There are certain versions of ourselves we eventually realize just don't fit anymore.
The version of you who… always says yes to keep the peace, second guesses every decision, or expects things to go wrong.
And yet, the idea of shedding an old identity can bring up a little resistance.
Because maybe a part of you thinks, But I don't want to change who I am.
And you don't have to.
Shedding isn't about losing yourself. It's about loosening your grip on the patterns, stories and ways of being that you've carried for so long that they've started to feel like you.
The parts that once protected you, helped you belong, or simply became familiar, but may no longer fit the person you're becoming.
This is where yoga philosophy offers us a beautiful word for these deeply ingrained patterns:
Samskaras.
Samskaras are the subtle impressions left by your past experiences and actions. Over time, these impressions become patterns that shape the way you think, feel and behave. These patterns include the good, the bad and the ugly.
And when you repeat those patterns long enough, they start to feel like it’s just who you are.
Patanjali (A Yogic Sage) speaks to samskaras throughout the Yoga Sutras, reminding us that our repeated thoughts, actions and experiences leave impressions, and that through practice, we can cultivate new positive ones, ultimately becoming familiar with a different way of being.
😮💨 Shed Your Old Identity
In this Breathwork Meditation, we begin with two rounds of Bhastrika, or Bellows Breath, a powerful pranayama traditionally associated with building heat and burning negative samskaras.
🪷 Say it aloud with me
I am not the pattern. I am the one noticing it.
What changes is never who you are. It is only what you've been wearing. Beneath it, the witness remains.
🌬️ Current Favorites
I typically cleanse the space before a class but doing it every night has become a ritual that helps me unwind and release any heavy energy I may have absorbed. I even noticed that on the nights I forgot to smudge, my mind would be more restless.
I also love that science is catching up to this ancient practice! Studies have shown that sage eliminates roughly 94% of airborne bacteria.
Some of my favorites are palo santo and sage with cinnamon & dried orange peels. What do you use?
Flute music has been my go to lately! During morning pages, meditation, even working! There’s something about it that always brings peace to my heart. Who knows maybe one day I’ll learn to play!
Shedding isn't about forcing yourself to become someone new.
It's about making space for who you already are.
And maybe the version of you that you're becoming isn't as far away as you think.
It's been there underneath the pattern all along.
Have a beautiful week!
🌀 Ready to stress less and feel more centered? Start your breathwork journey today!
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