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Do you need to keep your ego in check?

anxiety mental health awareness yoga Nov 02, 2018

DO YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR EGO IN CHECK?

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All are welcome in my yoga classes here in Nottingham.

Except your ego.

She ain’t your amigo, my friend. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all that.

Our purpose on this lovely green planet is to move about our daily business with love and joy, but Ego seems driven by fear. Fear that people don’t like us, that we’re not good enough, or that we don’t have enough. This fear can make us timid or depreciating of ourselves or can drive us to being power hungry or controlling of situations or people to get what we think we want.

True story

The mark of a true yogi is not the super cool yoga pants they wear, their expensive mat or their long, lean bendy bodies worthy of The Gram.

Folks really in the zone of their yoga practice are probably not even aware there is another human being just a half a meter’s distance from them.

 
Avoid anxiety and comparison on the yoga mat
 

On the yoga mat, your Ego might nag or bully you into stretching too much, even injuring you! She can sometimes be really mean to you as well, and really there’s no place for that here.

Get in touch and let me what your Ego says to you. Does your Ego berate you for not being able to touch your toes like that guy on the mat next to you?

Oh that makes me so mad because

YOU ARE ENOUGH

I’ll repeat that; YOU ARE ENOUGH - you don’t need the fancy yoga kit as long as you are comfortable. You do not need to contort yourself to reach your toes if that does not feel nice in your body. You do not need to worry about anybody else watching you or judging you. (I actually will be watching; I want to guide you safely through and have your practice feel nurtured and held. I care.)

Positive affirmations

What can you do to get Ego to put a sock in it?

You can use the voice to your advantage and simply change the words that you use with yourself. Change the vocab of your internal critic to be your internal teacher or guide - speaking with words of kindness. For example, instead of "I can't do this" try using "I'm getting better at this". The words we use with ourselves ends up being the style of words we use with other people, and we wouldn't dream of speaking to other people the way we speak to ourselves.

Encourage positive thoughts during your yoga practice by using positive affirmations whilst you are feeling relaxed. Seriously, arrive on your mat in plenty of time to allow yourself to settle and enjoy being still.

Repeat a short, positive statement three times and you can even time this with your breath.

Really believe the words as you say these things to yourself. For example

I AM GRATEFUL. I AM LOVING. I AM KIND

The more times we affirm these things, the easier it becomes and the easier it is for Ego to let go of the criticism.

And you can simply enjoy your yoga practice.

Thank you for reading. All my love,

Lee-ann x

 

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