We all have that little voice in our heads. The one that tells us what we can or can’t do. We are so accustomed to hearing this voice that often the story it tells us gets mistaken for truth. And that story you have been telling us determines what you believe is possible for you (or not). Yes, what has happened to date has resulted in where you are right now, but it does not dictate where you have to stay. If you want something different for your life you cannot continue to tell yourself that same story.
Our emotions are the driving force behind everything we do. If the story you tell yourself about your life leaves you feeling like things could be better, then this is not the story you should be listening to! Tell a different story, one that softens the discomfort and brings you ease. Close your eyes and imagine how you would feel if you had what you were wanting. Take a deep breath and appreciate how good it feels to imagine what it will be like, even if you can hold that feeling for only a brief second. Being able to see beyond the way that things are, even momentarily, gives birth to hope.
Dr Joe Dispenza says “any time we’re recycling one of our favorite stories – about ourselves; about someone else; about the way we grew up with our parents and siblings; about our history with illness, trauma, or the ways we were wronged – what we’re really seeking to do is fuel the emotions we associate with those stories and memories. You might not even be aware of how you reacted in those moments. But your body probably had you programmed to behave the exact same way you did the last time you encountered the exact same emotions. And the more the body becomes habituated to those feelings, the more it craves them. As long as your response to the same circumstances stays the same, you stay the same. And so does your health. And your life.”
These stories that we tell ourselves both affect the way we feel and shape what we believe to be possible for our lives. The choices we make, and the opportunities we take, are all in response to our story. As a result, your life is unfolding in accordance with what you allow yourself to believe to be possible.
From childhood, a story begins to form based on things that were said to us by our parents, relatives, teachers and friends. The story is further supported and ingrained into our memory as we experience life. Beliefs about what we “can” or “cannot do” are constructed around our story of how we experience the world.
Our identity – or sense of “self” – is governed by a set of rules that we are either taught or develop on our own of what is right or wrong, good or bad, and what we are capable of. These rules get embedded into the story that continues to replay in our mind. As we encounter new situations, our unconscious mind reminds us of what we “should” or “can” do. Sometimes these rules do indeed keep us safe. For example, it’s probably best not to run a red light. But many rules, particularly the self-imposed rules, may be holding us back from taking action or even recognizing possibilities.
Staying within the emotional range that we are comfortable with also places physical restrictions within our body. The way that we hold ourselves physically can reflect our internal decisions to hold on to what is safe. Dr. Donald Epstein, the founder of Network Spinal Analysis (NSA), found that the pelvis is the seat of the identity and the foundation upon which we build who we think we are. When we are locked into a narrow range of what we are capable of or who we are, we lock this tension into our pelvis. When life starts to challenge who we think we are and what we are capable of we can experience pain in the low back, hips or pelvis.
At BodyMind Wellness Studio, we believe that what is going on with your body is a reflection of what is going on in your life. When tension is released from the body, we are better able to move through a greater physical range of motion. Releasing the hold we place within our body can also allow us to become aware of how tightly we have been holding on to some stories.
“The only way to grow is to push beyond our own ease.” – Dr. Julie Doobay
Copyright Dr. Julie Doobay 2024
