Yoga, Empowerment, and Self-Realization

There are few things that are more attractive than someone who is filled with self-love, confidence, and a wonderful sense of adventure, humor, and ease. All these things come from living a life that we enjoy, one that lets us be the best version of ourselves.

But, this may be easier said than done. Living in today’s world is stressful and it can take an emotional, physical, or mental toll on our lives. Oftentimes, we find ourselves feeling trapped, caught up in feelings of “what if” and worry. Living like this is a guaranteed way to prevent ourselves from being in the present moment and enjoying life as it comes.

Thankfully, practicing yoga with its benefits can help us tap into our innermost selves, which is one of the easiest ways to build self-confidence as well as a sense of empowerment and self-realization. This process produces newfound vitality and serenity that enables us to enjoy our lives to the fullest.

5 Poses to Build Self Realization and Empowerment

When we take it to the mat, we are empowered to try our best, make mistakes, and try again. The following poses can help us connect to a place where our opinion is the one that matters most, which cultivates a powerful sense of self-realization:

  • Ooze self-confidence with Warrior II: Standing poses engage virtually every part of the body. They teach us that, just like in life, an unstable foundation will hold you back. But, when you are able to achieve firm grounding, you can soon reach your full potential.
    This pose helps connect you to the hidden power that resides within yourself, starting with the legs but eventually expanding to every joint and muscle. It will make you warrior-strong and is excellent for restoring a sense of confidence and power.

Find your passion in life with Wheel Pose: Extending your body backward will help you gain the ability to confront your fears, even when life throws you a curve ball. This pose will invigorate your mind, building trust in both the journey and yourself in the process.

  • All backbends are great for opening the heart center but this fabulous pose also engages every muscle in the body. It leaves you feeling ready to take on the world with new strength, energy, and passion for life.
  • Cultivate calmness and positivity with a head stand: Holding this position demands that you build a whole new relationship with gravity and yourself. It cannot be completed unless the mind and body are in complete alignment. Furthermore, inversions give you the ability to see things from a new angle, which increases clarity and introduces a sense of calmness into your world.
    This asana poses a huge mental challenge that asks us to overcome a fear of the unknown. But, it also has an incredibly calming effect on the nervous system, stimulates the heart, and strengthens the spirit.
  • Embrace the present moment with Dancer’s Pose: Balance poses provide us with a window into the state of our minds. For instance, it’s challenging to remain steady in a pose if your mind is racing. As such, balance poses invite us to take note of this shakiness and provide us with the opportunity to cultivate a new sense of clarity, poise, and calm. They make it necessary that you come fully into the present moment.
    Pulling off this challenging, but beautiful pose requires balance, focus, and lots of flexibility. But on the upside, trying it helps us explore your stores of inner strength and cultivate a sense of confidence and complete empowerment
  • Renew your relationship with your inner child in Crow Pose: Finding perfect balance in a difficult yoga pose can help build a feeling of self-sufficiency and increase confidence. Arm balances, in particular, invite us to stop taking things so seriously, laugh at ourselves when we make mistakes, and try again. These three factors are essential for personal growth.
    Furthermore, the crow pose helps us conquer our fear of falling while simultaneously spreading confidence in other areas of our lives. Your initial attempts to do this pose may be difficult (especially when filled with self-doubt) but a carefree approach will help you overcome these fears.

One More Thing

Although the way you look during practice isn’t important, how you feel is vital. Try as you might, it’s tough to remain in a state of peace, empowerment, and confidence if your clothes are causing you discomfort. Making sure that small details like this are handled can help you maintain your focus on what’s important i.e. your yoga practice:

In an effort to help you fully immerse yourself in the experience that is yoga, consider the following yoga wear guidelines:

  • Wear clothing that makes you feel honored, gracious, and beautiful.
  • Choose clothes that hug your body but still allow easy movement.
  • Stay away from drawstring pants, they are uncomfortable when doing poses where you are lying on your stomach.
  • Layer your yoga wear to make sure you are always ready for the varying temperatures in your yoga class.
  • Choose comfortable yoga wear that makes it easy to transition from the yoga mat to the workplace.

Yoga teaches you that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and lead an empowered life that you love. And, in so doing, enables you to give yourself permission to embrace the present moment. And, while this may be easier said than done, the above tips will help you along your path to self-realization. Namaste.