The Soul Trainer

Dear Trent who’s concerned about the pain in his left shoulder,

GoodNews: it’s not a physical injury.

BadNews: it’s still gonna require some PT.

Don’t worry, it’s not because you’re doing rows wrong in the gym. It’s simply because your soul feels off. You’re repressing the shame again & again… & again. So, you can keep Theragun’ing it for as many hours as you want, and it might provide some temporary relief, but it won’t cure it until you confront. Physical remedies won’t cure it into perpetuity. That’s gonna require a different level of deep-tissue digging. The kind where the soul starts to show itself, while the ego grasps & screams. Because, you see, the issue runs way down deep, beneath the surface of this here physical body. Sure, the pain manifests itself on the surface like a torn muscle or a tense ligament. But you know that’s not really it. Instead, the answer lies beneath. So, this is gonna require some Soul PT.

Here’s what it’ll look like: a training plan of Pull-Up-The-Trauma, Push-Out-The-Attachments, and Sit-Up-Through-The-Drama. It’s gonna be intense. You’re gonna get extremely sore. But you’ll have to push & pull & sit through the pain in order to experience the release. I know what you’re thinking: “Damn this is gonna suck. I’m not ready for this.” Yes, you are. Let me tell you: you are. And you‘ve gotta do it. Because, for as long as you hold on to that action-averting self-doubt, you’ll hold on to that pain in your left shoulder as well.

You know how good it feels when your body feels healthy. You know that sensation after a well-executed “wellness day.” Workout, sauna, cold plunge… washed down with a green juice, proper protein, and heavy hydration. A day of bliss capped off with a nice, clean nighttime of 8 hours of sleep (“I’ll take an evenly-balanced cocktail of deep & REM, please.”). The felt sensation of a day like this just can’t be beat!

But to earn that feeling requires dedication. Discipline. Commitment. Doing the things that you know will produce healthy results, no matter how much they hurt in the moment. You know that the soreness is what leads to the gains. You know this, but you avoid the work anyway.

So, now’s the time to add this spiritual therapy to your “wellness routine.” Until you do, that pain in your left shoulder ain’t leavin’. And you’re not doing anybody any favors by holding on to the tension it’s creatin’.

So, just do the work, so that you can release it. Then, you can coach other people on how to get the gains too.

Your Soul Trainer,

T. Happy

———

P.S. - this was written this afternoon, on an unplanned “wellness day.” I spent the morning with my friend, Luke of London. The physical routine included a glute foam roll, a leg compression session, a calf roll (this time with a fancy machine), a shoulder & trap Theragun. Then, it was polished off with the ole sauna + cold shower combo. My body felt great. My body feels great (as the gains gained by treating the body kindly tend to last all day).

Despite all of the wellness tactics taken today, as I look back on the past 6 hours, here are the moments that stand out to me as being the most fulfilling:

-Dropping into a deep conversation with Luke

-Meditating in the sauna as I released my mind’s expectations for the travel that awaited tonight

-Crafting this piece while sitting in the corner of a hotel lobby

-Walking through the park watching the families enjoy the sunshine & employees enjoy the breather

Connection

Relaxation

Creation

Observation

Shoot… is this the new workout regiment?