Use mindfulness to take back your power - WITH GUIDED MEDITATION

We all have an immense amount of inner power within us, and I think why is it then that some of us can feel so powerless in so many different situations? How and why do we give up our inner power?  And when we feel like we have lost our inner power, how do we reclaim it?

Whether you call it inner power, personal power or empowerment, we all have it and I am increasingly finding that the lack of inner power is causing of a lot of frustration or unhappiness. In many conversations recently I have found that the driving force behind peoples issues is that they have unconsciously given up their personal power or they have become submissive to other people's power.

I am a yoga teacher, and in yoga we talk a lot about owning your own space and how important it is as a yoga teacher to hold the space when you are teaching a class. I have taken this concept to all areas of my life, for example; I am an expert at work, I am in expert in yoga, mindfulness and meditation and I am an expert in my family. In each of these roles, I hold my space and to me this means reinforcing my inner power. 

How mindfulness can help
We all know those really calm and wise people who at the same time are really powerful, their inner power radiates from them. What do they do differently? I have listed some tips below on how YOU can be mindful and reclaim your inner power so that it can radiate from you too. You are so powerful and mindfulness can help you unlock this power and help you block out outside noise so that you can just focus on yourself and your own power. Tips include:

Be conscious of your physical presence - Stand tall, strong and confidence. Be aware of your physical presence and posture. This will help you feel empowered and boost your self confidence. Not only will this make you feel good but people will also take notice.

Raise awareness of your own inner power - Be aware of your inner power and if you feel like you have been disempowered - take it back! Set the intention to take back your power and more importantly GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE POWERFUL.

Set clear boundaries - Set boundaries in your life. If you haven't done this yet, then start. Be assertive about your own personal boundaries and don't feel that you need to push your own boundaries to make others happy (especially if this makes you unhappy in the process).

Lead by example - You can't control other people but you can lead yourself and I have found leading by example really empowering.  There is a lot of strength in backing yourself and leading by example will bring you a lot of credibility and awareness of your own actions.

Choose you battles - Don't try and fight every battle, choose your battles wisely and this can be very empowering as you are choosing where you focus your energy. Some things can just be let go of without having to fight, so choose to go with the flow and don't take on all the battles in your life. Also remove yourself from other peoples battles (they have their own lessons, as do you!).

Short meditation for inner power:

1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position
2. Close your eyes, feel your eyes soften and loosen your jaw (we hold a lot of stress in the jaw) 
3. Take 3 deep breaths and feel yourself settling into your body
4. Choose one or all of these and repeat over in your mind:

• I am worthy of my power
• I take ownership of my power
• I give myself permission to be powerful 
• Using my inner power helps me to be kind to myself
• Using my inner power helps me to be kind to others

      5.  In your own time, bring your attention back to your breath and observe how your body is   
           feeling and observe how your mind is feeling
      6. Gently bring awareness back into your physical body and open your eyes.

Being aware of your power gives you a sense of empowerment. Nobody owns your power but you so don't let anyone take it from you. Stand strong and feel your own sense of power and hold your own space. You are worthy and powerful. Believe in yourself.