Ever feel like your progress is stuck in quicksand?
As someone in tune with your wellness, you know inner resistance is a subtle yet powerful force that can derail your path. A silent force stopping you from growing and discovering new things about yourself.
In this post, you'll learn the 4 common signs and 3 powerful ways to spot your inner resistance.
By understanding what this resistance feels like and learning how to beat it, you’ll find new ways to feel free and more expansive.
Break Free: Understand and Shift Inner Resistance
Inner resistance is the internal struggle that prevents you from taking necessary actions towards personal goals, often manifesting as procrastination, self-doubt, or anxiety. It is a mental barrier that hinders progress and self-improvement.
Understanding and tackling it is SO important. Why? Because when you face these internal barriers head-on, you can break free from the limits you set for yourself.
So, how do you grab this opportunity and really thrive?
Photo by Mitchell Griest on Unsplash
Unveiling the 4 Common Signs of Resistance
- Procrastination - You keep putting off those important tasks, even though you know they’re crucial for your progress.
- Self-Doubt - You’re constantly questioning your abilities.
- Anxiety - You feel overwhelmed or anxious about moving forward with your goals.
- Avoidance Behaviors - You find excuses or distractions to avoid taking action.
That’s What Inner Resistace Feels Like
Inner resistance often shows up in your daily life through missed opportunities, unfulfilled potential, and a constant feeling of being stuck.
It’s kind of like trying to drive with the parking brake on. You’re moving, but it’s a struggle. And it's frustrating.
You ask yourself “What am I avoiding?”... “What is it about this situation that I can’t understand?”. Then, a knowing feeling starts to come forward, and the answer begins to form in your mind.
But suddenly—CUT! Your mind goes blank. Your thoughts completely stop. You can’t even remember the question you just asked yourself. That’s inner resistance.
3 Powerful Ways to Spot Resistance
- Self-Reflection Techniques - Spend some time each day thinking about your thoughts and actions. Ask yourself, “What am I avoiding? Why am I feeling anxious about this task?”
- Journaling Prompts - Write about your fears and doubts. Questions like “What am I afraid will happen if I succeed?” can help you figure out why you’re resisting.
- Mindfulness and Meditation - Practice being mindful to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. Meditation can help you observe your inner resistance without judging yourself and gain clarity on how to tackle it.
Beating Resistance with Bodywork
Imagine your nervous system as a mirror reflecting your inner state. When you tense and resist, this mirror becomes foggy, making it hard to see yourself clearly. CST clears the fog. It can help you see yourself better and move forward with confidence.
There’s also this thing called Somatoemotional Release (SER). It can be part of CST. It's a therapeutic process that works with the body’s fascial system to release stored emotions.
According to the acclaimed "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk, your body can store emotional experiences within the fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles, bones, and organs.
And these emotional signatures can manifest as physical restrictions and pain.
By addressing fascial restrictions; and the emotional content they hold, SER helps you process past traumas. This allows healing to take place.
Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash
My Personal Journey with Resistance, CST & SER
Overcoming resistance often means facing the emotional baggage stored in your body.
For me...it was a constant tightness in my shoulders that no amount of stretching or massage could relieve. It wasn't until my training in CST and SER that I realised these knots were tied to old anxieties and fears.
During one of my first sessions, I felt a wave of physical sensation start to surface. Heat began to show at my palms. An immense sense of positive force vibrating. It was like my body was dynamically and yet somehow gently letting go of years of stress and worry.
But it didn't stop there.
Each time, I was guided to a hidden signature stored in my fascia, revealing past fears I had long buried.
It shows up differently for everybody. I’m very attuned to my senses because of the practices I’ve been cultivating over so many years. So for me, emotional signatures are expressed mostly physically through sensation.
Laughter, crying, heat, cold, tension, sound, and visuals. These are some of the various encounters of therapeutic chemistries that are released in your body. I see it every day in the clinic. And it’s so freeing to feel but also to witness in my clients.
I digress…back to the story and the point.
Over multiple sessions, it helped me uncover deeper layers of resistance. I began to understand exactly where my resistance lay and how it held me back.
The Path of Least Resistance
It’s not an easy path, but with each session, the weight lifts, and you feel more liberated.
With SER I learned that by addressing these deeply embedded emotions, I could break free from the invisible chains holding me back. And actually, overcome this resistance within me.
The process showed me that your body really does remember, and by listening to it, you can find the path to genuine healing and growth.
The Truth about Craniosacral Therapy
Clarifying Misconceptions: Some people think CST is like energy work, but it’s actually based on the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system. It involves gentle physical manipulation, not energy healing.
Historical Context: CST has been around since the early 1900s but hasn’t become as well-known as other therapies. Dr John Upledger developed it more in the 1970s, bringing it into modern practice, but it’s only now starting to gain widespread recognition.
Challenges in Acceptance: Alternative therapies often face scepticism from doctors and the public. Misunderstandings about CST being energy work also contribute to its limited awareness.
Growing Interest: Despite these challenges, interest in CST is growing. A 2023 study found that 70% of participants reported reduced stress and improved well-being after CST sessions, showing its potential benefits.
The Takeaway
Inner resistance often shows up as procrastination, self-doubt, or anxiety as the things that hold you back from reaching your full potential.
When you understand what’s holding you back, you can start finding ways to overcome it, break free from limitations, and seize all the awe-inspiring opportunities waiting for you.
You were born into this life with a purpose. To transcend your limitations and inspire the spark of true individuality. Within you lies an enormous, natural-born strength that can transform obstacles into stepping stones and dreams into reality.
Let your life's ride be proof of the incredible capacity you have to evolve and inspire.