The Opposite of Allowing? It’s Not Only ‘Doing’

The Opposite of Allowing? It's Not Only 'Doing'

A few days ago, I went to yoga for the first time in quite a while. What I noticed was just how much tension I’d been holding in my muscles. It got me thinking about the idea of allowing, and what the opposite of allowing really is in the flow of life.

We often think of the opposite of allowing as ‘pushing’, ‘striving’, ‘doing’, ‘making things happen’. What I realised is that the opposite of allowing can also be holding.

What are we holding onto?
Holding tension in the body.
Holding onto old ideas, habitual ways of being, relationships, expectations, or patterns that no longer serve us.

This doesn’t mean giving up on action or letting go of the things that genuinely support us. Rather, it’s about bringing conscious awareness to what we’re doing, what we’re holding, and what we’re allowing — so that we can consciously choose.

Moving past the default
So much of life runs on autopilot. We operate from familiar patterns, defaults, and old ways of thinking. Shifting these patterns can feel uncomfortable at times. Yet there is also relief in allowing. Relief in softening. Relief in letting go.

My muscles certainly appreciated it.

And beyond the yoga class, I’ve noticed the space this creates in life, even if the in-between space of uncertainty and not knowing can sometimes feel uncomfortable too.

A question for you to reflect on this week:
What are you holding onto?

Bring it into your conscious awareness. Notice whether it truly serves you to continue holding it. If it does, honour that. If it doesn’t, what might it look like to release it?

What becomes possible when you create space for the thoughts, beliefs, patterns, and experiences that genuinely support who you are becoming?

Perhaps this week offers an opportunity to become a little more conscious of what is being held — and what is ready to shift.

Warmly,

Laurenne

Laurenne Di Salvo
Coach (PCC) | Clinical Hypnotherapist | Facilitator
0413 776564
www.harvestcoaching.com.au

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