Breaking free from self-limiting beliefs

Practices to help in breaking free from self-limiting beliefs to live in a more harmonious and balanced way.

Our mind can be our best friend if we learn to nurture it the right way. I know it’s easier said than done, but we can actually train our mind to be focused, sharp and clear so that we can use it to live joyfully and with clarity.

The mind is like an amazing software that can programmed to learn anything very quickly through repetition. Whatever we keep telling ourselves, the mind takes this as fact and records it as truth. The more we think it, then this information is eventually stored in the subconscious. Once done so, it becomes a belief, which means it can have an influence in the way we perceive the world. Therefore we need to be aware of the stories we tell ourselves, what we feed our senses with and how we look after our mind.

What are self-limiting beliefs?

Exactly as their name suggests, they are self-created beliefs which limit our potential and minimise self-confidence. Self-limiting beliefs are created through repetition, by continuous focus on these and/or from a past experience which had an impact on us, bringing us to believe something specific, which may or may not be true, but to the mind it is real. Over time, if we continue to feed these thoughts with emotion and affirming to ourselves they are true, even if they are false, our mind will perceive them as true.

Actually the subconscious has no sense of negation, so even if we say “this is not true” it will be perceived as true. The only way we can change these self-created limitations is by changing the script in our mind. And this requires plenty of patience, practice and effort.

The yogic perspective

From a yogic perspective, it is said to learn to empty the mind. This is what essentially meditation does. We sit still and watch the thoughts, whatever they may be. Without any reaction, the thoughts keep lingering in the mind and once we learn to watch and not engage with or become the thoughts, they eventually go away. So whilst this is the ideal process and solution to breaking free from all beliefs and bringing freedom to the mind, we can first learn to strengthen the mind. We can do this by bringing the mind into a more positive and harmonious state.

Here are some practices that (in my opinion) may help break free from self-limiting beliefs:

Positive affirmations

In my opinion, affirmations are the strongest way to release any kind of unwanted thoughts, feelings and beliefs. When I say positive affirmation, I mean to focus on very clear statements that you DO want to believe. To make sure that these indeed work, we have to do the work and put a lot of effort, especially at the beginning. Choose two or three specific affirmations that will turn around your self-limiting beliefs. For example: “I am open to the new opportunities that come to me”. To make it even stronger and more powerful, you can change it as if it that has already happened and affirm “I have so many new opportunities available to me everyday”. 

Start your day with gratitude

In the early hours of the day, between 4-6am, this is Vata time and when the mind is considered to be lightest. Hence why both Ayurveda and Yoga advise this time for meditation and silence practices, because the mind is less heavy and more clean/free of thoughts during this time. If we can adopt an early start to our day and practice gratitude during this time, then the mind can become a calm and more joyful internal space. During this time, before you do anything else, repeat to yourself 3-5 aspects you are grateful for. If you can also write them down, this will create an even stronger impact. Gratitude is very important because it shifts our frequency to abundance and openness of “I have so much already”. When we vibrate from an energy of abundance, we tend to attract more of that. This also removes any negative attachments, fears, doubts and toxins of the mind.

Have a consistent self-care routine

Practicing self-care is important because it means you look after yourself. And when you do this, it means you appreciate, value and love yourself. Whenever we engage in practices that make us feel good, this increases confidence and self-esteem.
Self-care doesn’t have to be a glamorous experience, it just needs to bring focus to “caring for yourself”. This means you spend time to care for your physical body and mind.
Ayurveda is big on self-care routine, especially in the morning time. During the early hours of the day, we can ground the lightness of Vata through self-massage on the body with warm oil, facial massage and a warm shower. Other practices can be taking a warm bath, soaking the feet in warm water, stretching the body lightly. But your daily self-care routine is individual to your needs, so create one which is relatable to you and makes you feel good.

Ultimately, the experience of life is how we perceive it to be. If we can learn to create a mental state of harmony and joy, then life will become harmonious and joyful.