Understanding Emotional Resistance in Mindfulness

Emotional resistance can make it really hard to practice mindfulness, which helps us heal and manage our feelings.

So, what is emotional resistance? It's when we avoid or push away uncomfortable feelings instead of facing them. Mindfulness teaches us to notice and accept our thoughts and emotions without judging them. But sometimes, emotional resistance gets in the way of this important practice.

How Emotional Resistance Shows Up

First, emotional resistance can cause us to think about our emotions in a twisted way. For example, someone might think, “If I feel sad, that means I'm weak.” This way of thinking makes it hard to explore our feelings, which is important for healing. When we don't allow ourselves to feel, we don’t truly practice mindfulness. Accepting our emotions is a big part of mindfulness—it helps us understand what’s really going on inside us.

Second, when we resist our emotions, our bodies can react strongly. We might feel stressed or anxious. Our heart can race, we might breathe quickly, and our muscles can tense up. These feelings can make us feel so overwhelmed that we can't stay focused on the moment. Instead of being calm and aware, we get lost in our thoughts, which can make our emotional struggles worse. Mindfulness is about bringing our thoughts, feelings, and body together, but emotional resistance can break that connection.

Third, emotional resistance can lead us to judge ourselves. For instance, if we struggle with mindfulness, we might get down on ourselves. This negativity can lower our confidence and make it hard to try again. Rather than being gentle with ourselves during tough times, we might feel ashamed. When we see mindfulness as a failure instead of a chance to grow, it becomes hard to keep practicing.

Moreover, emotional resistance can act like a shield. People might avoid their painful feelings to feel safe, but this actually stops them from fixing the real causes of their pain. Instead of using mindfulness to help process these emotions, they get stuck in a loop, where unresolved issues just keep getting worse.

Another big issue is that people can misunderstand what mindfulness is about. Some might expect quick fixes for their emotional pain. When those expectations aren't met because of their resistance, they feel even more frustrated and inadequate. Mindfulness is actually a slow journey where we learn a lot along the way. But when people resist that process, they might end up harming their own healing.

Finding a Way Through Emotional Resistance

To deal with emotional resistance, it’s important to be kind to ourselves and patient. Practicing mindfulness should be seen as a skill we build over time. Mistakes are part of learning. It can also help to use other strategies, like cognitive behavioral techniques, which can help us understand and accept our emotions better.

In the end, while emotional resistance can really get in the way of mindfulness, knowing and understanding it can help us practice better. By facing and working through our resistance, we can enhance our ability to manage emotions and heal through mindfulness.