Power Pose

This is called a power pose. You can actually trick your brain into confidence with your own body language. I stand like this often while I teach hot yoga.

Growing up as a large, loud, unapologetic girl, I was often gently encouraged to get smaller by the world. Talk less, agree more. Take up less space, be more humble. Good girls are humble, good girls don’t speak up and cause problems, good girls ignore the truth if it’s going to create awkwardness. Don’t you want to fit in?

My whole life people were acting like fitting in is winning at life.

Getting small and fitting in is not winning. I am not designed to fit in and participate in the social obligations it requires to be liked by everyone or approved of by everyone. It only gets in the way of what I know I am here to do.

You don’t get given a voice this loud and not use it.

The first time I ever got feedback from one particular teacher at the studio, I was excited! He was a very experienced teacher and I enjoyed his class. 

As a new yoga teacher, I just wanted to be a sponge. I knew I had so much to learn and was so eager to hear what I was doing well and what I could be doing better

The owner asked him to join us after my class to discuss it. They both said kind, supportive things. 

Then he said, “Well, there is one more thing. When you stand with your hands on your hips, it kinda can come off as you know…People might perceive you as.. “

“A b*tch?” I smiled.

“You said it, I didn’t. I know you aren’t one, but remember that people don’t know you. Sometimes you need to think about body language. You are tall. You have a loud voice. Just something to think about.” 

He’s not wrong. It was something to think about.

At first, I would stand with my hands on my hips because 

#1 I didn’t know what to do with them while being up in the front of the room for 90 minutes. 

#2 I was talking too much with my hands when I would get nervous. I didn’t need to be doing an interpretive dance every time I said something. 

Now a days, teaching is such a more comfortable and flow experience that my hands don’t need to stay on my hips. 

Yet, sometimes they find themselves there. Because I am indeed sending a body language message to both you and to myself.