I see a few different things:
Being tough is a mental configuration. The physical challenge that comes with some forms of exercise is not always connected with one 'trying to be tough' or intentionally inflicting pain upon ones self. There is a difference between muscle fatigue and being violent towards yourself. I don't think that the farmers that have to work long days in the field lifting, moving things, planting etc, have the mental configuration of thinking their tough. I also don't think the old native americans who lived in a tribal lifestyle saw hunting/fishing etc as a form of them being tough or inflicting pain upon themselves. Yet some form of pain was surely a by-product of this seeking.
Lets look at Carla's experience channeling Ra...was it completely comfortable? no. Was there pain involved? yes...yet her desire for service and balance overrode the desire for physical (and mental) comfort.
It's a fine balance...because at the same time (in most cases) if you have a broken leg...you don't keep walking. You must be good to yourself. Rest and heal knowing that this is the balance that will be more beneficial in the long run.
Also there is seeking comfort in contrast with seeking balance, which are different things. We all desire comfort and often associate it with a positive experience..yet to attain the balance one desires, whether physical or mental, (or both) experiencing some form of inner or outer pain may be and probably will be a reality for the seeker. This doesn't mean 'trying to be tough' or being violent towards yourself. It is simply a part of the path.
In physical fitness the seeming pain that you experience during the various movements may be uncomfortable...but it may afford you better health and longevity in the long run. It may contribute to making all the physical aspects in your life more comfortable because you have strengthened the body to a point where physical activity of all kinds come with more ease. A short period of "pain"...affording you more comfort in the long run. Maybe the only reason there is physical pain there during the movements is because there is a lack of balance in the body and that lack of balance is coming to the surface through the movement. This thought is excluding the reality of being injured.
-Pain in its various forms
-the love of physical movement and expressing Power and Will through the body in various ways
-Trying to be tough
-Making (short sighted) unwise decisions in the face of injury/imbalance
-Seeking comfort
Those who love movement and expressing Power/Will in healthy ways through the body may experience physical challenges in the form of pain as muscle fatigue...this is not always coming from a place of self violence or wanting to be 'tough'. For many it is the love of movement and bodily expression. I for one love to be physically active. To get to where I have gotten on a fitness level I have experienced pain in various forms...but I find that the temporary pain in the form of muscle fatigue affords me more physical comfort and more energy in the long run. I have also experienced injury due to pushing too hard too soon...and this I see as unwise...to contrast that... I have experienced injury also simply due to accidents/missteps taken during various movements.
So I think we are talking about a few different things here that may or may not be (depending on the person) tied together in a more complex way than they seem at first sight.
Being tough is a mental configuration. The physical challenge that comes with some forms of exercise is not always connected with one 'trying to be tough' or intentionally inflicting pain upon ones self. There is a difference between muscle fatigue and being violent towards yourself. I don't think that the farmers that have to work long days in the field lifting, moving things, planting etc, have the mental configuration of thinking their tough. I also don't think the old native americans who lived in a tribal lifestyle saw hunting/fishing etc as a form of them being tough or inflicting pain upon themselves. Yet some form of pain was surely a by-product of this seeking.
Lets look at Carla's experience channeling Ra...was it completely comfortable? no. Was there pain involved? yes...yet her desire for service and balance overrode the desire for physical (and mental) comfort.
It's a fine balance...because at the same time (in most cases) if you have a broken leg...you don't keep walking. You must be good to yourself. Rest and heal knowing that this is the balance that will be more beneficial in the long run.
Also there is seeking comfort in contrast with seeking balance, which are different things. We all desire comfort and often associate it with a positive experience..yet to attain the balance one desires, whether physical or mental, (or both) experiencing some form of inner or outer pain may be and probably will be a reality for the seeker. This doesn't mean 'trying to be tough' or being violent towards yourself. It is simply a part of the path.
In physical fitness the seeming pain that you experience during the various movements may be uncomfortable...but it may afford you better health and longevity in the long run. It may contribute to making all the physical aspects in your life more comfortable because you have strengthened the body to a point where physical activity of all kinds come with more ease. A short period of "pain"...affording you more comfort in the long run. Maybe the only reason there is physical pain there during the movements is because there is a lack of balance in the body and that lack of balance is coming to the surface through the movement. This thought is excluding the reality of being injured.
-Pain in its various forms
-the love of physical movement and expressing Power and Will through the body in various ways
-Trying to be tough
-Making (short sighted) unwise decisions in the face of injury/imbalance
-Seeking comfort
Those who love movement and expressing Power/Will in healthy ways through the body may experience physical challenges in the form of pain as muscle fatigue...this is not always coming from a place of self violence or wanting to be 'tough'. For many it is the love of movement and bodily expression. I for one love to be physically active. To get to where I have gotten on a fitness level I have experienced pain in various forms...but I find that the temporary pain in the form of muscle fatigue affords me more physical comfort and more energy in the long run. I have also experienced injury due to pushing too hard too soon...and this I see as unwise...to contrast that... I have experienced injury also simply due to accidents/missteps taken during various movements.
So I think we are talking about a few different things here that may or may not be (depending on the person) tied together in a more complex way than they seem at first sight.