Sources of Resistance

“I think that as we grow up, there are many experiences we have that leave an emotional memory on our internal organs and they stay there as old wounds, a little hurtful and a little sore. We don’t even know that we’re carrying them. I felt that there was a kind of block between the way I felt and my real self, like there was something unresolved.”

~Raquel Welch

Long-term patterns of thought and behavior are easy to miss in our everyday experiences when they have been occurring at a very low level, for a very long time.

And the sources of our creative thought can be weighted down by a source of resistance we either will not fully acknowledge, or have not discovered yet. That said, chances are, we all feel “the disconnect” or the block Raquel describes above at some time in our lives.

I'd like to talk about how accepting and recognizing resistance as a necessary part of life, can bring healing, growth, or at least a new perspective...

As a drummer, I have had a relationship with ‘movement’ for a very long time now. From the movement of the arms, hands and wrists for a single drum, to all parts of the body for a full drum kit. Over time, new approaches become more firmed rooted or embedded in “muscle memory.”

Approximately 12 years ago, I started running regularly. Not only did my level of fitness increase, but also my relationship with movement changed, and it literally felt freer and more powerful. Let’s just say rehearsals could go a lot longer with little to no exhaustion, so powerful and so freeing! It was like a ‘blocked artery’ that was flowing free again. My readiness to feed off of other musicians, and respond in the moment also increased. It was amazing. It also increased my ability to go into “the zone,” and establish new patterns through muscle memory. Let’s just say the change in my exercise routines changed my approach profoundly, and it gave me new perspective.

With not enough context around something that has been present in our emotional system for a long time, it is very difficult to imagine what life might be like without it there. We’re used to it, and for better or worse, we may even like it there, and are very unwilling to change it. Maybe that’s why it’s worth trying new things—even if you’re not sure about something internally. It might just give you that perspective, and that higher-level vantage point that you needed all along.

From a much closer point of view for me, I have been carrying patterns in my life, from relationship to relationship (in friendships AND partners) for a long time now. Looking for the patterns that keep occurring in the dynamics of multiple relationships across longer periods of time can be one of the most useful things to examine for long-term happiness, confidence, and the ability to navigate towards the best personal and professional choices for you. We seem to now live in a world that requires questioning, awareness, and integrity from a higher level—change in the world runs so deep. Our connection with these virtues was always there, but perhaps we have a need to be reacquainted with them?

Asking yourself, what is truly worth your attention can help loosen patterns of blocked resistance, and allow you to not only see things differently, but you’ll feel lighter and more “buoyant.”

Transcending limitations requires an open mind and a flexible heart, but most of all, it requires you to reconnect with you… Since we are always essentially changing, over the course of time, there will be things that define you, and that you may want to hold on to, and then there will be patterns and beliefs that probably no longer serve your best interests.

Keep an eye out for those that no longer serve you, and be thankful for the ones that give you passion, excitement and momentum for what you do. Remember that you’re allowed to change, and fuel those fires of creativity!!!

To round out this post, music is something I need to evaluate. There has been some resistance in there, and some blockages that I thought I flushed out. WelI, I am still fleshing it all out, but know I am ready for some new opportunities. Nothing feels quite right yet… but we’ll get it soon. After all, it takes a little time for new patterns to become engraved in muscle memory.

Happy spring everybody!

m