Recently, I was expressing to a friend how anxious I was about an upcoming project I’ve been hired for. He was quite surprised at my insecurity, and said, “But, you’re only looking at the downsides!”
It’s true – my mind tends to look at the possible negative outcomes first, before the potential positive outcomes. I’ve always been this way, and this type of trouble-shooting has always been an asset, especially when I was performing aerial acrobatics. As you might imagine, there’s a lot of value in being able to think about possible things that can go wrong when hanging a circus apparatus. It encourages the creation of appropriate back-ups and other safety measures.
Based on my own personal experience, I believe a trouble-shooting-looking-for-potential-negative-outcomes outlook in life can be a helpful way for the mind to work. But, problems arise if when investigating possible negative outcomes, fears which create insecurity arise. If one only contemplates possible negative outcomes, without also recognizing possible positive outcomes, the mind will start to manufacture hesitation and fear, possibly even limiting one’s desire to tackle difficult projects, limiting one’s potential for personal growth.
That’s the situation I found myself in. I wasn’t also considering the potential positive outcomes because at the moment, I didn’t trust my own abilities and expertise. I suppose that is the definition of insecurity.
Not believing in one’s own skills and capabilities is common for many of us from time to time. And lucky for us, there are yoga techniques that can help us strengthen our confidence! The first one that comes to mind for me, is the mudra for inner security.
What is a mudra?
Although there are several different types of mudras, the most common ones are gestures we make with our hands and fingers which channel and/or stimulate our energy flow in specific ways to gain specific results. Think of them as a cross between yoga asanas (postures) specifically for the hands, and mind/thought training. Let’s not forget that something like confidence or a lack thereof is 100% in our own minds, and so training our thoughts will be the most effective way to build confidence.
Aerial Yoga is a practice of yoga that requires we use our hands a bit more than no-hammock classes. As a result, there’s a bit more prana (life force) than usual in our hands by the end of class. I’ve always believed that the practice of mudras at the end of aerial yoga practice puts a bit more power behind them, and therefore, is a perfect time to practice mudras.
Let me share with you a mudra you can practice to bolster inner security.
Place your hands in a “prayer” position in front of your heart. Then, twist the wrists so that the backs of the hands rest against each other. Continue to hold this gesture while focusing on your slow, deep breathing. After a few minutes, return the hands to the prayer position, resting the palms against each other, for a few more breaths.
Metaphorically, the prayer gesture brings our minds inward to the heart center, where we connect to a higher power or however you perceive your spirituality. By turning the palms outward, we are sending a message to our minds that whatever inner wisdom we connect with can also be projected into and found in our outer world, as well. We can feel just as comfortable out there as we do in our own inner world.
Objectively, negative and positive are 2 sides to one coin, and simply a part of life. There can be no such thing as a positive without a correlated negative, and vice versa. Like an inhale and an exhale, both which are necessary to live, it doesn’t matter which one you begin with, the other one will follow at some point, and that’s not a good nor a bad thing. It simply is.
So, the next time your confidence goes on vacation, practice the inner security mudra and trust that life is unfolding just as it is supposed to – with the potential for all sorts of outcomes, both negative and positive.
