Exploring Resistance Through Yin Yoga and Mindfulness

It’s mid-January and I find myself in sunny Andalucía with my mum, one more week here, between the mountains and the sea, before I embark on a journey by train back to London.

I’ll be honest: I feel so much resistance to leaving. Resistance comes up strongly for me in many areas of my life, resistance to the cold weather, to Christmas, to people, to my meditation practice, to healthy habits, to admin, to work, to routine… even resistance to my resistance itself. I often find myself asking: what is all this resistance about?

This afternoon I noticed that familiar “not liking” arise. Instead of getting carried away by it, I turned my attention to my breath and to the feelings beneath the thinking. Simply feeling the breath and the sensations in my body was surprisingly pleasant and almost by magic, some of the resistance softened.

I’d like this to become a more regular practice for me: noticing when and where resistance shows up, and gently leaning into the discomfort, little by little. It’s not an easy one for me.

One way I find helpful to explore this is through slow Yin practice, where we can pay close attention to areas of discomfort or holding, simply breathing and allowing everything to be present. Perhaps January, then, is about softening resistance.

I look forward to seeing you on the mat soon for a Restore, Mindfulness Meditation or Elders practice.

Eve x