Theme for October: Overcoming Fear

“There is no illusion greater than fear.”
Lao Tzu

Every month in my Yoga classes, we work around a certain theme. The yoga practices that I put together for these classes are created with that goal in mind. I use the principles of Vinyasa Krama (not to be confused with Vinyasa Yoga). Vinyasa Krama is translated as “wise progression” or “intelligent sequencing.”

Vinyasa = Synchronizing Breath and Movement
Krama – Orderly/Wise Action

Every asana (the physical postures in Yoga) included in the practice is there for a specific reason. So with this intention, we’re working on creating a sense of empowerment (twist poses), being reminded to stay grounded and true to our authenticity and love (standing poses and heart-opening back bending poses).

Our apex/peak asana for this month is Camatkarasana (Miracle Pose, also known as “Wild Thing”) for my Monday morning class at Keith Family YMCA and for my Wednesday morning classes at IM=X Pilates & Fitness, Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose – demonstrated below by one of my former aerial yoga students, Danielle Bisheit).

For the students who are working up to these asanas, I always provide modifications (I advise them to skip the Wheel Pose and stay on their knee for Miracle Pose/Wild Thing):

 

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Getting Personal

I find myself being driven by fear and guilt. I will complete a task because “if I don’t, I will feel guilty.” I’m not this way all the time; in fact, when I spend some great quality time in “The Word” (aka The Bible), meditation, and conversations with God (aka prayer), I am more inclined to do things out of love. I feel more compelled to live out my authenticity.

Recently, I noticed that I was feeling defeated at the end of each day. I felt like I was not productive because I didn’t get everything done that I planned on completing that day <insert guilt here>. Just as a point of reference, this was a typical day:

After that realization of feeling defeated, I prayed one morning for God to help me get everything done that day. And then — as I always do — I sat still and waited for God to speak to me. He revealed to me that I had way too many things that I wanted to accomplish each day. It may have worked when I was nineteen with no aches and pains, full of energy and when multi-tasking was a way of life. That is no longer me. So I changed my prayer request. I asked God to reveal the things I didn’t need to do that day. Sure enough, things started getting cancelled out of my schedule. Instead of filling those open slots with something else, I used those times to do things I enjoyed: I read, I took extra walks around the neighborhood, I listened to podcasts, I baked, etc.

I love my new schedule. Setting myself up for success feels awesome! I ask for more help from friends (instead of driving my daughter and her friends to places, I ask one of the moms if they can pick-up if I drop-off) and family (which they are always more than happy to help out). I try to multi-task less so that I can give my full attention and energy to a single task.

So back to overcoming fear: What you think is your fear may not actually be the source of it. In my case, the source of my fear wasn’t not being able to doing more but rather the fear of not being enough which is a total lie from the enemy:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Romans 8:37

Don’t believe the lies. Most of the things we fear are lies, an illusion that will most likely not even happen anyway.

With Gratitude,

Click here to find out more about my new book, Be Still: The Power of Biblical Meditation