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Affirmations for Growth

Think about that one thing you would love to change about yourself. It could be increasing your self-confidence, breaking a habit, or getting healthier physically. Whatever it is, believing you can change is the first step. This is where growth mindset affirmations (or affirmations for growth) can be a game-changer. Even better they can not only change the game but they can give you the confidence to make a change (big or small) in your life as well.

Growth mindset affirmations are priceless!

Having a growth mindset is when we believe our talents can be developed. It’s when we realize that we can learn new things, change our mindless habits, and continue to evolve toward the person we want to be. When we live with a growth mindset, we continue working toward our dreams even when we encounter obstacles.

Similarly, flexible thinking is the ability to change our way of thinking to find new ways to solve problems. The mindfulness we learn in yoga from staying in the present moment and paying attention to our breath, allows us to take a step back and think before we react.

This quiet attention can feel like an escape from all the goal-setting, self-judgment, and competition of our modern society. It allows us to step away from the “doing” that seems to consume all the other hours of the day. This quiet attention gives us a chance to just “be” in our bodies and minds during our class.

One way to help us cultivate flexible thinking and a growth mindset that reflects our values is to use affirmations during our yoga practice. Next time you are feeling stuck or the next time you’re in a class and these poses come up, try these affirmations for growth.

I am growing.

This a beautiful affirmation to pair with Tree Pose. Think about rooting yourself into fresh, nutrient-dense soil (all of your hard work up until this point) with your standing leg, while reaching toward the sun (the goals and dreams you are striving for) with your arms.

Repeating “I am growing,” in our minds during our yoga poses helps our yoga practice grow and helps us remember that we are growing off the mat as well.

Challenges make me better.

When we work through a challenge on or off the yoga mat, we get better. Chair Pose is a challenging pose no matter how long we’ve practiced yoga. If you think it’s easy, stay longer or sit back a little deeper. Find your edge (that place where you’re working hard but can still relax your face while you breathe) and let this affirmation for growth coordinate with your breath.

Breathing in to fill your body with fuel and saying, “challenges make me better,” with each exhale. With this affirmation, we get better at the pose and in our lives.

I am evolving.

We are constantly changing regardless of if you notice it or not. We are not the same person we were yesterday. In the simplest sense, our physical bodies have created new cells and eliminated metabolic waste. Mentally and emotionally, we have changed because of what we did yesterday. Affirming the idea of constant evolution during Warrior 3 Pose (and any of its variations) helps us listen to our bodies and take the version of that pose we need in a given moment.

Reciting “I am evolving,” gives us the space to realize that we are always evolving toward the best version of ourselves in order to thrive in our environment.

I am stronger than I realize.

For every breath you take the next time you’re in Side Plank Pose, say, “I am stronger than I realize.” This affirmation can help you stay a breath or two longer than you thought you could. It is a beautiful affirmation for growth to use off the mat as well because we truly are all stronger than we realize.

You’ve done things that took more strength than you thought you had in the past and you will in the future because you are stronger than you realize.

I am confident.

Camel Pose is a great pose to build confidence because it is such a strong heart opener. In this pose, we literally roll our shoulders behind us exposing the entirety of our chests. It’s the exact opposite of how our shoulders roll forward and we bring our arms in front of our bodies when we feel insecure.

Fully opening our chest and saying, “I am confident!” is a great way to “fake it until we make it.”

I can do hard things.

Off the mat, we often do tough things. (Think about all the difficult things you have done in the past year alone!) When we do hard things, we tend to rely on our network of friends, family, and colleagues to help us through. We can do the same thing in our yoga practice by relying on props. Balancing Half Moon Pose is hard, but we can do hard things – with a little help. Lean your back against the wall, use a block, or push the bottom of your lifted foot into a wall for support in this pose. It doesn’t make you less of a yogi!

Support or no support, you’re still in a really challenging pose so remind yourself with every exhale, “I can do hard things.”

Affirmations help us continue moving forward.

Each of these affirmations can stand on its own. Make one your theme for the week and work your way through the list.

If one resonates with you more than the others, focus extra attention on it. Write it down. Stick it on your bathroom mirror or your vision board or put it on the lock screen of your phone so you read it every day.

Bring your affirmation for growth to the front of your mind when you notice yourself slipping back into an old habit or moving into a fixed mindset, where we negatively compare ourselves to others and avoid difficult situations. Remember that success, and therefore growth, comes from hard work and persistence, not just talent and intelligence.

You are growing.

You are evolving.

You are changing.

This is one of the themes Stacey Stufflebeam Yoga is based upon. You’ve got this! We’ve got this. Together. Grow with us by signing up for the Gratitude Meditation and the newsletter.

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