Do you struggle with resistance? Do you want to release weight, exercise, feel more energetic, but sabotage any efforts toward these goals? Well, if you are human, you're answer will be a resounding "yes." Anytime we try to make changes, the first thing we will encounter is resistance to that change. This is rooted in our survival wiring. In the past, belonging to a tribe was necessary for survival and so, conformity to that tribe was also integral for us. Changing was a threat to our survival.
Today, it isn't but to our ego, it feels as if it is. Anything we try to do that goes against the core beliefs of our ego identity, will cause resistance. The ego prefers familiarity and works hard to keep us in the status quo, not taking any risks, staying small and safe. So, let's say the ego feels that it is dangerous for you to be all you truly are... anything you do that brings you closer to your light and truth, will be vehemently resisted by your ego. In our world, often it truly isn't safe to be the "greatness" that we are. People are threatened by our greatness. So, we often stay small and feel afraid to change. We get the emotional need of belonging met by staying the same.
So, how to do we get past the inevitable resistance of change? What I have found to be helpful is a concept called 'Beginner's Mind.' You see, when you try to make a change, and then you resist it and do the opposite, you get discouraged and feel like a failure, right? What I have found for myself is that if I get rid of the failure/success mindset and instead, put on "Beginner's Mind," eventually, the changes begin to happen naturally as I allow myself to begin again and again and again in order to find out what will work for me. I have found that as I get older, my Self is less and less willing to make shifts that don't work for me or feel in any way depriving or restrictive.
Beginner's mind is a useful strategy that can help us make changes much more easily. The idea behind this strategy is that you take all of the things you know--all of your brilliant opinions, all of your reason and logic, even your cherished beliefs--and you put all this stuff on the shelf for awhile. (Now, mind you, it will all still be there safe and sound when you get back!)
The idea of beginner's mind is that you temporarily set all this aside, on purpose, for a little while, and just go ahead and do whatever it is you are trying to do, a little at a time--no matter how illogical, or insignificant, or meaningless it may seem to be--merely so that you can see what your experience is and just be present for whatever you experience, the resistance, the urge to do the opposite, the challenge of it all, the joy of doing it, the feelings, the thoughts, the emotions, the body sensations, just be with what is and experience it as though you are a little child experiencing something for the very first time. Be curious, that is all that is required.
When I was resisting exercise in a big way, instead of giving in totally to the resistance, one day, I put my exercise clothes on and drove to the gym. I sat in the parking lot for a bit and then left. That was my experience that day. The next time I was much less resistant to getting that far and I went into the gym for a little while. I sat in the sauna and then left. I played with my resistance. Soon, it felt so good to get to the gym. I still play with this resistance often, but it is easier. I have experienced enough of the reward of feeling good that it is more often that I do some yoga, go for a walk or get to the gym. I like to move my body and if I don't, I feel pain, so now I am more consistent. But I always use Beginner's Mind. It seems to release all that resistance!!
And whenever I find myself back in the resistance (it will happen!!), because I don't see it as failure, I just begin again, again and again and again. And that my friends, is life!!
Maria Rippo is a Transformational Healing & Wellness practitioner with an online as well as a local practice in Bothell, WA. She is an Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist and Holistic Coach working towards her Master's degree in Transpersonal Psychology, but mostly, she is a human trying to figure out how to navigate this thing called life. This article Copyright 2016 by Maria Rippo, all right reserved. To replicate or use any portion of this article, please do so in its entirety including this text or contact the author at maria@mariarippo.com.
Interested in working with me? Make a complimentary consultation appointment here http://www.mariarippo.com/book-an-appointment.html
Today, it isn't but to our ego, it feels as if it is. Anything we try to do that goes against the core beliefs of our ego identity, will cause resistance. The ego prefers familiarity and works hard to keep us in the status quo, not taking any risks, staying small and safe. So, let's say the ego feels that it is dangerous for you to be all you truly are... anything you do that brings you closer to your light and truth, will be vehemently resisted by your ego. In our world, often it truly isn't safe to be the "greatness" that we are. People are threatened by our greatness. So, we often stay small and feel afraid to change. We get the emotional need of belonging met by staying the same.
So, how to do we get past the inevitable resistance of change? What I have found to be helpful is a concept called 'Beginner's Mind.' You see, when you try to make a change, and then you resist it and do the opposite, you get discouraged and feel like a failure, right? What I have found for myself is that if I get rid of the failure/success mindset and instead, put on "Beginner's Mind," eventually, the changes begin to happen naturally as I allow myself to begin again and again and again in order to find out what will work for me. I have found that as I get older, my Self is less and less willing to make shifts that don't work for me or feel in any way depriving or restrictive.
Beginner's mind is a useful strategy that can help us make changes much more easily. The idea behind this strategy is that you take all of the things you know--all of your brilliant opinions, all of your reason and logic, even your cherished beliefs--and you put all this stuff on the shelf for awhile. (Now, mind you, it will all still be there safe and sound when you get back!)
The idea of beginner's mind is that you temporarily set all this aside, on purpose, for a little while, and just go ahead and do whatever it is you are trying to do, a little at a time--no matter how illogical, or insignificant, or meaningless it may seem to be--merely so that you can see what your experience is and just be present for whatever you experience, the resistance, the urge to do the opposite, the challenge of it all, the joy of doing it, the feelings, the thoughts, the emotions, the body sensations, just be with what is and experience it as though you are a little child experiencing something for the very first time. Be curious, that is all that is required.
When I was resisting exercise in a big way, instead of giving in totally to the resistance, one day, I put my exercise clothes on and drove to the gym. I sat in the parking lot for a bit and then left. That was my experience that day. The next time I was much less resistant to getting that far and I went into the gym for a little while. I sat in the sauna and then left. I played with my resistance. Soon, it felt so good to get to the gym. I still play with this resistance often, but it is easier. I have experienced enough of the reward of feeling good that it is more often that I do some yoga, go for a walk or get to the gym. I like to move my body and if I don't, I feel pain, so now I am more consistent. But I always use Beginner's Mind. It seems to release all that resistance!!
And whenever I find myself back in the resistance (it will happen!!), because I don't see it as failure, I just begin again, again and again and again. And that my friends, is life!!
Maria Rippo is a Transformational Healing & Wellness practitioner with an online as well as a local practice in Bothell, WA. She is an Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist and Holistic Coach working towards her Master's degree in Transpersonal Psychology, but mostly, she is a human trying to figure out how to navigate this thing called life. This article Copyright 2016 by Maria Rippo, all right reserved. To replicate or use any portion of this article, please do so in its entirety including this text or contact the author at maria@mariarippo.com.
Interested in working with me? Make a complimentary consultation appointment here http://www.mariarippo.com/book-an-appointment.html
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