I have been coaching and talking about limiting beliefs for years now and you would think that even though I’m somewhat of an expert in this field I’d have it all figured out.
Wrong! I was ever so humbled last week with a truly eye opening experience.
I have sustained many injuries in my short life- low back injury, shoulder injury, neck injuries, broken bones etc. In 2013 I had to recover from 2 separate injuries- I know, I sound like a total klutz but I’m really not!
I am grateful to say that I am almost 100% recovered, with just some strengthening left to do because I lost quite a bit of muscle tone.
I’ve recently gotten back into my routine of morning yoga and I am loving it, but it has come with it’s frustrations. Every time I would attempt a yoga pose I would experience certain parts of my body feeling restrained. I would then ask myself ‘I wonder which injury has caused this limitation?’
Just last week my yoga instructor (Love you Kelly!) tailored the class to ‘rehab’ and strengthen my body from my injuries.
At one point she said to me ‘Don’t focus on the things that you’re body isn’t doing well. Focus on the fact that you have two legs that help you move forward and hold you up. Focus on your lungs that allow you to take deep breathes.’ etc etc.
Insert light bulb moment here! As she was saying this I was like ‘OMG! I’ve spent all of this time focusing on what I was ‘lacking’ and not on what I had to be grateful for!’
My subconscious was playing tricks on me but this time I saw it for what it was: a limiting belief that was extremely prominent but super sneaky.
I’ve spent countless hours, years even, berating myself for not having good balance (see the limiting belief here?) or being frustrated that my left hamstring was so tight that it inhibited my ability to do some poses and on and on.
Every time I revisit the original scenario that caused an injury I am revisiting a ‘place’ that doesn’t allow me to move forward. In fact, it keeps me stuck in the past, which is a place where I don’t want to be. I am letting my negative thoughts, beliefs, and ego hold me back from creating true positive beliefs about what I can and want to accomplish.
Have you ever done this? Do you revisit the past often? Have you realized that it keeps you stuck there? Next time take notice of the thoughts that go through your mind and ask yourself if they allow you to move forward or keep you stuck in a place that you don’t desire.
Law of attraction states ‘what you focus on is what you attract’. I’ve been focusing on the pain, the ‘lack of’, the limitations, rather than what I already have and what I desire to attract in the future.
What a wonderful lesson and awareness! Even though I teach this it can still creep up on me when I least expect it.
Next time I’m in Tree Pose I won’t think about how horrible my balance is, instead I’ll be thinking how wonderful it is to have 2 legs that hold me up!
Namaste Everyone
Calgary Canada Life Coach Arianne Moore-Armstrong, founder of Path of Tranquility Coaching for Women, helps clients worldwide. Arianne is also the founder of the Ultimate Belief Breakthrough Method ™