Frome Valley Osteopaths

A personal story….

In the last few weeks I have started a programme with a personal trainer, and started an embodiment course. I have been very excited about both, a  new focus was needed. Both, the PT and the course leader have talked about barriers. Barriers to training and barriers to learning, these are barriers of our own making, rather than things like resources including money, which can be a significant barriers for people. All this chat about barriers got me thinking and reflecting.

Jack who is the PT (and awesome, will add a link at the end), asked what my barriers to training have been, why have I not been able to do the things I want to do on my own, why do I need support in this, what might make this hard? Initially I was pretty sure that my barriers had been my health (That’s been up and down for a long time) and a lack of knowledge around proper nutrition to support recovery… now, both of these things were true, and the information about nutrition has made things a whole lot easier.

However, as it got closer to the time of actually doing some exercise, I noticed my anxiety levels peak. I noticed all the layers that the barrier around my health brought up, the fear and bodily stress response, I noticed that my previous unhealthy experiences around training were coming up, some experiences from the last year were coming up. I noticed my fear of not completing it, of messing up and not finishing something that I really care about.. claiming back my physical fitness. I noticed that fear and anxiety had been a big unconscious barrier too.

How many of us don’t start something new, the couch to 5K programme, a commitment to eating better or stretching each day, because deep down we are afraid we will fail, not complete it, we are so scared that we won’t be able to bare how the failing at it will make us feel, that we don’t even start. And even if we do fail, is it really the end of the world? Can’t we just try again… 

Right at the start of the embodiment course, the teachers discussed our barriers to learning, they described them as trolls, things in us, that will get in the way of us getting the most from this course. Now for some people this could be that they have an attitude of knowing it all already, an arrogance, a way of being that means they don’t often hear the new information that might be there, even if they are very experienced. For some people their barrier to learning may be their perfectionism, they have to know it all now, they can’t get it wrong, so desperate to know it all that they can’t relax and be open to hearing the bits meant for them. They may compare themselves to others and work so hard that they burn out.

I noticed my own barriers to learning included not wanting to be seen, a pattern of not really wanting to speak up or be noticed, I noticed myself thinking that I don’t have a lot to offer, I can’t take myself or what I have to bring too seriously, so I just won’t speak up. This can mean that I don’t fully show up, I don’t engage in a way that means I will get the most from the course etc.

Now why is noticing our barriers to anything important?? They are certainly not then something you should beat yourself up about, we are all human and we all have these things. I am OK with all of my barriers, I am aware of them and there is huge power in that. As one of my embodiment teachers has said, with awareness comes choice, I am aware of these things about myself, even though they are painful to look at, so now I have the choice to work on changing them. Do I want to be someone so scared of failing, or scared of my own potential, that I never run or go to the gym again, or shut down and don’t share myself, hell no!

So next time you hear yourself talk about not having time, or whatever the reason might be, not to do the thing for your health, that you know you need to do. Look deeper, what is under there, is it fear of damaging yourself, fear of failure, fear of looking like a fool.. what’s under there, and do you want that to be your story, do you want to be that person.

Small consistent changes towards health are a far better way to start, than trying to spin your life on its axis to create big change. Turn up at your yoga matt for 5 minutes a day and see where that goes, go outside everyday for 10 minutes and see where that goes, drink enough water each day and see where that goes, read a bedtime story to your child every night and see where that goes, meditate for 10 minutes a day and see where that goes. Start small and build on it, one step at a time to become who you really want to be, with no bullying yourself in the process, but absolutely with gently holding yourself accountable. Get support if you need it, someone to help, a friend, a coach, me, Siân or Becca.

I’m really not 100% sure if I wrote this for you guys, or to get some things straight in my own head 🙂 but I hope it’s helpful for someone, and I hope you know you can always bring your goals to us. Have a think, what are your barriers to health, or barriers to anything for that matter. We are here to support a goal to walk up the stairs ache free just as much a goal to run a marathon, we are here for it. We are here to help you notice and address your own barriers to health. And I promise to show up fully in clinic, to bring all I have to offer.

Lauren Manning BSc Hons Ost

A link to Jacks website: http://www.jackedpersonaltraining.co.uk

To find our more about embodiment: http://www.embodimentunlimited.com