By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP
How can Yogic meditation help us to rid self-criticism. Yoga is a science of balanced, mental and physical living. Self-love and self-criticism are polar opposites, but most people are quick to punish themselves when they make mistakes. It seems that many of us are looking too deeply into our own flaws. Now, if you have already posted 1001 selfies, you might not need any advice with self-esteem, but for the rest of us, let’s look at meditation and its ability to enhance self-confidence.
While it is true that none of us is perfect, it will not be helpful to one’s self-esteem to constantly be reminded of this fact. With some of us there is a deep feeling that we are never good enough. Looking at one’s self can invite merciless self-criticism. We may be able to tell a friend to stop criticizing us, but the mind can chatter while you sleep or at any time of the day. How can Yoga meditation help us train our minds to stop finding faults within us?
The Yogic Solution to Self-Criticism
Swami Kripalu, a 20th century spiritual teacher and well known Yoga Guru, once said, “The highest form of spiritual practice is self-observation without self-criticism.” Few disciplines encourage practitioners to examine themselves, inwardly and outwardly, like the ancient art of meditation. The eternal question of “Who am I?” leads to self-observation, but the process of truly accepting oneself is far more difficult.
Wise decisions require critical thinking skills, and awareness calls for objectivity and clarity. Unrealistic expectations and perfectionism, however, block creativity, destroy self-esteem, and result in anger and frustration. Trying to live up to other people’s standards, judging success by external rewards, and demanding flawless performance set the scene for destructive self-talk.
Yogic Prevention
While the goal of Yogic meditation is the creation of harmony between the internal and external mind, sometimes, a few practical solutions are able to stop the critical inner voice before it gets out of control. First, though, it is vital to recognize the process in its early stages. Warning signs may be a lump in the throat, tense muscles, clenched teeth, or other physical and emotional signals. Meditation is the tool that makes it possible to witness and alter these unhealthy patterns of thinking and the body’s natural reactions to anxiety.
Six Ways to Stop Self-Criticism in Its Early Stages
1. Listen to the automatic tapes playing in your head. If your mind is full of negative thoughts, stop and ask yourself if they are true. Awareness is the first step in making changes.
2. When you catch yourself listening to critical thoughts, replace the false statements with positive ones.
3. Do Yoga poses (asana) to release pent-up energy and clear your mind.
5. Practice controlled breathing techniques (pranayama).
6. Write about your feelings. Studies have shown that students, who have performance anxiety, do better on tests when they write about their anxiety beforehand.
A regular Yogic meditation practice increases sensitivity to emotional and physical sensations, making it easier to stop the cycle of self-criticism, before the body responds with symptoms like the release of adrenaline, heart palpitations, or an increase in blood pressure. The key to success is becoming familiar with the negative thoughts and realizing that they are just that – thoughts. Within the mind is an unorganized chorus of random thoughts and constant chatter. How can we bring this chorus into a state of harmony?
In challenging times, we need to focus our thinking on finding solutions that work. Meditation enhances one’s ability to solve daily problems. In turn, we will spend more time solving and less time worrying. It is human to worry, but we must recognize that our ability to solve everything is limited. These are the frustrating times often wasted on self-criticism. Yet, the power of prayer, meditation, affirmation, mantra, and hope give us inner strength in the worst situations.
© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
Are you interested in more information about Yoga?
Subscribe to Our Newsletter for Special Discounts and New Products
Related Resources:
by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews
52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen your Practice
by Rina Jakubowicz.
A Relaxing Way to De-stress, Re-energize, and Find Balance
by: Gail Boorstein Grossman.
YOGA: THE PATH TO HOLISTIC HEALTH
by B.K.S. Iyengar
TEACHING YOGA: Essential Foundations and Techniques
By Mark Stephens
See our selection of online yoga teacher training courses. See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about our selection of online certification courses.
Please feel free to share our posts with your friends, colleagues, and favorite social media networks. See videos, demonstrations, and lectures related to affordable yoga teacher training courses and specialized continuing education programs.
Meditation is the tool that makes it possible to witness and alter these unhealthy patterns of thinking. Thank you Dr. Paul Jerard for writing this useful article.