Working with Resistance - Letting Go of Expectations for a Medicine Journey
Every psychedelic journey begins with intention - and often, expectation.
We imagine what might unfold: healing, visions, peace, release. But the medicine has its own intelligence. Sometimes what we receive isn’t what we wanted - it’s what we needed.
Resistance is part of the process. It’s the body’s way of protecting us when something feels too much, too fast, or too unknown. Working with resistance, rather than against it, is where the real transformation begins.
What Resistance Really Is
Resistance isn’t failure. It’s a sign that something in you is learning to trust again.
In psychedelic work, resistance can look like anxiety before the ceremony, distraction during it, or frustration when "nothing happens."
But beneath all of that, resistance is often the voice of the nervous system saying, "Please go slowly."
The body remembers every moment it wasn’t safe to surrender. That memory doesn’t vanish because we’ve ingested a medicine - it softens when it feels safe, witnessed, and respected.
Letting Go of the Perfect Journey
Many people arrive with unspoken expectations. They want a breakthrough, a vision, a miracle. When it doesn’t look that way, disappointment or self-blame can arise.
But the truth is, the medicine works in layers. Sometimes the first layer is trust. Sometimes it’s rest. Sometimes it’s tears, yawns, or sleep - all signs that the body is recalibrating.
A "quiet" journey is not an unsuccessful one. Integration often reveals how much actually shifted beneath the surface.
The Role of the Facilitator
A trauma-informed facilitator understands that resistance is wisdom, not obstruction.
My role is never to push or fix, but to listen - to help you meet what’s arising with curiosity instead of control.
When resistance appears, we work with grounding, breath, or gentle somatic touch to remind the body that it’s safe to feel. This is where the alchemy happens.
The moment you stop fighting the experience, it starts to move.
Psychedelics and the Myth of Control
Psychedelics, especially psilocybin and MDMA, teach us that control is an illusion. The medicine invites surrender - but surrender can only happen in safety.
When fear, numbness, or overthinking arise, that’s not the medicine "not working." It’s the psyche showing exactly where safety was lost.
Meeting that moment with compassion rather than resistance creates new neural pathways of trust. That’s the real medicine.
Integration - The Other Side of Resistance
After a challenging or "flat" journey, integration is where meaning emerges.
Ask yourself:
What was my body protecting me from?
What might I need to feel safe enough to open next time?
Can I honour the part of me that said no?
Integration isn’t about analysing the journey, but forming a relationship with what unfolded. When you honour your resistance, it eventually transforms into readiness.
An Invitation
Every journey is perfect in its own way, even the ones that feel like nothing or everything at once.
Resistance is not the enemy. It’s an invitation - to slow down, breathe, and trust that healing unfolds in its own timing.
The medicine will meet you when you’re ready. Your only task is to stay present.
🌿 If you’re preparing for or integrating a psychedelic journey, I offer trauma-informed coaching and facilitation across the UK, helping you meet resistance with safety, curiosity, and compassion.
👉 Book your free discovery call today and learn how to turn resistance into revelation.
