Om Namah Shivayah
“May the greatest that can be in this world be created within myself, within others, and within the world.”
Many of us are looking to transform our lives through the practice of yoga, but in order to truly bring about the change we seek, we need to practice more than just the physical postures used in yoga. One can practice these poses everyday and still feel something is missing, such as that peace and happiness feeling we hear is found through yoga. Below are ways for changing our mindset to bring forth personal revolution.
Accept yourself just as you are
“Change your thoughts and you can change your world.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
You are blessed with the body and mind that you have today. By accepting who we are, we become more aware of what (or whom) may be limiting our path to self growth. We are able to see where we need to make the right changes.
Let go of the need to control
Just like falling asleep at night, we need to trust and let go of the need to control in situations. When we let go, our mind and body is able to experience the healing that it needs.
The way out, is in
At times we look for reasons why we can’t change or won’t let go of our fears, resentments, negative thoughts, etc. The challenge is going inward and choosing to stay with these emotions due to past experiences, or, choosing to grow and not let them hold you back.
Change the way you look at things
By changing our perspectives, we’re looking at the usual but with a fresh set of eyes. We may notice that most challenges or obstacles we’ve encountered were created within ourselves.
Retrain your way of thinking
We have molded our way of thinking by our experiences in life, what we’ve been taught throughout the years, and what we’ve gotten used to. Like an onion, we need to peel back these layers that include our fears, self destructive thoughts or negative ways of thinking so that we can get to the core of our being. Replace these layers with new layers; the kind that will uplift the soul with encouragement to be our highest, greatest good.
Trust your inner teacher
By peeling back these layers we can get to the core of our being, where our soul and inner self lie. Our soul wants to be heard, we just need to listen. We can learn from several books, teachers, gurus, but at the end of the day our inner teacher knows what’s best for us.
“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself, the challenge is to silence the mind.”
-Carolyn Myss
Stay present with patience
Keep your mind focused on the present, not on the past or the future. Stay patient with yourself and always send positive, loving attention to your mind and body. Practice meditation to get started. Growth and personal revolution doesn’t happen overnight, but keep the faith and it will come before you know it.
Do more of what makes you happy
Make an effort to do at least 5 things that you love each day, and if you can’t do that, make a journal (internally or externally) and write down 5 things that you are grateful for. Keep a list of goal(s) for yourself to look forward to each day. Make affirmations to repeat to yourself in the morning and at night. Meditate. Go to yoga. Go for a walk. Practice deep breathing. Hug someone!
Making the decision
Make the decision to keep this change, decide to make it a commitment. Everyday we have the choice to work on our growth as individuals. Never making a decision, however, is still a decision unto itself.
“ Change your thoughts and you can change your world.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
