Fear is something very instinctive and inner in most human beings. It is normal to be afraid of the unknown, of changes or threats, of new things… Especially when you lack the confidence in yourself to overcome whatever is the test you are facing.
In yoga, being brave is something that became important to me when the inversions came into my practice. Fear of falling and hurting your body – or your ego – is common for most yogis.
In life, being brave is something hard at times. Taking new directions, losing something or someone, showing your vulnerabilities, or challenging the status quo can be very scary and intimidating. There is fear of failing, and again, hurting ourselves or others.
Be in life like you are in yoga
When it comes to being brave and overcoming fear, it’s good to follow the yogic process of mastering inversions. Trust in your capabilities is key to feel safer. That, and knowing that there is support behind you – just in case!
In yoga, this means practising regularly and not pushing yourself too fast to avoid injuries. Practise builds the right muscles – especially the core and balance when it comes to inversions – and before we realise, we have the physical and mental strength to go upside down. Our performance improves as we improve our capabilities and gain confidence. In terms of support, just something as simple as a wall, or another person, being there behind us will suffice to feel safer and have the reassurance to go up in the first place. If we fail and fall, there is a safety net.
In life, things are not too different. Being resilient and trusting our own strength is key to being able to face our fears. Knowing we will be fine, no matter what, is a great place to be in life. Again, this power is only gained by practise, by having had other difficult situations in the past and succeed overcoming them. Realising that we can face fear if needed be, and be okay.
Counting with a safety net in our life is also essential. Not an actual wall in this case, but knowing we have friends or family around who will be there if our fear paralyses us, or life challenges get very difficult. This will always be a plus when it comes to being brave and jumping to the unknown.
What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Wellbeing Lifelong 
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