Pain as a stress reliever?

There are a lot of people out there who use pain to mask their emotions. It is such a relief when pain is delivered to a person who is suffering from stress, from pressure, from the urban city lifestyle. I think most will agree that the recent lifestyle of urbanites are mostly self inflicted. We choose to work longer hours, we choose to party harder, we choose to have an alternative luxurious materialistic lifestyle. After that, we spend our whole entire existence justifying our actions and our doings.

That's where pain comes in. It is a form of purification, an act of cleansing. Don't believe me? Some will inflict them to bring to another realm. I wonder if it works. But as for me, I'm using pain as a form of stress reliever. When I'm stressed out, I go for my yoga classes. I push myself to the max, straining my muscle, punishing them and stretching them even more and holding on. To me its a form of release. Because, it means that there is still something tat I can achieve personally although it pisses me that I can't do the same at other things. Albeit the next day's muscle aches and pain. The pleasure I get from pushing myself to the limit is something indescribable. Words just can't seem to express the joy in it. Its the same when I go for my sports. High risk, adrenaline rushing activities get to me. Wall climbing, diving, water sports, it gives me the adrenaline rush that I need to pump through and it is a change from the repetitious work life.

I found another pain that I can endure and it makes me wonder am I sadistic or am I looking for alternative source or is this just a passing phase. I realized that tattoo-ing is a pain that I willingly subject myself to and with the end results that is irreversible for the rest of my life. After I did my first tattoo, it wasn't the nail wrenching, toothaching pain as I had prepared for the worst. But then, it was a form of pain that hurts, and the pyschological bearings it has on you. After that, the healing process of it is another PAIN in the ass. Trust me. There is nothing like a good scratch for an itch but this itch, you can't scratch for the fear of spoiling the tattoo. sigh... but the end results, LOVELY :p After this, I'm already planning for my next tattoo. yes, tattoo-ing is addictive and I want every single tattoo that I'm getting carries a meaning to me as I want it to be a mark, a milestone of my life.