“Yoga teaches us how to find a stable self within us, one that is calm through the ups and downs.” Dr. Ganesh Mohan

Recently, I was incredibly fortunate to spend a week hiking and camping on the Larapinta trail in the Northern Territory with my dad, as part of a Habitat for Humanity fundraising initiative. The nature there initially seemed foreign and harsh to me (a girl who grew up in soft lush green forests and fields in Germany), but the more I settled into my unfamiliar surroundings, the more I “arrived” on the local country through walking in it every day, the more I was able to discover its raw beauty.

The thing that left a big impression on me was the radical changes in nature according to the seasons. Seasons in the desert are not necessarily linked to summer and winter, but wet and dry.

I was very touched by the burnt down trees and the hopeful green new sprouts growing out of black, completely dead-looking stems. It was nature’s way of saying that sometimes, the old needs to die for the new to emerge…

I often see this reflected when I am teaching students; often, just before a breakthrough happens, a new insight is gained or level reached, they feel like everything is falling apart.

Frustration, doubt and confusion are important components to help us move from old perspective to new higher level of understanding.

Returning back to my own riding training, I found myself in this exact spot. Beginning training again after some time off after a disappointing competition, I was doubting myself, feeling lost and insecure. “How am I supposed to coach other riders, and teach them about the power of yoga to improve your riding when I can’t get it right myself?!” I felt like an imposter and cheat, embarrassed and ashamed….

John Haime (author of “Ride Big”), refers to this eloquently

“Remember that everything that involves performance goes in cycles, and there will be ups and downs. This is important for you to know. If you feel your confidence slipping away, you have the choice to reel it in. Remind yourself that your confidence is built in steps over time and will last through small down cycles in your performance. You don’t lose confidence. You ultimately chose to lose it. You must take responsibility and choose to be proactive with your confidence.”

So, it was up to ME to get myself out of this downward mental spiral!

Things that helped me rebuild my confidence and find my mojo are these:

a regular yoga practice
taking good care of myself (an attitude of kindness and compassion)
seeking support from someone I trust (coach, friends)
an attitude of acceptance and trust that “this will too pass”

Anyone who has been there (and seriously, who hasn’t?!) knows the sweet taste of re-emerging on the other side of such a “dip” and I’m happy to feel like we’re getting back into our groove again!

Here’s to the new greens sprouting!

Now over to you:

What was the last time hit the downward spiral?
And what strategies helped you get back out??

I’d love to hear from you! :)

As Glennon Doyle (author of “Untamed”) says…

“We can do hard things”!

Yes, we can!

Namaste,