5 Ways To Get Back In Your Flow When You Feel Stuck

“Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

– Bruce Lee

We’ve all had those days, when you feel like you’re pushing against a brick wall, or when all efforts towards a much-desired goal ends up fizzling. So frustrating!

When we’ve been putting out massive manifestation mojo, creating vision boards, and detoxing ’til the cows come home, sometimes we just need to take a moment, and relinquish our control to the Uni-verse. (P.S. Detoxing ’til the cows come home is also not good for your Spleen in Chinese Medicine!)

Easier said than done, right?

Although giving up our control could easily send us into a panic, it surprisingly has the opposite effect – it helps us see through the illusion of control (because the only thing we ever have control of is how we act in any given situation), and eases the pressure of performing. It also gets us in touch with the fact that, despite our knowledge, we may not know everything, and the Uni-verse is working towards our highest good.

Once we surrender our control, what are the next steps to moving forward?

Here are 5 ways to get back in your flow when you feel stuck:

1. Interrupt the signal. Oftentimes when we feel stuck, it’s because a certain “tape” is playing in our head. The same tape that tells us that we are confined to repeating the same ole’ stale, and possibly negative, patterns we’ve proliferated for many years. We essentially believe whatever we tell our brain. So, interrupt the signal, and tell yourself a different story! Instead of saying, “Oh, this again! Well, I might as well not try, or be resigned to the fact that it’s going to a dreadful outcome, since I’ve experienced this before.” It may be helpful to insert a different thought pattern, instead. Something like, “This is triggering me about an old and challenging experience. I choose to create a different outcome.” Just creating awareness around a challenging issue may be all you need to shift your brain into believing in higher vibrational possibilities! And, if you are, indeed, choosing to stay stuck in a cycle of unpleasant experiences, that’s something to think about, isn’t it? You always have the choice to select another option. In addition, it is especially important to interrupt the signal when you suffer from depression.
2. Get out of your own way. To be in your flow, you have to go with it. And, have to remind yourself that you are in your flow. When we are too stuck to allow movement into our lives, or hold onto something so tightly that we choke all action from happening, we get in our own way. If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself if you are getting in your own way. In Chinese Medicine, there is a saying, “If there is free flow, there is no pain. If there is pain, there is no free flow.” And, that is meant in the most physical, energetic, emotional, and mental way possible!
3. Be with water. Be like water. Bruce Lee’s quote, above, is one of my favorites (and I heart Bruce Lee!) It illustrates the adaptability and flexibility of water. And how water can either flow or crash. When we are pushing against ourselves, the water crashes. When we allow, we go with our flow. In addition to emulating the formlessness of water, surround yourself with water. Being in the ocean is incredibly healing, as is taking an epsom salt bath. One of my patients who hadn’t taken an epsom salt bath in a while, until I’d recommended it to help her clean her aura, recalled, “I felt so happy and comforted in the bath. After a while, I noticed that I’d curled up into a fetal position! It’s like being in the womb.” Indeed, it is! Being in water can be very healing and detoxifying. It also reminds us that we are held, even in our most stuck moments.
4. Receive an Acupuncture or Reiki treatment. In Chinese Medicine, the Liver is in charge of the free flow of Qi. Qi is the energy that flows within us, around us, and between us. Humans have Qi, plants have Qi, animals have Qi. All living things have Qi, and some may argue that even inanimate objects have Qi of their own. When the Liver meridian in our bodies is blocked or obstructed, physical and/or emotional pain can result. This is something I see in NYC all the time, unfortunately! Get your Qi flowing again, by opening your Qi gates with an acupuncture treatment! (Yes, can you believe there’s actually an acupuncture point protocol called the “Four Gates”, just for this purpose?) Reiki is another effective modality when you want to get things moving within, because it will literally sweep away all the energetic debris in each chakra, allowing for more ease of energy to move in optimal ways, and at optimal levels. It also helps us ground our energy, and reminds us of our connection to Source.
5. Get physical. When we incorporate physical activity into our schedules, we promote the smooth flow of Liver Qi, infuse our tissues, muscles, and organs with fresh, oxygenated blood from increased cardiac action, and have the great by-product of getting stronger. If you’re able to get to the gym or do workouts at home, fabulous! You can also do smaller, daily things, like walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. One of my patients increased his daily activity by getting off one subway stop earlier than he had to, to get more daily walking in. There are great at-home streaming videos you can take advantage of, as well! Start at a pace that works for you, and try to make it consistent. By doing so, you’ll feel the movement within. And, who knows? Maybe you may even get some oxygenated blood-infused ideas about how to tackle your issue from a different angle!

What is your favorite way of getting unstuck? I’d love to hear about it in the comments, below!
And, if you enjoyed this post, please share the love with your friends!

Be like water,

 

 

 

 

 

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