Resistance... your intuition in disguise
A not so subtle invitation for more integration
Resistance is your intuition in disguise, whispering not so subtly: more integration is needed before you can move forward. It is your intuition pointing at your blind spots and inner conflicts. It is your intuition pointing at the aspects of you that need to be integrated so that you can have more clarity and move forward with a unified intention.
I’ve created many “shadow careers” for myself when I was in resistance to my true calling.
I’ve been a chef, a gym owner, a health and fitness coach, a network marketer, a social media manager and so much more… until my resistance got me physically sick.
If you are wondering what I mean by shadow career, It’s a job you settle for as a way to avoid what your heart truly invites you to do. I have many of those under my belt.
How did my resistance got me sick? A lingering depression that stayed for years. Recurring anxiety attacks. Sudden asthma symptoms and shortness of breath that stayed with me for nearly two years.
Disclaimer: Am I saying that if you are experiencing some of these, then it has to be attributed to some sort of resistance? Of course not. That was just my experience. It is also increasingly becoming common knowledge that repressed emotions have very tangible physical consequences.
How do I know these setbacks were caused by my deep resistance, because when I embraced the integrative work I needed to resolve emotional conflicts, illuminate shadow material and dissolve the fragmentation I was carrying, all these ailments went away within a couple months.
What will follow will sound spiritually incorrect to many… especially if you’ve been a part of circles where resistance is demonized. Yet it has never felt more true for me.
Resistance is your intuition in disguise, whispering not so subtly: more integration is needed before you can move forward. It is your intuition pointing at your blind spots and inner conflicts. It is your intuition pointing at the aspects of you that need to be integrated so that you can have more clarity and move forward with a unified intention.
Back then, if you had told me that my resistance was my intuition in disguise, I am not sure that I would’ve been able to receive it fully. But you know what they say… hindsight is 20/20?
What was my intuition inviting me to become aware of through the resistance? That I was off track… That I was still carrying a lot of anger, resentment and shame in my body from past “failures”… that I was still attempting to achieve a version of success that I thought my family of origin would understand, even though it wasn’t aligned for me… The list is long.
I assume you may have heard countless times: “stop resisting” or “just let go of resistance”. You may even have felt shame around your resistance.
And as much as there might be situations where listening to such advice could be just the pep talk you need… I think in most situations, it is not that helpful.
Your resistance needs to be romanced so that you can receive the hidden wisdom that hides in the dark corners of your psyche.
Your resistance is symptomatic of an inner divide that needs to be bridged.
What keeps you stuck is not your resistance. What keeps you stuck is resisting your resistance.
8 prompts to help you illuminate your resistance…
Complete these sentences in the most spontaneous way possible:
I experience the highest degrees of resistance when I have to…
That resistance manifests itself as…
When I bring my awareness to my body as I experience that resistance I feel…
The longer I stay in touch with these feelings of resistance, what comes to my awareness is…
If that resistance could speak it would say…
The aspects of me that I need to befriend in order to resolve this resistance are…
The unmet needs I am becoming aware of as I explore my resistance are…
One small way I can begin to take responsibility for these needs is…
These inquiries can bring to your awareness the hidden wisdom beneath your resistance.
What comes up for you as you explore these prompts? I hope you can share with us in the comment section below.
Your resistance to being SEEN
One of the areas where we experience resistance the most is when it comes to being seen authentically.
Most people will even assume that they are afraid of being seen.
In my experience, being seen is your first nature.
It is not something you fear. It is something you crave. It is something your soul wants to return to.
What you fear instead is the potential of experiencing humiliation, alienation, loss or persecution as a result of allowing yourself to be seen.
Your resistance to being seen is an invitation to dissolve these fears and the hidden forces that cause you to hide, so that you may be unapologetically expressed.
Doing that work is what allowed me to show up for my calling in the ways I do today.
There is a blueprint to it. And that blueprint is something I’d like to share with you.
I designed a 6-week journey to do just that… to help you shift from repressed to unapologetically expressed.
Find more details HERE and save your spot.
In gratitude and reverence.
— Xavier
Love this. Those prompts are great- going to share my responses in therapy. With gratitude - Lauren
I saw a Caroline Myss quote recently, "Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one that is going to require the most from you. Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live it?”
I'd include that the fear (aka resistance) is actually a sign you're going in the right direction!
It's almost like the the resistance is the initiation we need to do what our soul craves. It's a friend, not a foe.
Thanks Xavier for another provoking post!