Boost Your Self-Confidence and Connect to Inner Peace (Part V)

… Self esteem, or how we think of ourselves, is hugely important to our sense of who we are and how we behave. Life regularly presents us with challenges for us to face and how we cope with these situations can be extremely impactful on our Body and Mind. Sometimes life’s difficulties can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, or not being able to cope and most people are aware of the level of stress that continued exposure to these thoughts and feelings can bring. Increasingly, people are becoming aware of the physical impact of these types of thoughts, on a very simple level in terms of stress stored in the body, but at a deeper level, of the effects on the immune system.

Our self esteem directly affects how we cope with life’s difficulties, but equally, not being able to cope can change the way we feel about ourselves, our confidence and even how much we trust our own judgment. Some people are able to cope because they have such a strong sense of who they are, or perhaps they have a solid network of support through friends and family.

But when all is said and done, it is our relationship with ourselves that determines how we respond in difficult circumstances. It is often a sad truth that when times get tough, the first person most people seem to neglect is themselves. Being healthy and fit can have a very positive effect on how resilient we are and therefore how well we cope. Most people think of Yoga as a physical art, and the health benefits of Yoga practice are well known. Perhaps, less well known, are the psychological benefits of training.

Yoga has become popularised in the last decade and it’s not surprising with such famous advocates as Madonna, Sting, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Anniston, to name a few. Back in the late 90’s, it had all the hallmarks of the latest “fitness fad” and classes were moving out of village halls and springing up in health clubs and dedicated “Ashrams.” Interestingly, Yoga’s popularity has continued to spread and it makes you wonder, “What is it that attracts people to Yoga?”

… As a teacher for 8 years, and a practitioner for over 15 years, I have noticed that people try Yoga for a variety of different reasons. But perhaps due to the fact that Yoga has become a regular staple on the gym studio timetable, people are mostly giving it a try for very physical reasons like improving fitness, flexibility and core strength.

Some students are recommended Yoga by their Osteopath or Physiotherapist as a way of improving posture and helping to correct the body’s past trauma due to injury. However, Yoga originated out of the spiritual traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The Sanskrit word “Yoga” means “Yoke,” or “Unite,” and practicing Yoga promotes unity by bringing body and mind into balance. With many students finding Yoga through gyms and health centres, there is frequently a heavy emphasis on the physical practice of “Asanas” or poses, whilst the more esoteric practices such as “Pranayama” or breathing exercises have been replaced with “Relaxation” at the end of a class, as a kind of half way house, bridging the gap between Eastern philosophy and Western science.

But you don’t have to go in for the bell chiming, chanting and incense to benefit from the more spiritual aspects of Yoga practice. With all of the focus on the physical benefits of Yoga, are we missing something fundamental in the practice of Yoga?

Actually, no, we are not, in my opinion and I’ll explain why- I believe that although we have experienced an inevitable “Westernising” of a practice that is actually very spiritual, we achieve some of the more “Psychological” benefits almost despite ourselves. Yoga is based on the principal that Mind and Body are inseparably linked and so whether you access the Mind through the physical training, or the Body through the Spiritual, by studying the Vedas, or through the practice of meditation, then one form of practice will necessarily impact on the other.

… Traditionally, many students focus on achieving correct posture in the Asanas in the first weeks and months of practice. As the Body becomes more flexible, so they are able to progress to more difficult positions which become more demanding in terms of balance, alignment, flexibility and strength. Some styles of Yoga teach you early on to focus on breathing in posture, whilst others, such as Iyengar, focus on precise and correct physical alignment in the early days, preferring to add the element of particular forms of breathing later on, once the physical side has been mastered.

As a psychotherapist, I am very aware of how breathing affects our internal state- of- mind. You have probably told a friend to “Take a deep breath,” to help calm them down, or perhaps you have “Counted to ten,” to avoid anger and calm yourself down. But controlling your own state is not just about consciously controlling your breathing, it goes much deeper than that.

Whether your practice involves deliberately concentrating on breathing technique or not, the physical demands of some of the more advanced asanas require controlled breathing and learning to “make the most of every breath.” Continued practiced strengthens the core muscles, like the diaphragm and the intercostals muscles which are all involved in breathing. Yoga practice also teaches you to focus your attention on specific parts of the body and gain control over muscles you don’t often use, as in the spreading of the toes in Tadasana, or mountain pose.

So, through training in the physical aspect of Yoga, students also develop the mental side. At a deeper level, the connectedness you can begin to feel in some poses (such as Padmasana) can give you a grounding and serenity which helps develop the spiritual dimension. By concentrating on your connectedness you can deepen your relationship with your Self. I find it interesting, as a teacher, to see how students progress from becoming more physically flexible, to being mentally more flexible and balanced.

When you gain greater control of your physical Body, then people often find within themselves, a greater congruence and inner alignment which bring with them psychological benefits such as trusting yourself more and therefore building self esteem. If the aim of Yoga is not only to develop an healthy Body, but also to bring unity to Mind and Body, then continued and regular practice nourishes your self- respect and confidence in your ability, especially as you begin to feel your physical progress and notice the benefits.

In conclusion, Yoga teaches us, through a physical metaphor, to have self- control and to learn to trust in our own ability, which ultimately builds self esteem. In the words of B. K. S. Iyengar, a true master of our times, “When I practice, I am a Philosopher. When I teach, I am a scientist. When I demonstrate, I am an artist.” With deepest respect.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. I'd love to hear from you!

________________________________

John Carrington is a psychotherapist, who practises Yoga for more than 15 years and teaches Yoga for more than 8.

He is a Yoga teacher and practitioner, who knows and shares the true insights about the Power of Yoga on Body, Mind and Spirit.

Related Posts you might like:

• Boost Your Self-Confidence and Connect to Inner Peace (Part IV)
• Boost Your Self-Confidence and Connect to Inner Peace (Part III)
• Boost Your Self-Confidence and Connect to Inner Peace (Part II)