Changing Negative Thoughts Into Positive Ones

How we perceive ourselves isn't always the way that the world sees us. We often pick the most negative things about ourselves and dwell on them. Our hair isn't the right color, our nose is too big or we're too fat. These are all perceptions that we have in our minds, but isn't necessarily what the world sees when it look at us.

I watched a great clip this morning on a forensic artist who drew a woman as she described herself. He then had her leave and talk with a complete stranger. The stranger then came in and described the woman to the same artist. The two pictures that he drew were dramatically different. The picture he drew of the woman that described herself looked sad, angry and her features were unforgiving. The picture he drew that the stranger described was happy, open and beautiful.

We have a bad habit of finding things about ourselves, be it emotional or physical, and blowing them out of proportion. What we see as a bad hair day, to others our hair looks just fine. When we think our anxieties are out there for all to see, the world might see us as under control.

We can't necessarily change our physical aspects, but we can learn to accept them. Perhaps even come to realize that they aren't as bad as we make them out to be. Instead of finding fault with yourself in the mirror each morning, pick something that you like. In yoga we have what is called the monkey mind. It's the part of our mind that likes to trick us into thinking and doing things that don't make sense. You have to trick your monkey mind. If you don't like your nose, focus on how beautiful your eyes are. Distract the monkey mind.

As for our emotional quirks that we wish we didn't have, well, those will take some work. The first step is to talk with someone. Find out if your anxiety, judgment of people or mismanaged anger are as bad as you think they are. Honest feedback isn't easy to hear, but at least you know where you stand. You can begin to work on your strong emotions and work towards the person you want to be so you can move through the world with confidence.

All of this applies to our yoga practice or lack there of. If you believe that you can't do yoga because of physical limitations or you believe that you don't look the part, you'll never make it to a class. Yoga is for everyone. There are a lot of classes out there and even some online. I have to admit that some classes are more flashy than others, but there are classes out there that are a safe and nonjudgmental place. Not all classes are from the cover of Yoga Journal.

When you do make it to class, have patience with yourself. If you can't do a certain pose, don't get angry and frustrated, just accept that your body is doing the best it can and be thankful for that. Enjoy what your body has to offer instead of beating yourself up for what it doesn't have. You'll enjoy your practice and get more out of it.

I showed the artist clip to my five year old daughter. She loved it and watched it over and over. I hope to instill in her that no matter how she thinks she looks, she is beautiful. You may not be a model or have perfectly controlled emotions, but that doesn't matter. What does is how you feel about yourself, as that can make all the difference in the world.