Eckhart Tolle’s concept of the “pain-body” explains why past hurts keep surfacing.
The pain-body is our accumulated emotional pain, that feeds on negative thoughts and reactions.
The good news? You can start to heal your emotional pain-body today!
3 Ways to Heal Your Pain-Body
- Practice presence when triggered – When emotional pain arises, don’t fight it or identify with it. Simply observe it without judgment. This awareness starves the pain-body of the reaction it craves
- Breathe through the discomfort – Take 5 deep breaths when you feel old emotions surfacing. Your focused attention on breath interrupts the pain-body’s automatic patterns
- Name what you’re feeling – Say to yourself: “I notice sadness” instead of “I am sad.” This creates distance between your true self and the pain-body. Check out the Feelings Wheel tool below:

Why this works: The pain-body loses power when exposed to conscious awareness. It can only survive in unconsciousness: in your automatic reactions and resistance
Try this today: Next time you feel upset, pause and ask yourself: “Is this my pain-body reacting to something from my past?” Just asking shifts you into presence so you can begin healing
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