Belief Mapping
/Have you ever wondered why you just can’t seem to accomplish some goals that you have? Or have you ever taken a look at your life (including where you live, where you work, you income, your lifestyle, your physical health, your relationships), and thought to yourself, “How did I get here? This isn’t where I wanted to be at my age!” … it can be hard to do a ‘life audit’ and find ourselves falling short of what we had hoped or dreamed about. The good news is … it isn’t over ‘til it’s over!
Here is a small exercise we invite you to do:
Step 1-- If you have lavender, breathe it in as you get started – lavender is an oil that encourages us to tell our truth. Other oils might resonate with you more, so use something that puts you in a good place.
Step 2 – Choose one or two results in your life you aren’t happy with. With your dominant hand, write each one at the top of a separate piece of paper.
Step 3 – With your NON-dominant hand, answer the question “What beliefs would someone have to …..” (be living paycheck to paycheck, still be single, be 20 pounds overweight, etc.)
Step 4 – Ask yourself, “How do you prove that belief is true?” – write down your answers. (Note: when you write with your non-dominant hand, you are more easily able to access the subconscious mind, and therefore pull out the truths that may lie hidden. Your dominant hand helps access your conscious/logical mind)
Step 5 – Repeat this process until you have an insight that may help you shift your belief. Often it’s enough that we just become AWARE of what we weren’t aware of before.
Notes:
Sometimes when we are shifting a very deep belief, it can be a belief we don’t even know we have – essentially, it’s invisible to us. For this reason it can be helpful to process with someone you trust you can write down your answers as you speak them aloud. If you choose to work with a partner, prep them ahead of time with instructions to simply repeat the question over and over, word for word, and not comment on any of your answers.
You will know you have discovered your first insight when you feel a new awareness to help you shift your belief or find a solution to your problem, or you may have a more emotional response such as tears or a deep sigh.
It is common to feel a bit uncomfortable doing this process because you are challenging a belief that is keeping you stuck. For example, if you are living in a desert because that’s where your family, friends and job are, but you prefer living in a rainforest – challenge what beliefs are keeping you where you are. Whatever life we are living right now is a result of our current beliefs.
The first step in shifting your beliefs is to simply gain an awareness of what your beliefs currently are.
Some yoga poses that are supportive of your identifying your truth are:
1. Hip Openers like Sukhasana (Happy or Easy Pose) and Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
2. Warrior Poses as they help you open to being present and to anticipate what is ahead, with a sense of readiness.
3. Core engagement poses like Navasana (Boat Pose) and Salabhasana (Locust pose) as firing the naval chakra allows us to tap into our creative potential.
Find these poses and more in the sequence section of our book, Essential Yoga Practice: Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience With Essential Oils. Follow along with the DVD, order yours today!