Yoga and Self Connection.
Are You Connected to Yourself and Can Yoga Help?
What is self connection?
Is self-connection happiness? Is self-connection mindfulness? Or is it acceptance? Is self-connection something you should even care about?
To answer any of those questions, we must first define ourselves. Who are you? What self-concepts do you carry over into your definition of your true self? (Oyserman, 2001). You might get stuck here. Answering the question of who our true self is is difficult. Possibly, you can identify your true self but feel disconnected. It is also paramount to understand that negative definitions of “self” exist. Negative definitions of self can be “objectively bad,” like, “I’m a theft.” Or defined by something that walks a grey line, such as, “I am selfish,” which is not always the worst thing in some instances. The “self” is complex, surprising, and can only be intimately known if intentionally explored.
Depending on where you are mentally, one could consider using the concept of self-connection to promote your well-being and health.
We will explore ways to improve or deepen your self-connection to increase overall well-being and health.
Concerning this article, we will define “self-connection” as it is defined in The Importance of Awareness, Acceptance, and Alignment With the Self: A Framework for Understanding Self-Connection (Klussman, et.al. 2022). Self-Connection is:
Self-Awareness
Acceptance of oneself based on that awareness
Actions that align with the self-awareness of oneself
These factors are not hierarchical. They act together rather than in succession.
Another way to digest the three factors of self-connection, Awareness, Acceptance, and Alignment is to imagine yourself at the movies. One might already feel a baseline excitement or joy because you’re about to see something new. We will give ourselves four joy points on the scoreboard. Not bad, but imagine, with self-connection, collecting 10 joy points.
In our example, we’ll start with self-awareness. We are not immediately always aware of why we do something. To understand why and become aware, we must become curious. Curiosity in why you’re excited to see this movie can show up through a few simple questions. Is it the cast or the genre? Maybe it is based on a book you can now see come to life. By asking yourself these questions, you increase your joy points by two!
As you approach the concession stand, you finally accept that you do not enjoy movie theater popcorn. It’s a hot take, but you are who you are. Instead, you order nachos and water against all social norms. Accepting what you like contributed to an action that elevated your movie experience even more - 2 extra joy points. Finally, you approach the movie entrance and turn around behind you to hold the door for a stranger - you are seeing this movie alone. Your awareness of yourself to be comfortable and alone every so often has led you to the ultimate movie-going experience ever - 2 extra joy points! What a time. Subsequently, regardless of what that movie is about, you might leave that experience glowing, floating, and elevated because of the time you took for self-connection.
Unfortunately, self-connection is not that simple to enact, nor is it that simple to identify. We are complex individuals who can experience conflicting self-concepts, making it difficult to always act in alignment (Harry, 2022).
Why is self-connection important?
We might understand better what self-connection is but have questions about why it is necessary. Self-connection is essential to well-being, happiness, and health because maybe movies do not provide any joy points for you. Whether you have popcorn and a slushy or are there with your favorite person, ease, joy, and happiness are not experienced.
Self-connection is necessary because it can lead you to make decisions and behave in ways that promote your internal joy and happiness.
Mentally, self-connection can be practiced through self-awareness and acceptance. Intentionally finding your true self can alleviate internal conflicts and turmoil. This mental journey might take the form of overcoming trauma or past lived experiences. The mental journey is one of introspection and time.
Physically, self-connection can show up through the actions we take. Movement and food decisions that align with our true selves.
When we are less aware, accepting, or acting in alignment with ourselves, our self-connection is lessened. Resulting in actions and thoughts that work against our true self and create internal conflict; risking our happiness and joy. You can still have a joyous time at the movies, but 10 points is better than 4.
So is self-connection joy? Is it happiness? Is it one thing or the collective?
Self-connection is self-study uniting with physical actions, bound by our innate desire to be happy (for some, finding enlightenment).
Yoga as a bridge to self-connection?
When one is a student of a yoga practice that incorporates the 8-Limbs of Yoga, the practice itself is rooted in self-study, along with discipline and dedication. The intention to self-study through yoga can lead a student to a new level of self-connection.
How does this type of self-study unite with the body? A yoga practice can be demonstrated in 3 ways:
Mediation
Breath
Movement
How Meditation Can Help with Self-Connection:
During meditation, our bodies are still, our breath is deep and steady to begin, and our mind is focused before entering a stage of ease. Meditation and mindfulness can contribute to an increase in self-connection because of the intentional time to sit with oneself and become an observer of one’s thoughts and emotions (Klussman, 2022).
There are many forms of meditation: silent meditation, guided meditation, or sound meditation. Many physical yoga practices also encourage meditation during practice to steady the mind, control our senses, breathe, and contemplate or bring awareness to one’s thoughts and body.
Another form of meditation is active through journalling or a mindful walk. Both activities encourage focus of the mind, body, and breath and provide intentional time for self-awareness and connection.
How Breath or Pranayama Practice Can Help with Self-Connection:
A breath practice or pranayama practice can encourage connection moments and add joy points to one’s day. Our breath is our life force. Our breath is also the tool that sends small messages to our bodies and minds to prepare for something. If we notice our breath is short and lives in our chest, we might inadvertently activate our sympathetic nervous system, aka, we might be stressed out. Letting out a big sigh allows for a moment of clarity and eases our minds and bodies. This aids us in accepting that stress or becoming aware of it at all. Awareness and acceptance are both critical elements of overall self-connection. If you’re finding yourself taking many sighs throughout your work day, it might prompt you to pause and consider what actions you can take to find more alignment with what increases your joy points.
How Movement Yoga Practice Can Help with Self-Connection:
When we say yoga, movement is often the first thought. We’ll stretch ourselves to Nirvana and all will be right in the world!!! Well, not so much. Without the practice of meditation or the ability to steady our minds paired with awareness and control of our breath, a yoga movement practice can become just another form of exercise without the self-connection benefits. To extract all the rewards of a physical yoga practice, one must bring awareness, acceptance, and intention to the mat. The physical act of Yoga is primarily one acting in alignment with who they are. One finds who they are through meditation and breathwork more than pyramid pose. Students experience more joy points when going to yoga than when not.
It is key to mention the scope of yoga is non-competitive. The non-competitive nature of a group yoga class provides a safe zone for mutual encouragement and fun. This different physical way of accepting where one might be and having fun with it, paired with breathing and meditation forms a very powerful union (Klussman, 2022).
Here at the Yoga Collective, we strive to weave yoga into all facets of life! Why? Because we love yoga! What it has done for our lives and what we believe it can do for others. We hope to expand the knowledge of yoga, and its benefits, and you trust us with your journey.
Harry, J. (n.d.). How to manage inner conflict and find Wellness. UT Southwestern Medical Center. https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/about-us/faculty-wellness/archives/thrive/inner-conflict.html
Klussman, K., Curtin, N., Langer, J., & Nichols, A. L. (2022). The Importance of Awareness, Acceptance, and Alignment With the Self: A Framework for Understanding Self-Connection. Europe's journal of psychology, 18(1), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.3707
Oyserman, D. (2001). Self-concept and identity. In A. Tesser & N. Schwarz (Eds.), The Blackwell Handbook of social psychology (pp. 499–517). Malden, MA, USA: Blackwell. 10.1002/9780470998519.ch23 [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
