May 28th, 2018
“Trust, Mike!”
That’s what my yoga teacher told me, noticing that I became anxious and had begun to pull out of a backbend from the knees. It was a challenging pose and she was directing the class to go deeper then most of us had in the past. However, immediately upon hearing her, I took her direction and entered back into the pose, and went deeper into it then I ever have. It was one of those moments in yoga, when you realize that you’re capable of more then you thought.
Why did I decide, in an instant, to do what my teacher said? I’ve been practicing under her guidance for over seven years. She knows me and my abilities quite well, including my psychology and inner thoughts. I trust her. So when she told me to trust myself, I went for it.
I’ve been thinking about this moment ever since that class. As is often the case in yoga, lessons learned on the mat can apply to life off of the mat. How many times have I, my friends, and my clients not trusted ourselves? We don’t trust our professional abilities and therefore hold back from applying for a job we really want. We don’t trust how attractive we are and, resultantly, don’t pursue dating.
People we trust tell us differently. They tell us we’re smart. We are marketable. We are attractive. Usually we dismiss this. However, what if we responded like I did in the yoga class and acted accordingly. Can we put our own beliefs to the side and try on theirs? Your mentor tells you to go for the job that you think you’re unqualified for. Take on the mentor’s belief and apply! You’re best friend tell you you’re attractive. Take on your bestie’s belief and register on Tinder.
You might not fully buy into it. But even experimenting with small changes in our belief systems and behaviors can go a long way. If you trust others and then yourself, you might find that, in time, you have that new job, that you went on some fun dates, or even that you can go deeper in that backbend then you ever expected.
If you’re looking for a therapist in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC to work on trusting yourself, feel free to contact Mike Giordano at 202-460-6384 or Mike.Giordano.MSW@gmail.com.