By Rachael Sheat
We’ve all watched it, and if you haven’t then I’m sorry you have to stop reading, GO AND WATCH THE LION KING and come back - then, and only then will you be ready to weigh in on this conversation ;)
So let’s fast forward to the scene that I ramble on about relatively frequently in the clinic.
Rafiki (quirky monkey from Pride rock) : I know your father! He’s alive, and I’ll show him to you!
Simba runs through the lands in desperation to keep up with the quirky monkey with a curious and hopeful attitude. Rafiki points his stick into a pool of water and ushes Simba over to look into the water.
S: That’s not my father, it's just my reflection.
R: No look harder….
Mufasa (Simba’s father) comes up from the clouds and gives Simba the big “you have forgotten who you are” talk and encourages him to go back to save Pride Rock.
Simba is scared and hesitant. He has gone through so much, and no one understands the depth of what he has suffered. He fears he will be unrecognisable on returning to the Pride lands. He speaks of the hurt and the shame of contributing to his father’s death. He knows what he has to do but going back he has to face his past.
Then Rafiki grabs a stick and whacks Simba on the head with it!
S: Ouch geez, what was that for?
R: It doesn’t matter it's in the past!
S: Yeah but it still hurts!
R: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it you can run from it, or you can learn from it.
Rafiki goes to hit Simba on the head again.
But this time Simba weaves out of the way of Rafiki’s stick in time to avoid it.
This perspective gives him courage to return to Pride Rock, face his fears and fight for justice.
(watch the scene from The Lion King here)
Truth bomb: I have a (metaphorical) Rafiki stick in my clinic. Rafiki is my hero!!!!!!!!!!
Why is he so important and instrumental in Simba’s journey back, and how does this relate to pain?
I would love your contributions as to why my 'Rachfiki' pole has to come out so often at Evolving Pain. Comments below please :D
In the clinic I think 'Rachfiki' comes out when people are stuck in the place of what was, and need support catapulting into the new, improved and wiser 2.0 version of themselves. I 100% appreciate why this happens. The adversity, and the forced reflection, the massive learnings and strength gained from going through something so epic, doesn’t mean much if you still feel awful.
We are here to remind you that under that awful feeling is a strong, resilient person who has taken on lessons far beyond any text book could ever teach them. So my 'Rachfiki' with love is all about compromising the resistance of person and pain, and learning all that you can from it. Study it’s behaviours, it’s patterns, it’s season to then manipulate and challenge it, regain control in one’s body and be the BOSS! We’re here for support every step of the way.
With love,
Rach