Be With: Learning to Sit, Surrender, and Heal

There are seasons in life when all we can do is be with what is before us.

The ache, the confusion, the waiting all the uncomfortable places we’d rather move past. And yet, this is often where the deepest healing begins.

In somatic work, we speak often about “being with.”
It’s a simple phrase, but it carries a profound invitation

to stay present, to listen, to allow.

When we stop trying to fix or force, things begin to transform, to heal, and to process in their own time and rhythm.

But being with is not easy.
At first, it can feel almost impossible.
We’ve learned to disconnect from our experiences just to get by, to cope, to move forward, to forget.

Yet those very survival strategies can create more disconnection. We start to believe that “mindset” alone can change everything, forgetting that we are not just a mind

we are a whole being: body, mind, and spirit, each designed to communicate and work together.

When we don’t allow that integration, the body quietly holds what the mind can’t bear.

It remembers.
It stores unprocessed experiences and in time, those may show up as tension, fatigue, emotional overwhelm, or even physical symptoms.

Discomfort, especially in the Western world, is something we’re taught to avoid.
But it is often the very place where growth, learning, and strength are born.

“We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3–5

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith... may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6–7

As Christians, we are reminded of Christ’s own suffering

the refining, the surrender, the trust.

Scripture is filled with stories of people whose faith was tested through hardship, not to harm them, but to shape them.

So why would our journey be any different?

The danger lies in believing we can do it all ourselves, striving, thinking, willing our way forward. But the body, the very vessel formed by our Creator, holds a different truth.

When the spirit, mind, and body are not in unity, discomfort no longer serves as a momentary teacher it becomes a lingering weight.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
Proverbs 14:12

Learning to be with is essential for

healing, for wholeness, for life itself.

It’s why mindset alone will never be enough.

We must embody our experiences, allowing ourselves to feel, to listen, to sit with what arises rather than turning away.

When we let go and be with Him, we are physically laying our burdens at His feet.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28–30

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22

Just like clay in the hands of the potter, the refining takes time.
It requires heat not to destroy us, but to strengthen and purify.

“For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;
he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” Malachi 3:2–3

Somatic practices teach us how to stay present in that refining fire

to breathe, to soften, to stay with what is

Through embodiment, we build the capacity to

endure, to surrender, and to trust

To be with Him.
To be with ourselves.
To be with what is, knowing that even in the discomfort, healing is already unfolding.

Closing Reflection

To be with is not passive, it’s a sacred act of faith.
It’s the meeting place of body and spirit, where we learn to listen deeply and respond gently.
Through stillness, prayer, and embodied awareness, we begin to remember that we are never separate from God,

He is within us, moving through every breath, every ache, every release.

And the next time life challenges you, when someone’s words or actions stir discomfort within

Pause
Take a moment to observe.
Recognise what arises.
Allow it to be, without judgment.

And watch the Master Potter at work, transforming that discomfort into

growth, clarity, and peace within

This is the heart of my work at Soulroots Therapy, guiding others to find safety in the body, connection to Spirit, and the grace to be with whatever arises, so that healing can unfold the way God intended.

If you feel called to explore how to safely embody your experiences and find greater peace in your body and spirit, you can book a free discovery call to learn more.