I was so incredibly honored to teach a local yoga class a few weeks back. I focused my 90 minute class around the concept of having my students develop their own "I AM" statements. This was an exercise that I was so blessed to be a part of when I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher certification. It was an exercise that brought tears, positivity and shared connections.
All too often we hear the little voice on our shoulder whispering to us about our inadequacies and our flaws. The voice begins to rhythmically chant until those flaws are the only thing we hear. And, unfortunately, the only thing we may believe. I have been fortunate to have a great group of people that I have chosen to insulate myself from negativity. In my world, there is no place for negativity. I have banished that voice on my shoulder and even those who have drained me emotionally. I understand the struggles, but I also understand that each one of us has the choice of how we will deal with life's challenges.
I get it. Being a hip patient is not for the faint of heart. The trip includes the embarrassing disposable blue shorts (which I have been able to expertly avoid) to the 6 inch (or longer) needle used to inject the hip joint with whatever med is deemed appropriate to the terror of surgery, I have been there. Too many times to count.
But, and there is always a but! I will restate. We all have the choice of how we will deal with those challenges. Will we decide to have the toxic side effects of that negative voice perched on our shoulder? Or.... Will we decide to embrace the strongest medicine of hope and love? Oh, I know...I sound like a Hopeful Hippie. Some of you may be rolling your eyes right about now. That is totally okay. I know there are plenty of you out there who believe in the power of love and hope in your hip journey. Love for yourself. Love for your positive outlook. Hope that there is something to be learned (and shared) from your hip journey. Hope that this will be a blip on your life's radar. Hope that you will continue to embrace positivity as an adjunct to your medicine called Love and Hope.
I had hoped that my yoga students would come away with an idea. An idea that even though they may have a lower case "i am" as their background noise, their uppercase "I AM" statement by far outshines and dictates that they see themselves as resilient, strong, persistent, flexible and, above all, positive and hopeful. So, what is my "I AM" statement? It is something that I have worked long and hard on. It is a statement that others have used to affirm me. It is something that I'm completely okay with now. I am perfectly imperfect!
Now, you go find your "I AM" statement and live by it! Repeat it to yourself until you believe your voice instead of that imaginary one perched one on your shoulder.
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