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.
This tension pattern is referred to as Phase 3. It is the way that we physically get in the way of our own growth as a person. The tension is created by trying to live within the boundaries of who we are and what we think we can do. This keeps us experiencing life in a certain range and prevents us from going any further. When we start to leave the safety of our emotional comfort zone our body responds in the only way it knows how, with pain or discomfort. Our emotional barometer says, “too much!” and we go back to the range that we can tolerate. This is how we can get stuck both physically and emotionally.
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 sacrum and hips, our pelvis can move through a greater range of motion preventing us from getting stuck physically. Unlocking physical tension and increasing range of motion in your body can help you to become aware of emotional tension and restrictions.
“The only way to grow is to push beyond our own ease.” – Dr. Julie Doobay
Copyright Dr. Julie Doobay 2018
