I ran the words like a mantra in my mind, rolling like a yoga Vinyasa flow sequence – each word running effortlessly into the next, the sentiment slipstreaming and surging into a strong statement, building into a belief, a certain conviction – YES. It is.
I can.
And I will.
And I could.
And I did.
Hold a strong, mighty wheel pose (or full backbend), for a count of 10 (which must have been a count of 20 really, because you know how yoga teachers and personal trainers always play tricks with their counting).
Not me, but could have been me – I promise a pic
My yoga teacher had sought to inspire us to a peak in the class – this particular asana – but more than that he’d sought to motivate us to a strong self-belief that everything and anything is possible simply because it is already. Or more specifically that we could ‘accomplish’ this asana, because we already had inside us what we needed in order to do this particular asana, along with whatever else we need to achieve.
Determination, knowledge, strength, flexibility, focus, love – all inside you already, and much, much more. (wisdom, grace, resilience, compassion, insight – you get the picture).
Already we’re equipped to do everything we need to do.
Everything. Not just some things, not just the easy things. Anything and everything. Well anything and everything that I need. Or anything and everything that I need right now. Same goes for you.
When you unpack this statement you realise its power and simplicity.
It bids you to be present, in the here and now, to just draw on your inner reserves to achieve what you need to do, forgetting anything else. It reassures you that you’re ideally equipped for where you are, right here, right now. You don’t need to learn more, experience more or get stronger, fitter or smarter. You just need to be, and so do.
It also asks you to understand what you really need in the moment, as opposed to what you might want. You might want to get smarter, stronger and fitter but you are exactly where you need to be. In the future, as you change (and hopefully grow), you will discover the reserves within you to do exactly what you need to do in that moment, to be exactly who you are meant to be.
In the meantime you just need to be content that you have everything you need. You don’t need to worry about the next step and you don’t need to do a particular asana if it is not what you really need to do right now.
So you harness the power of knowing you can, with the power of knowing that it’s OK if you don’t – simultaneously – P2
According to Leo Babutu of Zen Habits “happiness is uncovering what you already have.”
Michaelangelo saw David in a slab of marble – all he had to do was chisel away the parts that weren’t David to reveal what was already there, waiting to be uncovered.
Brian Tracy wrote: “You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.” So even when things turned pear-shaped, you have within you what you need to say confidently: ‘she’ll be apples’.
You know I’ve heard/read the words before that my yoga teacher reinforced so well, but somehow they really sank in – and so I found what I needed within me to do a mighty full backbend. And you know I used to do that wheel posture, all the time and quite easily (even if it was ten + years ago) and I’ve been building up and doing it again.
This may be me, one day.
Discovering that wisdom and strength and whatever else you need already inside you – it can’t get any easier, nor any more powerful.
What’s inside you, waiting to come out? Linking up with Essentially Jess for another IBOT.
21 Comments on “Everything you need now is already inside you”
Love this post Kathy. Thanks. Looking forward to pics of you in pose xx
I will get some pictures – can’t exactly take them in the middle of class and you (well I do) have to be warmed up and your spine stretched before you can get into deeper poses. But I will get a shot at some stage.
This shall be my mantra for the next 12 months I think. As I move towards finishing my masters degree, and start looking for jobs etc., I need to fully believe that I have it all inside me to succeed! I can, and I will. Thanks Kathy. x
Aroha – I think you are proving the mantra every day in how well you are doing with your masters degree and balancing it with live. Just keep on believing.
It’s a comforting thought to know that we have everything we need right now to do everything we need to do. Obviously I don’t need to do that pose coz I know there is no way I could do that right now! I look forward to seeing a pic of you doing it (which I have no doubt you can do)!! x
It is comforting and liberating I reckon Min – we just have to keep reminding ourselves of it and remember the times when we have ‘nailed things’ to remind us how true it is – everything we need now is inside us.
That is deeply inspiring Kathy. The pictures are too! There were some girls doing yoga on stand up paddle boards at our local beach recently. It was for a photo shoot for swimwear. Looked amazing.
Glad you got something out of it Michelle – I was certainly motivated by my yoga teacher and just wanting to pass on that motivation. I think there is a special balance in doing yoga on a paddle board – I will have to try it.
Wow. Those poses are off the hook amazing. Would love to see your pic one day. Your flexibility is amazing. I love your thought process in this post. I really do. I think it is something I will continually need to remind myself. It’s a confidence thing. Great post.
Thanks Renee – I think it is about matching a feeling of confidence with something you did that ‘proves’ your confidence. So now when I’m feeling less than confident in whatever situation I’m going to try to think of doing that full backbend wheel pose and nailing it and bring that feeling with me.
Oh yes… Very true. It’s like the quote from the Wizard of Oz – about them having had what the wanted (power to return home, heart, brain, courage) all of the time.
As for understanding our needs vs wants. I’ve still got a way to go on that one!
Deb
Of Course – wisdom from the Wizard of OZ – love it.
In my head I believe this, I just need to follow through with my heart.
I know in my HEART that I can but I just need to tell my HEAD to get over itself. X
I wish my head would listen more to my heart too!
Maybe it’s emotional intelligence we need – that precious combo of faith and smarts, love and wisdom.
Wow Kathy, this is quite amazing. I really love those sentiments – simple and powerful indeed. It takes an awful lot of strength some days to stop trying to race towards goals and just appreciate the day to day. I am also very guilty of considering myself to be ‘not enough’ (not smart enough, not fit enough etc) and looking externally to ‘find’ these qualities. I’ll be giving your words a lot more thought x
Thanks Lara – glad you got something out of it. The yoga teacher who inspired me says a lot of wise things but sometimes we just have to be ready to hear and believe don’t we.
Love this post Kathy. It’s something I also believe to be true – but there are days when I still need convincing! Hats off to you for attempting that pose x
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