11/26/2021
Like the moon and the tides, resistance and growth are intertwined.
To this day we still face our own resistance in yoga and in life. Sometimes it is a drag to get to the mat or to get up in front of the room and teach. Ironically, we’ve found that the days with the most resistance usually lead us to the biggest breakthroughs.
Resistance can be a great teacher. It exposes our state of mind and being - our fears, attachments and limiting beliefs. Then it’s up to us to choose whether to keep our existing thought patterns alive or expose them to the light to be dissolved.
In yoga practice, we use the postures to open up the body to reveal pockets of resistance in the body. The key is to face the resistance without fighting it. If we ignore it - it will continue to keep us stuck beneath the surface.
Remember - you can try as hard as you like to find ways to more around the blocks in the path, but the thing that blocks the path IS our path.
In a real way, yoga teaches us how the mind and body affect each other. We store emotional tension in our musculature. Our muscles and joints can actually hold on to memories of past trauma and tension.
As our teacher Baron says, “The key to working through your resistance is always a radical inner surrender, a calm determination, and a commitment to letting go.”
In yoga, we will inevitably encounter all kinds of resistance - resistance in the tissues, resistance in the mind, resistance to practicing, resistance to teaching, and resistance to transforming our lifestyle and daily habits that impede growth.
Remember - anytime you feel stuck, look for what is blocking you. Your blind spots will reveal the path you need to take to move forward in your practice and life.