How Yoga Teaches Us to Believe in Ourselves: Lessons From the Teachers Who Inspire Us

Sep 6

2 min read

Some teachers change our lives simply by seeing us. They notice the quiet child in the back of the classroom. They recognize potential in the student who doesn’t yet recognize it herself. They encourage us to try something we’re afraid to attempt. They remind us that our voice matters. These teachers don’t always realize the impact they’ve had.

Maybe it was a teacher who encouraged you to apply for something you thought was out of reach. A coach who pushed you a little harder. A yoga teacher who helped you discover that your body could do more than you imagined.

Or perhaps it was a parent, grandparent, friend, or mentor who simply said:

“I believe in you.”

Sometimes that is enough to change the trajectory of a life.

In yoga, we often borrow someone else’s belief in us before we develop our own. A teacher may offer an invitation:

Try. Stay. Breathe. You can do this. Eventually, their voice becomes our own. And one day, we realize that the person we needed to believe in us most was ourselves.

Our mantra for the week…

I am capable of becoming more than I imagined.

Repeat it slowly with your breath:

I am capable…

of becoming more…

than I imagined.

Our journaling prompts are…

Who believed in me before I fully believed in myself?
What did that person see in me that I couldn’t see yet?
Where in my life am I being invited to believe in myself again?

And our meditation is…a meditation to strengthen your inner voice (10 min)

Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

Take three slow breaths.

Now imagine yourself at a younger age — perhaps at a moment when you felt uncertain, nervous, or not quite enough.

Picture that younger version of yourself.

Now imagine someone you love and trust walking toward her.

Notice the way they look at her.

There is no judgment.

Only belief.

Hear them say:

“I see you.”

“I believe in you.”

“You don’t have to have it all figured out.”

Allow those words to settle.

Now imagine that you step forward and become that supportive voice for yourself.

Place your hand over your heart.

Say:

“I see you.”

“I believe in you.”

Take one final breath.

And when you’re ready, open your eyes.

The best teachers don’t simply give us knowledge. They give us a glimpse of who we might become. This month, remember the people who saw your possibility. And then ask yourself: How can I become that person for someone else? Sometimes the greatest gift we can give another person is the belief that they are capable of more.