You make thousands of decisions each day. Some sources say that adults make 35,000 decisions a day!
Is your decision making leading you where you want to be? Are you content with your choices or do you sometimes feel regret? You know yoga teaches lots of different life lessons, so let yoga help you make decisions and give you a content and fulfilled life.
Risky choices won’t seem as daunting
Some decisions may require serious analysis and reflection as they may impact our lives and those around us. It usually involves some type of risk, like whether to quit a job, move to another country, or make a leap with someone special. When big questions are in front of us, you might make a list of pros and cons, consult with friends and family, minimize regret, or even flip a coin!
Yoga teaches us that the knowledge and wisdom required for this life are already inherent in ourselves. But, to use this inherent wisdom, we need to: 1) see the wisdom within ourselves; and 2) trust in that wisdom to follow through.
Use the wisdom within
Seeing the wisdom within ourselves is fairly simple. It’s about quieting down the chatter in the mind so you can hear that wisdom. Meditation is a very effective way of quieting down this chatter and removing doubt and fear. You probably won’t get an instant decision the next time you meditate, but taking the time to meditate allows the truth within ourselves to sing through the noise and negativity.
In times of stress, you’ve likely veered away from your practice. As the 16th century saying from St. Francis de Sales goes, “Half an hour’s meditation is essential except when you are very busy. Then a full hour is needed.” Take a little time each day to calm the mind, meditate, and get back to your wisdom.
Trust your gut
Trusting in yourself to actually use that wisdom is within reach — it’s just a matter of practice. By trusting yourself and your intuition, experiencing the consequences, and realizing that you made the right choice, you’ll strengthen this muscle. It’s not easy to trust in your feelings because we’re so programmed to think instead of feel.
Try it with small decisions, like the next time you begin to feel hungry — scan your body, internal organs, taste buds. What do they say? Try not to use your mind, only use your senses and feelings. Your body will know what is best for you to nourish and satisfy without feeling heavy or sluggish afterwards.
Practicing yoga asanas helps you get more in touch with your body and increases your self-awareness. The more you strengthen this “trust and intuition muscle”, the more comfortable you will be to use it at important times.
Making decisions can sometimes be scary, especially when the consequences of making a decision are life impacting. Knowing that you have the answers within to make the right decision will provide comfort in times of unrest. Keep strong in your yoga and meditation practice, especially in times of stress, and let your yoga practice extend beyond your yoga mat into your everyday life.