how do you like to work with resistance? process of change/getting "uncomfortable"

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how do you like to work with resistance? process of change/getting "uncomfortable"

moonsun
I'm curious how other people handle their mind and body's reactions to resistance

I loved the reprogramming class in Dec/Jan, the mental chatter created when we do new things.

I came across dr nicole holistic psychologist's post on mental resistance and I appreciated what she said about homeostatic response to change and confusing it with intuition

"This homeostatic cycle releases stress hormones into a body that has become dependent on them. Some people confuse the mental resistance to intuition. It is not. Intuition is an inner knowing and it would not bring you to a shame cycle afterwards."https://www.instagram.com/p/BxZvPcIA5aE/

I googled it more and came up on this great article "homeostasis and why we backslide" https://fs.blog/2016/06/why-do-we-backslide-on-our-goals/

"Let’s say, for instance, that for the last twenty years—ever since high school, in fact—you’ve been almost entirely sedentary. Now most of your friends are working out, and you figure that if you can’t beat the fitness revolution, you’ll join it. Buying the tights and running shoes is fun, and so are the first few steps as you start jogging on the high school track near your house. Then, about a third of the way around the first lap, something terrible happens. Maybe you’re suddenly sick to your stomach. Maybe you’re dizzy. Maybe there’s a strange, panicky feeling in your chest. Maybe you’re going to die. No, you’re going to die.

What’s more, the particular sensations you’re feeling probably aren’t significant in themselves. What you’re really getting is a homeostatic alarm signal—bells clanging, lights flashing. Warning! Warning!  Significant changes in respiration, heart rate, metabolism. Whatever you’re doing, stop doing it immediately. Homeostasis, remember, doesn’t distinguish between what you would call change for the better and change for the worse. It resists all change. After twenty years without exercise, your body regards a sedentary style of life as “normal”; the beginning of a change for the better is interpreted as a threat. So you walk slowly back to your car, figuring you’ll look around for some other revolution to join."



I study feldenkrais which is about finding ease in movement, it's very opposite the idea of pushing your limits, it's about what you can do with little effort as possible--it's very zen and brings so much postural alignment, and reminds me a lot of "I don't believe in hard work" taoist approach of finding the flow and ease within the work

But when I read things like the above, I see myself in that and I've experienced it. And then I didn't make the change because it did feel hard, overcoming it felt hard. Hearing someone say intuition is an inner knowing and won't bring shame opened my eyes, because I've blamed resistance on my intuition--when it was just resistance--oh well, this isn't for me because it felt hard.


What are your thoughts on resistance? when things feel hard?
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Re: how do you like to work with resistance? process of change/getting "uncomfortable"

Tiffany
First I’d like to say thank you for both of your sources on homeostasis. This whole thing is currently a challenge for me - something I’m working on. I usually give up at the first signs of resistance when I’m trying to make a healthy change or reprogram (for example I’m trying to fast from social media during Ramadan and sometimes throughout the day that I’m used to checking it my brain makes up all these excuses as to why I should mindlessly scroll).

I’m going to continue to work on my “changes for the better” because I know eventually it will be a part of my homeostasis
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Re: how do you like to work with resistance? process of change/getting "uncomfortable"

moonsun
In reply to this post by moonsun
I just want to reply back to my own question with the insight I got this month, in case anyone else wonders

Moving with the flow is incredible.

the best example for myself was: hearing resistant mind chatter about not wanting to swim and overcoming it anyway by jump off the diving board into fully submerged water vs hearing resistant mind chatter about not wanting to swim and finding the present path of least resistance, oh I'll just put my toes in, playing and suddenly finding you've swam to the deep end and are now fully submerged. one creates tension in the body, one creates ease and flow.

I see and understand. I love Feldenkrais, I used to lovingly call it yoga for lazy people, it's all about doing as little as you possibly can, but as consciously as you possibly can, and by posing this question to the message board and my guides last month, the universe brought me so many examples, and learning to apply it to daily life has changed me considerably and the way I think about change, and I am SO grateful for Maryam for being an advocate and voice of ease

thank you
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Re: how do you like to work with resistance? process of change/getting "uncomfortable"

Tiffany
Beautiful words