BEING WITH DISCOMFORT
After the descent comes something quieter, stranger and more transformative. The decision to stay present with the discomfort of stillness.
This is the part of the journey the ego hates most because there is nothing to do. No ladder to climb. Nothing to improve, change or fix. No identity to perform. Just the raw presence of yourself, without the architecture of momentum holding you up.
This is where the real alchemy begins…
When you stop trying to rise too soon
When you stop looking for the exit
When you stop rehearsing who you used to be
When you stop - you soften. This isn’t easy, but resistance does exhaust itself in the presence of truth. The Stay is the pause between your old self dissolving and your new self forming. It is the moment you meet something greater than your control or perception.
You don’t transform by descending alone. You transform by your capacity to be still and pause within stillness without needing to do anything. By being present with what is.
VOID SIGNAL #002 - BEING WITH DISCOMFORT
Somatic Softening
Set a timer for 2–3 minutes.
+ Sit or lie down.
+ Inhale gently, exhale fully.
+ Then ask your body:
“Where am I bracing?”
See what softens when you stop trying to leave yourself.
The Dwelling
Invite your awareness into the part of you that feels most uncomfortable right now - fear, uncertainty, grief, emptiness.
Not to fix it but just to be present with it.
What happens when you stay with sensation instead of story?
Reflection
Choose one of the prompts below + write a stream of consciousness without editing.
What part of me wants to rise too soon?
What am I afraid will happen if I stay where I am?
What softens when I stop trying to escape this phase?
What wisdom is only available here for me in the in-between?