A R I A D N E / / K A P S A L I
6 spectacular ways to feel empowered
I am so often in awe of all the incredible things people in my life achieve every day. It’s amazing and most of the time, it’s inspiring. Yet there are times when being exposed to other people’s greatness rather than stirring up my own power, makes me feel really, really small. I know I’m not the only one that has stood up in front of a crowd, whether it’s a presentation at work, a group class or workshop, or a networking event, feeling like an anxious mess on the inside and filled with fear talk of “I have nothing to offer”. Fear will cause us to curl up and want to hide, fear will cause withdrawal. Especially when you’re called to make conscious changes in your life, there will be times when you will inevitably feel like you’re the tiniest, powerless, incapable creature. Why? Because our ego would rather make us feel powerless and therefore unable to take a step forward, than allow us to step into our power and create meaningful change.
I’ve worked with heaps of women who talk about building the lives of their dreams, yet when it comes to taking that scary step and showing up, they feel powerless and overwhelmed. If that’s how you feel, please know it’s so common and so human and you can overcome this with simple practices and persistence. I’ve summarised my best tips below on how to shift this negative energy and feel empowered.
+ Claim your space in the world:
We know that our body language plays a huge role in both how others perceive us but also how we feel. What we also know now is that body language can actually cause emotional changes. There’s plenty of research on this, but one of my favourites is this TED Talk. When we feel powerless, afraid or unsure of ourselves, we literally begin to shrink. We simply want to hide as a way of protecting ourselves from harm. Even though curling into the foetal position and hiding under the covers may provide temporary relief, we also know it’s a sure way to dig yourself deeper into your hole of fear. By expanding our physical body, standing tall, opening the arms with the palms open and taking up more space in the world, it is proven we actually start to feel more and more confident. Trust me, it works. We also send a signal that we are open to receiving. Maintaining the power pose for at least 3 minutes when you feel small send a message to your brain that it’s safe for you to show up as yourself.
+ Connect each breath with your intention to step into your powerful self:
Close your eyes, relax your posture and watch your breath for a few moments. Allow the breath to take over and let it take space in your torso. Let the breath feel really good. With each inhale feel yourself becoming more and more powerful, more and more present, more and more tuned into the Now. With your exhalation anchor yourself deeply into your intention of empowerment. Stay and breathe like this for a few minutes.
+ Flood your life with yellow to activate the 3rd (solar plexus) chakra:
Spend time in the sunshine or visualise your solar plexus (the area between your stomach and your ribs) being filled with a stream of bright light from the sun. Wear yellow clothes, eat yellow foods, change your screensaver to a yellow background or get yourself some yellow flowers. Colour is one of the best ways to balance your chakras and uplift your mood.
+ Build your core strength:
To activate a slow or imbalanced 3rd chakra try building strength in your core. Working on your abdominal muscles is probably the least spectacular way to feel empowered, I know. However, having a weak core, also causes a weak connection to our spiritual Self, which in turn maintains the sense of feeling emotionally weak or insignificant. A lack of connection to our core leads to feelings of inadequacy and like you have nothing to offer. So get your workout clothes on, plank it out, do your sit ups, or if you’re a yogi, try Kapalabhati Pranayama.
+ Harness the power of nature:
Eat empowering foods like ginger, fennel, grapefruit, chilli, turmeric. Try new foods, experiment, see how you feel! Inhaling essential oils like ginger, bergamot, lemongrass and clove helps to shift limiting beliefs, anchor you into your core and raise your self esteem. So easy and so yummy!
+ Relax:
Finally, teach yourself to let go of effort. One of the best ways to step into your power is to stop trying so hard. Effortless surrender. Letting go of the need to control the outcome. When you trust that you are held, that you are infinitely protected and at the same time show up fully for yourself, you can allow yourself to loosen the grip on life. Understanding that your job is to show up fully for your intention and then let go of your expectations, so that you act out of trust and not of fear, is the key to stepping into your absolute power.
Photography: http://hayleyfrancesphotography.com/
