Can Yoga Make You Authentic?

The definition of authentic is interesting. Au-then-tic: of undisputed origin; genuine; not false or copied; real...are you authentic? I wonder about that sometimes. I'm a people watcher and I often question if someone is truly expressing themselves? Is what they show on the outside a true representation of who they are on the inside? A good way to tell is by their body language.

I read a short article about how to see if you're authentic and it asked you four questions.

1. What's your voice doing? When you're acting natural and in your comfort zone your voice will reflect that. If you aren't, you tend to use a high voice. A sign that you're nervous because you aren't being true to yourself.
2. What's your body doing? Are you holding tension? If so why? What are you doing, saying, wearing or thinking? Your body knows you're up to something and it's giving you a warning that you need to change because you aren't comfortable with what you're doing or being.
3. Are you breathing? We hold our breath when we're stressed or uncomfortable.
4. Are you present or hyper-vigilant? When we're in the present moment we're being true to ourselves. We're looking at the situation for what it is, not trying to change it. When we're in an environment or situation that we aren't comfortable with, we have to be hyper-vigilant in order to protect ourselves. We're unsure of being accepted so we have to stay on top of our charade. 

Authenticity doesn't come easy. We're in a world of fades, something that is cool this week may change the next. Money is a big part of this. It's starts when we're children with kids picking on us because we're different. I often wonder when my daughter, who is now in kindergarten, will have to start dealing with this. We grow into adulthood with this thought that in order to fit in we have to be like everyone else. The kids who did stay authentic were often considered weird or outcasts. It's so sad that our society celebrates this lack of authenticity.

Yoga gives you the courage to be authentic. It does this by giving you the tools to pull back all the layers of false identities that you've gained over the years. You eventually find yourself at your core, your true self and you can see who you really are under all the muck. It teaches you not to be afraid of who you are and that your true friends and family will love the real you. It shows you how important it is to surround yourself with people that accept you and know that it's ok to let go of the ones that don't. Let go of things that don't serve you, that includes people. Check out the Yamas and Niyamas. A good start to living an authentic life.

A lot of emotions flow in a yoga class. People cry, get frustrated and laugh. People are very honest in this setting. You learn over time that it's refreshing to show your real emotions in front of people. Yogi's are well known for the support they give fellow students. We're realistic in the fact that we know everyone suffers and everyone needs help at some point. We won't judge you for your choices, but encourage you to be who you are and give you a helping hand along your journey.

Yoga teaches you about self doubt. A lot of times we're unauthentic because we doubt we'll be accepted for who we really are. Yoga brings you out of your shell and slowly exposes the real you. It's done in a safe environment, without judgment so you realize it's ok to expose the real you. When you're judged, you learn not to take it personally, it's not about you, but that someone is fighting their own internal battle. Make sure you give that courtesy to others. If you don't like being judged, I bet others don't either.

Nurturing environments are important in gaining the courage to be authentic. Don't set yourself up for failure by bringing your true self out to a bunch of people who you know aren't accepting. Have the courage to let those people fade from your life. If they have a hard time accepting you when you're fake, how will they judge you when the real and best part of you comes out? Find people who are like you, who share your interests and ideas. As hard as it is to let go of a toxic relationship, it's even harder to stay in it.

Not sure who the real you is because it's been so long since you've seen him or her? Meditate on it a bit. Try a walking or a seated meditation. Another way to get deeper into your thoughts is to do a cluster chart. Write one thing down about you that you like and circle it. Then any other traits or ideas that pop into your head write down and circle that. A sample of a cluster chart is to the right.

 If you can't think of anything to write at first, just start writing words down that pop into your head, or just come up with something to start, your hair color, what your wearing, how you feel people see you. The creative juices will start flowing. If you find you've written more negative than good things, it's really time to change and find the real you. Being unauthentic makes us unhappy.

Once you have your chart, take a highlighter and mark the traits you find the most desirable. That's the authentic you. Come up with a mantra, a positive saying that you can repeat to yourself when you're feeling unsure about presenting the real you. Like, "I'm living a fuller life as the real me." or something positive to reinforce your authentic self. There will be haters, people who aren't understanding. Remember to let those people go. They're probably just upset that you had the courage to do what they couldn't.

Find a support group, my choice, a local yoga class. Make a friend there that you can talk with. Odds are that they're on their own personal journey. Yoga takes us places we never thought we could go and it's always nice to have a friend along on the journey. Someone you can talk things over with and not feel judged. 

Have you ever come across an old person who is authentic? It's the one that has ice cream smeared on her chin but doesn't care. She laughs as she wipes it off and continues to eat the rest of her cone with a smile. Maybe her hair is a mess or her outfit is outdated, but you know what, she's happy to be alive and healthy. She's grateful for the family she has in her life. She's learned throughout her years that life is too short to worry about the little things. That what's important is enjoying your ice cream and being happy with who you are in life. Please don't wait until you're old to realize this. Find your authentic self today and start living how you want to live now.