This past week I seem to be hearing a lot of this word which also happens to be a word my chiropractor often uses to offer perspective to those aches and pains that show up in my body at times 🙃
Disruption!
He tells me how we can have these patterns of coping and adaptations that we hold in place for years in our bodies and don’t recognize the way it is impacting our posture, the way we stand/sit (hunched shoulders?), the way we walk and also the way we think.
And consequently, the beliefs that result from these adaptations.
So, how do we change that?
The first step is disrupting the pattern that has held the belief, the ache or pain in place to allow for space where change can occur.
Small Change – Big Shift 🚶♀️
The small changes prescription I received from my chiro was to Breathe deeper and Walk more! (And a few exercises to move my lymph…but that’s a story for another day!)
Needless to say, just these few pieces of awareness changed so much for me in a span of few days.I felt my body becoming lighter and freeeer, I could go back to doing what I enjoyed as well as work at my desk without feeling all achy.
But Why am I talking about this here??
Well, when we are moving through a healing process and looking for that lasting change or breakthrough, what we really are looking for is alignment.
Alignment to who we are so we show up in joy and authenticity, without too many achy muscles!
There is a common belief that healing means an instant shift in clarity, reaching a Zen like state and life suddenly becomes a picture of joy and deep peace.
Eventually that is where the path takes, but it is not possible to construct a brand-new house on the same plot without demolishing the old one!
The demolishing-disrupting process is the hardest, to become aware of what needs changing in the first place, to find a way to acknowledge and accept it.
Letting go of old beliefs and practices, making space for new approaches takes time, effort, and an open mind.
But still worth it.
At the same time, falling back unconsciously into old patterns does not make us wrong – it only shows that we are beautifully HUMAN.
Who doesn’t love the safety of the familiar 😉.
Familiarity offers us a sense of control.
Sometimes old, default habits are re-triggered so we get a chance to find out what is it that we really need instead.
The next time you wrestle with an old habit, try witnessing it with a huge dose of self-compassion – “I see you old habit/pattern, thank you for keeping me safe”.
I hope this offers you perspective and a knowing that being human is all part of the process.