“Self respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself”
- Abraham Joshua Herschel
Photo by Elia Pellegrini on Unsplash
For as long as I can remember I have had a little voice in my head that says ‘you're going to fail’, ‘things will go wrong’, and ‘people don't like you'. Previously, I would listen to that voice as if it was my intuition, it triggered intense anxiety as I spent my time worrying about future scenarios and weighing out the risks. My thoughts would keep me from trying new things, taking risks, and making friends. The fact is…that voice is right, I have failed, things have gone wrong, and there are people that don't like me. If I never challenged that voice I would not have started my business, traveled, or created my wonderful life.
As we have been learning in the studio, our brains work on a loop, and the priority of that loop is survival. A part of survival is interpreting our thoughts and deciding if our thoughts are warnings of danger (fight & flight) or safety (rest, digest, joy). When we store memories of past traumas and limiting beliefs, they can sabotage our growth and happiness. A simple example is, going to yoga class and having a difficult time with the sequence, this may trigger a deeper fear of being judged, or not being good enough. When this occurs you may lose compassion for yourself and forget your intention for joining the practice in the first place. If we quit we will reinforce our limiting beliefs, but if we persevere we will gain health, self-esteem, flexibility, and calmness!
Beliefs -> Thoughts -> Actions -> Experiences -> Beliefs
If you get stuck in a loop of fear and negativity, your body will respond with stress, chronic pain, and exhaustion. Science show’s that when we commit ourselves to new challenges it rewires the way our brain works, releases feel-good chemicals, and improves our self-esteem. A key way to change your brain is to challenge yourself to go outside of your comfort zone. Practices like somatics, yoga, and meditation can help us become aware of our limiting beliefs and rewire our brains simultaneously! The important part of whatever you choose to do is you must commit fully, and accept that feeling challenged is a part of growth!
Feel The Fear and Do it Anyway: Choose something you know would improve your life but you have been putting off, and commit to doing it once a week for this month.
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