The Antidote to Resistance

Acceptance isn’t always easy. The practice of acceptance is like a mirror, showing you where healing is most needed. The opposite of acceptance is resistance. 
As the saying goes, what you resist, persists. What that means is, the more you resist something, the more it hangs around. Acceptance is like a key, letting you pass through to the other side of your struggle. 
Below I have a couple quick tips for handling Resistance when it comes up in your Acceptance practice. 
Q. I don’t like my [feet, belly, nose, etc]. How can I accept something I don’t like? 

1. Forcing or faking ‘acceptance’ will cause tension as you distort a part of yourself. Instead, allow yourself to not accept. For example, you can say, “I accept that I do not accept my belly at this time.” By adding “at this time” you leave the door open for your own evolution and healing. 

Q. I get distracted and can’t complete the Acceptance of the Body Meditation

1. Try changing it up: 

• Go a little faster. 
• Go a little slower, really letting your mind settle on the body part you are invoking. 
• Start at your head and move down. 
• Get more detailed. 
• Or get less detailed. 
• Accept your distractedness!

Q. I don’t want to accept/I can’t accept. 

• Accept that you do not want to accept. Accept that you are not ready to accept. The easiest action to take when you resist accepting is to simply accept that you cannot accept. Accept your resistance. 

Acceptance is a practice. The practice of acceptance shows you where there is room to heal when you bump up against resistance. See resistance as a kind of flashlight, shedding light on where healing is needed. But don’t rush the healing. If you can simply accept where you are at in this moment, you are moving forward in a positive way.