Why do you do yoga? There are many different answers, but they all share a similar trait: SELF-EMPOWERMENT.
We do yoga to help ourselves heal, to empower ourselves to feel better, to grow our confidence, and to spark our enthusiasm to experience our best selves!
On the mat, you are empowered to try, make mistakes, and still be fully accepted. Your interests are met with gusto; the importance and joy of your hard work are recognized and encouraged. Failure is treated lightly, while curiosity and integrity are held in high regard.
What does empowerment feel like?
Physically, this feeling of self-reliance has a lot to do with our foundation and core strength.
For instance, in downward facing dog pose, your hands are as important as your feet. This is because the foundation is about growing your heart and feeling your strength. All the while, your breath nurtures you and makes you feel stronger. Self-doubt and insecurity melt away.
It is easy to let other people’s thoughts become more important than our own.
Spending time on our mat, however, is an easy way to practice empowerment. Each pose is like a day in our life where we can validate ourselves for our efforts. After all, spiritually mature adults don't require external recognition to prove their worth.
Pose to pose, the spirit of our efforts is proof enough in practice. And the person whose opinion matters the most is our own.
Yoga teaches us to be self-reliant.
From this point on, there is no reason to let others get you down.
When we shift from being worried about what others think of us, we are free to focus on what we think of ourselves. This shift returns previously wasted energy back to ourselves, allowing us to create our own happiness.
When you come to class, you come for yourself. When you live in an empowered way, you prioritize what you need, and live in alignment with what maintains harmony for your heart.
You have the strength to be independent. Listen to your soul’s wisdom for how you want to live, and just do it by taking responsibility for your own growth and happiness. Discover for yourself that you can face anything—a happy life depends on you being empowered to live freely and completely.
Image credit / Yogi: Silvia Mordini
