Self Esteem and Yoga

I’ve had a fabulous time leading my course called Self Esteem Group for Women.  It has way exceeded my highest hopes.   There are 13 women of ages approximately 14 to 55.  They are all very courageous and present, engaging with each other and the material.  On the first night, I asked everyone to briefly share their stories.  How has low self esteem manifested in your life, and where do you think that stemmed from?  I was totally blown away by the level at which everyone shared from the heart, the intensity of some of the stories, and what transpired from the sharing.  By the end of the group that night, everyone had opened up so much that we felt like a tight-nit group.  We finished with a group hug like we’d been together for years and were sad to part ways.

From that experience, I realized that a huge part of the healing would come simply from showing up and letting themselves be seen and heard, held and understood.  This created a feeling of sisterhood, of companionship, that I don’t think any of us could have imagined.  They had felt so alone in their feelings of unworthiness, insecurity, and self-hatred, and through this, realized that they could feel connected and supported in transforming their suffering.  That was so big, and set a great foundation for our future explorations together.

Ultimately, this feeling of connection is what we’re all seeking, and what yoga can offer.   And when we feel connected to ourselves, to a deep sense of the wise presence within, then we no longer need to look outside ourselves for acknowledgement and security.  I’m looking forward to sharing some great tools for how to do this in the upcoming classes.