Releasing Resistance
“Most rarely align with their true power, because it seems illogical to them that there is power in relaxation, in letting go, or in love or joy or bliss. Most people do not understand that their true power lies in releasing resistance which is the only obstacle to their true power.”
Abraham
Last night I taught a yoga class that focused on releasing resistance. This is an important theme for yoga as we are releasing resistance from not only our physical system (toxins, aches, pains) but also from psychological toxins and negative emotions. Yoga helps us to find those areas that have resistance and through gentle breathing stretch the area and peacefully let it go.
Once we release this resistance we gain more freedom. Freedom in the body, freedom in the mind and freedom in the soul.
I found this really beneficial video on youtube from Author Steven Pressfield (and Oprah Winfrey) who says resistance is a “negative force that arises whenever we try to move from a lower level to a higher level.” In fact, he says resistance has a list of greatest hits. He discusses what activities most commonly elicit resistance, and why.
I also found this informative blogpost from Tinybuddha which discusses 5 ways to let go of resistance:
Meditation is another great tool for helping to release resistance. By turning inwards and listening to our inner self we can release stress and worry of all kinds. So much of our stress comes from the outside world, therefore by focusing inside we can find our ‘inner sanctuary’ and try to transcend to the stillness which lies within each and every one of us. Thoughts may (and most likely will) come up. The skill is to watch these thoughts as the observer and realise we are not the thoughts. Then with this awareness we can begin to change negative thought patterns, increasing our well being on every level.
