Being Comfortable with the Uncomfortable – A Personal Journey of Inner Awakening
Updated: Nov 24, 2025
Carmela is an internationally recognised yoga educator and movement specialist with over 25 years of experience. She is the founder of Yoga Rhyth’OM and leads teacher trainings, retreats, and wellness programs that blend traditional wisdom with modern science.
There have been many moments on this yogic path, and in life, where I’ve felt like running (and did run at times), from difficult situations, from uncomfortable feelings, from certain postures on the mat. I used to believe that if something was too hard, it wasn’t for me. But repeatedly, I found myself circling back, facing what I once avoided. And something beautiful began to happen, I changed.
In yogic philosophy, the concept of Tapas, discipline, inner fire, is central to our growth. But discipline doesn’t always look like structured routines. Sometimes, it looks like staying with discomfort just a little longer. Not to suffer, but to awaken.
I remember vividly my resistance to the cold. I loathed it. I hated cold showers, cold dips, and certainly never voluntarily plunged into a chilly ocean. But in 2019, my family booked a snowboarding trip to Japan. I was excited, as I had never seen snow before, but deep down, I was also afraid. Not of the trip itself, but of the cold. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it was very real for me.
So, I decided to start "cold" training. I began with cold swims in the backyard pool, then made my way into the ocean, pushing myself into the places I had always avoided. I didn’t love it at first, but something within me shifted. A kind of mental and physical rewiring was underway, a quiet resilience building beneath the surface.
When we finally arrived in Japan, I was blown away by the snow-capped mountains, the powdery white stillness, and the breathtaking beauty of a landscape I’d never experienced before. I even loved the cold, but snowboarding? That was another roadblock. I hated it. I was so frustrated that I couldn’t do it, and on the fourth day, I told my family I wanted to go home.
They lovingly said, “That’s not happening.”
I had to stay. I cried. I became battered and bruised. I even got a concussion. And then, on the other side of all that resistance, I stood up on my board. And I rode. I was 49 years old, ‘carving’ down a mountain. It was about undoing an identity I had unknowingly built around what I couldn't do. That experience broke something open in me. It showed me that awakening doesn’t always happen on the mat. Sometimes, it arrives through hardship, through frustration, through the part of you that wants to give up but doesn’t.
“I’m not afraid to change the status quo / Let the winds of courage start to blow...” – Sabrina Starke, Status Quo
These lyrics always land deep in my chest. Because that’s what it takes to grow, to be willing to let the winds of courage move through you, even when it feels uncomfortable.
(Did you know the word courage comes from the core Latin word cor, meaning heart? To have courage means to speak and live from one’s heart, to live with authenticity, vulnerability, and truth. True courage isn’t loud or showy. It’s often quiet. It’s the moment you choose to keep going when it would be easier to give up. It’s listening to the whispers of your heart and following them, even when the path is uncertain. Let your heart lead you, not away from fear, but through it. That’s where the real transformation begins).
We are all being called in different ways to step beyond the familiar. Maybe for you, it’s the fear of failing, navigating a health challenge, learning a new yoga pose, or being seen. It may be that you’re thinking of changing course in mid-life. Our ego craves comfort and familiarity because it sees these as essential for a sense of safety, control, and a stable identity. The ego actively resists change that could lead to discomfort or failure. It prefers to keep you in a state of preservation rather than progress.
Here are a few gentle reminders to help you begin your own journey into the uncomfortable:
5 ways to embrace discomfort and grow from it
Start small but start intentionally: Pick one thing each week that feels just a little uncomfortable, like turning your shower to cold for 30 seconds, speaking up in a meeting, or trying a yoga pose you normally avoid. The key is to challenge the story that says, “I can’t.”
Pause when you want to flee: Whether you're in Pigeon Pose or an emotional moment, notice your first instinct to escape. Then pause. Breathe. Ask yourself, “What’s really here beneath the discomfort?” That’s where the transformation begins.
Use your beads or breath as an anchor: Tactile tools like mala beads, breath counting, or mantra repetition can help rewire the nervous system when anxiety kicks in. Anchor into something steady while the waves move through you.
Respond, don’t react: When facing something or someone uncomfortable, count to 30, then respond or act. You’ll often find that refraining from a knee-jerk reaction is a step forward in growing patience, resilience, and insight.
Celebrate the effort, not just the outcome: You don’t need to become a snowboarder, an advanced ‘Back-Bender,’ or a confident public speaker overnight. Celebrate yourself for simply showing up. Every time you do, you’re saying “yes” to growth.
In the end, it’s not about becoming fearless, it’s about courage. Life will continue to offer opportunities for discomfort. Instead of resisting them, we can start to see them as sacred thresholds, gateways into the deeper parts of ourselves we haven’t yet met.
So, take the plunge. Get cold. Fall. Get back up. And let your life surprise you.
Because sometimes, the greatest awakenings are waiting right on the other side of what makes you uncomfortable.
Read more from Carmela Lacey
Carmela Lacey, Yoga Teacher, Movement Educator, Wellness Advocate
Carmela is a highly regarded yoga and movement educator with over 25 years of teaching experience. As the founder of Yoga Rhyth’OM, she combines traditional yogic philosophy with modern movement science to create transformative experiences for her students. Her work spans yoga teacher trainings, women's wellness retreats, and educational programs/classes focused on functional movement, breathwork, and cyclical living. Known for her grounded wisdom and heartfelt teaching style, Carmela empowers others to move with awareness, age with grace, and live in rhythm with nature. Learn more about her offerings and articles through her Brainz profile.
