Not Resisting Resistance

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NO RESISTIRSE A SENTIR RECHAZO
Por Peter Russell



El edificio donde solía dirigir mi grupo de meditación se encontraba en la misma calle que un parque de bomberos; estaba prácticamente garantizado que en algún momento durante la meditación uno de esos camiones pasaría a toda velocidad aullando con sus sirenas. Como cabía esperar, la gente tras la sesión se quejaba: “¿Cómo es posible meditar con ese ruido?”


¿Cuántas veces no habremos sentido algo parecido? Se supone que la mente únicamente puede entrar en silencio si todo lo de alrededor también está en silencio. Imaginamos que el lugar ideal para hacer meditación es aquel que está alejado del ruido: un espacio retirado en medio del bosque, una silenciosa capilla, o con suerte, la quietud de nuestra propia habitación. Y es que resulta mucho más difícil acallar la mente en un entorno donde hay ruido. ¿Es esto cierto?


Le sugerí al grupo que la próxima vez que un camión de bomberos irrumpiera metiendo bulla, dirigieran la mirada a su interior y comprobaran si en verdad ese sonido era tan molesto. Al acabar la siguiente sesión de meditación, una participante comentó que el ruido había dejado de ser un problema para ella; estaba ahí, pero no le molestaba. Se dio cuenta de que la perturbación no venía del ruido en sí, sino de desear que no estuviera.


Cuando “fluimos”, es decir, cuando aceptamos las cosas tal y como son experimentamos bienestar. Nuestra condición anímica natural es estar relajados y satisfechos. La insatisfacción aparece cuando nos resistimos a experimentar algo. El que se supone que es nuestro natural estado de bienestar queda velado tras un malestar que es auto provocado.


Por tanto, para regresar a un estado de ánimo más tranquilo habremos de soltar nuestra expectativa de cómo debería ser nuestra experiencia, y aceptarla tal y como es.


Cuando la gente escucha esto, a menudo hace esta pregunta: ¿quiere decir eso que debería tragar con la crueldad y la injusticia, o con que haya personas sin hogar durmiendo en las calles, o con la actitud obstinada de mi pareja? Por supuesto que no. Existen infinidad de situaciones que no debemos tolerar, y cada quien, a nuestra manera, estamos llamados a hacer lo que esté en nuestra mano para que el mundo mejore. “Aceptar nuestra experiencia tal y como se presenta” quiere decir solo eso: aceptar lo que estamos experimentando en cada momento. Si sentimos frustración, indignación o rabia, aceptar que la estamos sintiendo. No oponer resistencia ni desear que sea de otra manera, sino acoger la emoción con curiosidad.


E incluso mejor, podemos explorar el mismo hecho de experimentarla. La resistencia puede ser tan sutil que al principio no nos resulte fácil percibirla. Por eso a mí me parece útil simplemente detenernos y preguntarnos: “¿podría estar dándose un rechazo del que no soy consciente?”… y esperar pacientemente. Puede que entonces me percate de cierta frustración con respecto a mi experiencia, que esté deseando que sea diferente, o quizá simplemente note que algo en mi ser se tensa o se contrae. Entonces, en vez de centrar mi atención en lo que sea a lo que estuviera oponiendo resistencia, la coloco en la propia experiencia de oposición, y me abro a este aspecto de “lo que es”.


En vez de dividir el contenido de nuestra experiencia en dos partes – por una parte lo que nos sucede en el momento, y por otra, los pensamientos y juicios que aparecen con respecto a la misma – incluir ahora cualquier oposición que sintamos como parte integrante del momento presente. Si no me opongo a sentir que me estoy resistiendo, esa capa de malestar se disipa y regreso a un estado de ánimo más relajado y llevadero.


Eso es lo que para mí significa una mente serena. No quiere decir una mente vacía: seguimos siendo conscientes de lo que pasa a nuestro alrededor, tal y como lo éramos antes. Percibimos los sonidos, las sensaciones, los pensamientos y las emociones. Únicamente estamos permitiendo que nuestra experiencia sea exactamente como es. Sin desear que sea diferente ni crearnos un malestar innecesario.

_______________________________________________________

Peter Russell es académico en el Instituto de Ciencias Noéticas, en la Academia Internacional de Ciencias Empresariales y en la Fundación Findhorn; también es miembro honorario del Club de Budapest. Cursó la carrera de matemáticas y física teórica en la Universidad de Cambridge, Reino Unido. Después, su creciente fascinación por los misterios de la mente humana le llevó a volcar todo su interés en la psicología experimental, y esa fue la razón que le llevó a la India para realizar estudios sobre el fenómeno de la meditación y sobre filosofía oriental. A su regreso ocupó el primer puesto que se otorgó en Gran Bretaña para investigar la psicología de la meditación. Ha escrito varios libros sobre ese tema: “La Técnica de la MT” (meditación trascendental); “Los Upanishads”; “El Libro del Intelecto”; “La Inteligencia Planetaria Despierta”; “El Manager Creativo”; “La Revolución de la Consciencia”; “Despertar a tiempo”, y “La Ciencia que nos conduce hacia Dios”.
Seed Questions for Reflection

What does not resisting resistance mean to you? Can you share a personal experience of a time you gained insights by examining your own resistance? How do we reconcile being the change with non-resistance?

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21 Past Reflections
HU
huawei
Feb 9, 2021

This is a great re-mind-er. I also find it helpful to come back to breath and body sensation. This is like my bedrock. This way I can accept whatever is actually going on within my body and my mind. This helps break the habit of resistance, which when you think about it boils down to "wanting," wanting an experience or sensation to be like this and not like that, wanting someone to behave like this and not like that, etc. Don't want, just accept! Then you can look around, and see what it is that's truly calling out to be done...
TH
This Jun 13, 2023

This is a great re-mind-er. I also find it helpful to come back to breath and body sensation. This is like my bedrock. This way I can accept whatever is actually going on within my body and my mind. This helps break the habit of resistance, which when you think about it boils down to "wanting,"
ED
Emily Dawson
Mar 17, 2019
Your article has piqued a lot of positive interest. I can see why since you have done such a good job of making it interesting.
0-3 months
AS
asia2tv Feb 9, 2021
Your article has piqued a lot of positive interest. I can see why since you have done such a good job of making it interesting.
AJ
Dec 30, 2014

 I often find myself resisting things/people I shouldn't. On the other hand, I resist, resisting habits/circumstances/stuff I should!  

PE
Dec 30, 2014

This is a great re-mind-er. I also find it helpful to come back to breath and body sensation. This is like my bedrock. This way I can accept whatever is actually going on within my body and my mind. This helps break the habit of resistance, which when you think about it boils down to "wanting," wanting an experience or sensation to be like this and not like that, wanting someone to behave like this and not like that, etc. Don't want, just accept! Then you can look around, and see what it is that's truly calling out to be done...

RV
Dec 30, 2014

This resistance to existence? Is this the hallmark of our persistence? Perhaps we must simply flow with the go. Justice in motion, even poverty is karmic, does this one not know? Go about the day, let it not tarnish your glow. Ignorance we must resist, its tangled web makes our intellect insidiously slow. Throw down the gauntlet? If you do, make it a show! The storm leaves not a drop of rain in the cloud -- this is how gray skies come and go!
\V/
#OM #Namaste

SY
Dec 30, 2014
Wow, this "not resisting resistance" truly is serenity. The sirens during meditation reminds me of my internal chaos and my needing to escape my crushing negative consciousness. In fact I have only been meditating four years because meditation would make my nervous system tuned to a high pitch. When I tired to meditate my repressed unconscious impulses would erupt into my mind and in my body. I would become burning hot, sweating, and then the sewer ran out of my mouth. I instantaneously became fatigued, terribly confused, and racked with self-doubt. Everything became so complex and exhausting. Meditation would cause me to suddenly block all my feelings and it felt like life was being drained out of me. So I gave up on meditation many times, even from having any meaningful desires, because I did not want to hurt anymore. The chasm of inner darkness would open up inside, like a black hole draining life out of me. Meditation just became a source of torment and it felt like it was mocking... View full comment
MI
Dec 30, 2014

 Become the observer.

DE
Deepak Dec 30, 2014

 Thank you . Not resisting resistance for me acceptance of that moment knowing that this moment too shall pass . Change is the law of the Universe .

SW
Dec 30, 2014

Not resisting resistance means not getting mad at drivers who drive rudely or discourteously.  You go with your own flow and allow them to flow through without being upset by it :-).

BR
Dec 29, 2014
Suppose someone has a resistance to letting themselves be loved. They resist affection. If you compliment them, they dismiss it. In digging deeper within, such a person might find they have a resistance to intimacy and vulnerability. How do you approach this? You can just be with the struggle, and that is helpful, but better still is to understand that whatever you resist, you have a good reason for it. The resistance is really trying to help you. Rather than not resisting, SUPPORT the resistance. Not in the sense like "hell yeah, I don't need your love" but rather "I am keeping away from these feelings for good reason. For whatever reason I pull away from these moments and that is actually trying to protect some vulnerable part of me. I am grateful for that." Explore that which the resistance is protecting. Understand that the resistance is there to help you and my no longer be required [to a some degree]. Because you acknowledge and support the urge to resist, the need to resistance... View full comment
DD
Dec 28, 2014

Not resisting resistance means to not fight or deny resistance but be aware of it and in a nonjudgmental way let it happen.  It means to be detached from the resistance, not investing in it and not being distracted by it.  Learning to accept and stay with what I am experiencing is ongoing.  I'm not really very good at it.  I am easily distracted and captured by thoughts that keep coming in.  My insight is that I am easily busy in my head, often not good at being still, often not present.  My insight is that there is a stillness beneath my head busyness.  Letting my head busyness come and go without my getting caught up in it may be my reconciling being the change with non-resistance -- it's difficult for me.  Sometimes I'm not good at being where I am.  I struggled in writing this response -- I guess I struggle with not resisting resistance. 

KP
Dec 27, 2014

Resisting resistance means to allow whatever emotions or thoughts are arising within to arise. No judgment. In the past year when going through an episode of Depression I allowed myself to really feel the feelings, not run away from them (literally by running or going to the gym) but sat with my feelings and allowed them to wash over me while reminding myself nothing is permanent, so neither are these feelings. This too shall pass and all of that. Sitting there and feeling and observing the feelings and thoughts had a sort of cleansing effect as I also reminded myself of all the beautiful experiences I've had. But being able to sit with the feelings of sadness somehow had a release and freeing effect. I believe when we do not judge our emotions and instead simply feel them we can be released from them. I hope this makes sense. HUG.

CM
Cynthia McCarthy Dec 30, 2014

 It makes BIG sense, Kristin.  In resisting resistance we find perfect freedom!, as you said. Right action can then flow from that freedom.

PE
Peter Dec 30, 2014

 Yes, it makes sense. You truly cannot run away. Trying to run away will only result in more suffering and confusion. I think we've all been there. It is so good that you face reality and accept it. It is what it is, sensations and experiences arise, stay a while, and then pass away. The sensations and experiences are not YOU. Big hug back to you, Kristin!

JO
JoAnn Jan 4, 2015

 Thank you Kristin, so beautifully and clearly expressed. Your example of willingness and patience with your feelings/emotions is an inspiration to me in this moment. When we feel uncomfortable, it's not always easy to stay with the discomfort long enough to fully release. Hug to you!

SV
Dec 27, 2014

 During my 7 month journey I had decided to stay in the flow and allow emergence. At one point I met this person who started challenging my thoughts on right or wrong, good and bad, how to serve. I could see the resistance arising and an urge to defend was coming up. I resisted my resistance to allow the flow and observed that mind was also acknowledging truth in what he was sharing. As I started “seeing” and “allowing” I was able to accept the truth. I could also realize that whenever we are faced by anything that doesn’t fix in the framework of our mind resistance surfaces as a defense mechanism to uphold the “ego”. The practice that I follow whenever resistance arises is to ask the question what am I resisting. Change, or challenge? Through the answer looking at the truth in the situation and allowing emergence in the moment. The beauty is heart has already taken sides with truth so change becomes effortless.

RK
Rajasi Kulkarni Dec 29, 2014

 Beautifully put Sheetal ben! I think we don't realize what we are resisting change or challenge. If get into flow, we realize what we really are and what we want. Every change and challenge creates an opportunity to explore ourselves and broaden our own thoughts. And that learning really amazes me.

AB
Dec 26, 2014

 There is immense peace and power in accepting the world as is - that acceptance is not a sense of resignation but opens up a sense of possibilities, the starting point of which is the point of zero resistance.

Not resisting resistance itself is a beautiful 'meta' movement where you expand to include resistance itself in what you are not resisting...and there are loops like that which can go on and on....(like not resisting the resistance to resistance) and yet all it boils down to is total and deep acceptance (and accepting the acceptance).....wonder if that is the insight!:)

DO
Donna Dec 30, 2014

we were once told that if you are meditating and a fire engine goes by, it is the "bell of Buddha".  this has not only helped me be in the moment, but somehow expanded my practice.