Written by Olivia
How can we better our mind as well as our body? Connect into both at the same time! Olivia talks us through how to do this through moving our bodies and challenges us to do this in her week-long challenge!
Comfort Zone or Challenge Zone
It’s time for your morning run, or perhaps your evening yoga class; Do you tend to work-out within your comfort zone? Practicing poses that feel good and that you are good at? Maybe you are great at pushing yourself? Always working hard, and dismissing the thought that your body may need a restful practice instead of a challenging one.
I will put my hand up and say that I am the comfort zone girl! I always have been. But the downside of that means that less growth occurs in my practice.If you are on the flipside then it may suggest that you do not allow yourself space for introspection or the nourishing, healing practice that your body may deeply need.
Sometimes, the end goal of having more strength or flexibility, stamina or softness, is not enough of a reward to instil the kind of discipline needed to work through whatever challenges you on the mat.
Focus on the Inside Instead of the Outside
So what if instead of focusing on our physical benefits, we looked at how we could grow emotionally? How we could overcome fears of public speaking, heal a broken heart, evoke a sense of bravery, feel more authentic, get more stuff done each day, be more sensual or intuitive. Now this would be something that would get me on my mat each day. The pain I experience of being afraid of speaking my mind is enough to drive me out of my comfort zone on the mat, in order to grow emotionally off the mat.
There are many pathways in yoga to affect your emotional body; Ancient Hindu philosophy, setting an intention before your practice, chakra opening classes and many more. I would like to suggest something a little different.
What I know to be true, is that we have an incredible network of myofascial lines throughout the body that connect with how we feel and behave, and when an area in the physical body is out of balance, it directly effects a specific emotion or behaviour. We have known for some time that the way you hold your body affects how you feel – stand tall and you feel more confident, turn the corners of your mouth up and you feel instantly happier. We take this even further with myofascial meridian yoga.
Self Confidence, Bravery, Authenticity and Vitality
Join me for a week long challenge in creating a healthier relationship with your self-confidence, bravery, authenticity and vitality. I have created a short, 10minute class to practice each morning to have you walking into your day feeling stronger and more energised. See it as a little experiment – does this inner work give you a greater sense of purpose on your mat? How do you feel after each practice and how does it affect your day?
The Practice
- Navasana or Boat Pose – begin here and take 5 full, deep breaths. As you inhale say mentally “I am” and exhale “strong”, or “I am” “powerful”, or “I am” “confident” – whichever resonates most with you.
Now twist to tap the ground to the right of your hips and then to the left, exhaling as you twist and inhaling as you centre. Do this 10 times.
- Virasana or Hero Pose with a bolster running lengthways under your spine. Breathe deeply and fully for about 20 breaths, saying with each breath “I am supported”, “I release protection”.
- Goddess Pose – ground your big toes down and feel your inner thighs engage, lift your pelvic floor and bring your spine tall above your pelvis. Feel the collarbones broaden and sense with each breath the energising and supportive force of the earth beneath you. Stay for 10 breaths.
From here, hop your left foot to meet your right, and then hop back into a deep goddess shape, then hop the right foot to meet your left, and back again. Feel as though your inner thigh muscles are like a trampoline and find your rhythm as you bounce from your left foot to centre then your right and centre, coming as low as you can with each goddess pose. Do this around 10 times.
- Tree Pose – in this pose focus on engaging your midline by resisting the pressure of your foot with your inner thigh, lift your pelvic floor and actively lengthen the front of your spine and open the chest. Breathe fully into the whole torso and with each inhale say in your head “I am” followed by each exhale “enough” and/or “I am”, “me”.
Share and Take up the Challenge
If these are areas you would like to improve in your life, then have some fun and take this challenge with me today! Start your day with this uplifting practice and if it works for you, then you have a powerful tool in your toolbox for the next time you need a little extra confidence.
I would love to hear your results, so feel free to connect with me at @enrich_by_olivia. And last of all, don’t forget to share the love, helping friends and family to feel more authentically confident with you.
Namaste x
