Is A Block Always A Block…Or Is It A Clue?

by Jamie Durner

An important part of exploring blocks is to evaluate whether it is it really a piece of resistance or is it a clue.  Sometimes what you see or think of as a block or a problem can actually be your BodyMind trying to get your attention.  What you are seeing as resistance might be a piece of information or awareness that your inner wisdom is trying to communicate with you.

As I mentioned in my article, “7 Steps to Clear Your Blocks,” an important part of the process of clearing blocks is moving into the space of being a curious explorer.  When you let go of what you think you know and how you perceive something, you open yourself to discovery and expansion.  To answer the question of whether a block is a block, you need to engage your open, curious explorer mind.

The BodyMind has an innate wisdom that is doing its best to keep us in balance, in the path of health and harmony for that is its natural state of being.  When we move out of that state of balance, the BodyMind tries to cue us, to give us information that we have moved off the right path.  Because the physical body is the easiest, most tangible way for us to see, feel and receive messages, the BodyMind’s cues often show up as physical symptoms.  If we ignore or don’t understand these messages, they usually get louder and more problematic.

I used to think that resistance was my mind playing control games with my inner wisdom.  And I do think that happens at times.  But I have more often discovered that underneath that resistance can be messages from my inner wisdom letting me know that it is really my mind creating an unrealistic expectation.  My “resistance” can be my inner wisdom telling me that something isn’t lining up right, that something I’m trying to do is out of balance.

Here’s an example. After doing my yoga teacher training, in which I was told it is ideal to do yoga and meditation each day between 4-6:30 am, I begin to feel a struggle with waking and sleeping   On one hand, I know that I feel great when I get up and do my yoga in the morning and by getting up I usually do a longer amount and am more consistent.  However, I am also a supreme “doer” during the day, both because that is my nature and also because I am a working mother with a lot in my life.  The external expectation of when I “had” to do my yoga felt like another “to-do” expectation on my already long list of priorities.

I struggled for a good year with the expectation on one hand and my resistance on the other.  Finally, I realized that what I perceived as resistance was actually my inner wisdom speaking to me.  Although the structure of early morning yoga serves me well on the ideal level, I realized that the daily expectation doesn’t honor the changing needs of my energies and my life in every moment.  In letting go of the daily expectation, I was able to come back to my yoga with a free heart and actually practice more effectively.  And, I even get up a bit more in those early hours because I want to, not because I have to.

©Jamie Durner, 2009

Jamie Durner, BodyMind Coach™ and workshop facilitator, holds multiple certifications across the health and wellness disciplines including Nationally Certified Massage Therapist, Registered Kundalini Yoga Teacher, and Associate Credentialed Coach. She is the creator of the Healing and Harmony from the Inside Out program and publishes “Healing and Harmony” monthly Ezine with easy-to-use, FREE tips to move beyond the pain and discomfort in your body and your life…sign up now at www.jamiedurner.com.  And she is one of the Expert Authors for HealthyWomanGuide.com.