A Lesson in Overcoming Resistance

Today I went to my first spinning class in 2 months. Robert is my favorite instructor; he coaches with the perfect balance of encouragement to push yourself, and makes you feel awesome about what you're doing even when you're not. Classes with other instructors train me physically, but Robert engages the people in his class spiritually, as well.

Like anyone about to return to the gym, I assumed my body would struggle from the time I'd been away. To my relief, I felt relaxed from vacation and got back in the groove easily. I forgot some of the positions on my bike, but Robert straightened me out. It was a supportive, encouraging and individual class. Requests to 'turn to the right' (i.e. increase the tension on the bike) were accepted without resistance.

After two-thirds of the class though, those turns added up. The exhaustion I remembered weighed on my body. My focus was distracted by 'are you kidding me?!' thoughts and stolen glances at the clock. Right about then, Robert acknowledged the fatigue in the room, and then asked us to push through the resistance. And I did. And instead of feeling the burden, I pedaled faster, to where the resistance wasn't there. I felt so good in that moment, I committed to being coached for the rest of the class.

I realized that it's the same with resistance about anything - if we focus on it, and push on it and resent it, then the burden of its weight is overwhelming. That's when we need to reach for a new level of performance. To push through and reach a new space where the resistance is behind us, endorphins take over and renewed energy is dead ahead, just past the turn.