Multiple perspectives 

What limits our view

Often times it can feel like something is simply the way it is, that it will always be that way and has limited capacity to be different.  We can have this particular perspective in relationship to how something in our body functions or doesn’t function, or in relation to interpersonal dynamics with a loved one, or how we feel towards our abilities to do something or perform a skill.  When we are in this one particular perspective there are often many thoughts and beliefs that back it up such as “I’ve seen this before so I know how it will turn out” or “I/it is impossible to be any different than it is” or “ I’m not that”.  

There are often lots of assumptions that we make based on what we have previously experienced or learned.  Assumptions that may or may not be completely true or at least the whole truth.  Assumptions are the primary thing that narrow or limit our perspectives on what can be.  In fact most of the time we aren’t aware of what we are assuming about ourselves or how things are or work.  This lack of awareness of what our assumptions are create a world of finite possibilities rather than infinite possibilities.  

Having a limited view based on assumptions is what produces the experience in our lives of powerlessness, limitation or unchangeability.   Outer things or inner things like our sense of self feel more solid, dense or unmovable.  This is the experience of being stuck in a perspective and typically we don’t even know that we are stuck in a perspective because we are unaware of our assumptions that are keeping this perspective in place.  In this way we make ourselves or our reality more solid, limited and “real” than it actually is.   

The process of unassuming

Suspending your own knowingness

We tend to think that we know what things are or how they work, but what if you allowed or entertained the idea that you don’t actually know.  What does it feel like to not know even what you think you know?  For some people this may be challenging because they don’t know how to “unknow” what they know.  This is however how we uncondition ourselves from what we’ve been taught and also how we can begin to see closer to the truth of what actually is.  

There are a couple of different ways that you can attempt to suspend what you think you know.  One is to make a list of all the assumptions you have about life, however this would be a ginormous list and would probably take you a really long time to do.  Another option is to look at where you feel limited.  Maybe its having a particular skill or capacity, or maybe it something in your body that isn’t functioning how you would like it to.  Investigate what you believe about it.  

Let’s say for example that you feel limited in your capacity to perceive subtle energy.  If you explore that further you may discover that you have a belief that says that anything you can’t directly see or feel with your physical hands isn’t real.  So underlying you are actually assuming that subtle energy isn’t real or maybe that other people that do perceive it have some special skill that you just don’t have.  Or lets say perhaps your shoulder (or neck, back, hip, etc.) has been hurting for years.  It has seemed that nothing you do changes it.  Based on your experience you assume that it will never change.  You begin to believe that it is impossible that it could actually be different.  It is your belief in the impossibility that it could ever be different which limits how that part of your body can function.  Life follows our assumptions.  This thing we call reality is directly impacted by our perspective of it.  This has been thoroughly proved by science time and time again.  

When we can identify our assumptions and stop assuming multiple new perspectives become available to us.  Things we thought were impossible become possible.  Things that we thought were solid we now see has moveable or spacious.  A new way to solve something arises.  Remember it is our perspective which impacts and creates reality not that other way around.  

Dr. Amanda Hessel, Chiropractor, Network Spinal Analysis & Somato-Respiratory Integration, Boulder, Colorado