock. 7:42 a.m. The day hadn’t even begun.
The noise hadn’t asked permission. Neither did the voice from the hallway:
“You’re still in your pajamas? Must be nice to have nothing to do.”
A parent. Or a sibling. Mira couldn’t tell anymore. The tone was always the same.
She turned back to the mug. Didn’t answer. The comment kept echoing anyway. Just like the drill.
This is too much. The noise. The jabs. The pressure to hold it all together. It stacked up in her chest like bricks. Heavy. Loud. Relentless.
She wanted quiet. She wanted kindness. She wanted escape.
Instead, she paused. Just a breath longer than usual.
What was this weight?
She noticed her shoulders were up. Jaw tight. Eyes already darting toward the next insult, the next sound, the next edge. Her whole body braced—like it was holding back a wave.
She named it. “Resistance.”
Not to the noise. Not to the words. But to the feeling they stirred.
A scraping under her skin. A heat in her throat. Shame. Helplessness.
She had never welcomed these visitors. She fought them, ran from them, tried to silence them with music or mindless scrolling.
But today…
She sat. She let the drill scream. She let the comment echo. And then, she turned toward the ache instead of away.
Where did it live? The middle of her chest. What shape did it have? Hard. Pressing inward. What did it want?
To be seen.
The body didn’t care whether the noise was fair. Or whether the comment was true. It just responded. It said, Ouch.
And the more she pushed it away, the louder it got.
Not because it hated her, but because it was trying to be known.
So she didn’t fix it. Didn’t reason with it. Didn’t drown it. She just sat with it.
The pain didn’t go away. But the suffering—the war with it—eased a little.
And something unexpected entered: a softness.
Not forgiveness. Not understanding. Just a loosening.
An inner voice whispered, “You don’t have to like this. You don’t have to make it okay. Just be here, as you are.”
And in that gentle pause, that crack in the wall of resistance, Mira felt something shift.
Not the noise. Not the family.
But her relationship to them.
And in that shift, there was space.
Not quiet yet. But space.
And sometimes, space is enough.
🌬 Inquiry: What is the real source of the suffering?
Take a few minutes to get still. Sit or lie down somewhere safe. Close your eyes if that feels right.
1. Recall the Trigger
Bring to mind a recent moment when:
You felt overwhelmed by construction noise
Or when someone said something sharp or hurtful
Let yourself revisit the scene. Just enough to feel the emotional charge. Don’t go into the story—just sense what it did to you.
2. Where is it in the body?
Ask yourself:
Where do I feel this most strongly in my body?
Is it in the chest? Throat? Gut? Jaw?
Place a gentle hand there if it helps. Simply observe. No need to fix.
3. Label the Sensation
Now use simple, descriptive words to label what’s felt:
Is it tight? Hot? Prickly? Heavy? Hollow?
Does it move or stay still?
Is it loud or muted, sharp or dull?
Don’t explain why it’s there. Just describe what is.
4. Notice the Response to the Sensation
Now, shift attention slightly:
Is there resistance to the sensation?
Are you trying to make it stop, or wishing it weren’t there?
Is there a thought like “This shouldn’t be happening” or “Make it go away”?
Let that reaction be felt too. Don’t push it out. Let it be part of the landscape.
5. Ask: “What if I allowed this?”
Gently pose the question inwardly:
What if I allowed this sensation to be here—just as it is?
Notice what happens. Any change? Any softening? Even the tiniest shift?
If not, that’s okay. Ask again, slowly.
6. Look Deeper: What am I really reacting to?
Is it:
The sound itself?
The words they said?
Or the feeling it produced in you—helplessness, shame, being unseen?
What’s the emotion underneath the reaction?
7. One Final Question
Is it the noise, or my resistance to it, that’s hurting me most right now?
Let the answer come as a felt sense, not an idea. There’s no right answer—only what’s honestly alive in this moment.
End by placing a hand on your heart or belly, and just breathe.
You’ve made contact with what’s real—and that’s enough.
For more pointers and suggestions, check out this link to vince-bot using the website as its knowledge base.
Vince Schubert YouTube Channel
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