Yoga Supports Self-Do Not Self-Help

by Marcel Allbritton

The self-help industry is a huge and very lucrative industry. I noticed most of these self-help books suggest reprogramming your self and being disciplined about doing so.

Here is the rub, when you are really stuck in a situation, it is often painful to think about it much less to be disciplined about it. Knowing what needs to change and how to change it is one thing, but having the capability to make the change is a whole other story.

One way to develop this capability is a daily Yoga practice. When we take as little as 15 minutes a day to be with our breath and body, we begin to feel more of ourselves. We slowly begin to see things a little differently, feel differently, and make different decisions.

Then change takes place. The change does not come from disciplining and policing ourselves. The change comes from being more connected to your body, breath, intellect, personality, and emotions.

Then we develop the capability to behave differently – in a way that is more kind, healthy, and balanced for ourselves. As Westerners, we are already so hard on ourselves. We might question how helpful it is to discipline and force change on ourselves on top of all the demands we already make.

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