Feeling Stuck in Your Career? Here’s How Yoga Can Help

Another Monday unfolds, replacing the weekend’s adventures with meetings, memos, and morning commutes.

What happened to the power career you imagined — the one where waking up each morning was exciting, the office dress code was “fashionista,” and every executive decision made the world a better place? Somewhere along the way, monotony and complacency flooded in, drowning your motivation.

Albert Einstein’s famous quote reminds us that “nothing happens until something moves.” Yoga teaches that we are that something, and that once we start moving, anything is possible.

Here are three ways yoga can help unstick your career and get you back into your groove:

1. Yoga Boosts Confidence

Generating the momentum to move out of a current situation, however unsatisfying, is nearly impossible without confidence. The more disheartening the circumstance, the less confidence we have.

A yoga practice provides a nurturing embrace to the discouraged psyche, imparting confidence with every pose. Whether a beginner yogi or advanced practitioner, every foray onto the mat requires you to attempt something new — most likely to fail at your first attempt, persevere, and ultimately succeed. We condition ourselves on the mat to embrace challenges, to grow comfortable with our own discomfort, and to endure until we succeed. The lasting result is a hard-borne confidence that carries over into all areas of life, from the yoga mat to the workplace.

With your confidence reignited, formerly daunting career opportunities suddenly take on a new sheen of enticement. Office relationships that were previously draining become less prickly when you can stand confidently behind your decisions and work caliber. Confidence shifts perception, providing the necessary fuel to stimulate a new adventure or breath life into a dull workday. With a fresh morning cup of confidence, you can step into the office willing to risk failure, yet believing in your ability to succeed.

2. Stretch Your Body, Stretch Your Boundaries

Yoga stretches not just the body, but also the self-imposed limitations on our capabilities. When we participate in the physical transformation of the body and successfully manifest previously impossible feats like touching our toes, bending backwards, or even standing on our heads, our definition of what is possible for ourselves expands. We unlock creativity through movement, which a monotonous daily work routine may stifle.

Creativity stimulates growth, both on the yoga mat and in the cubicle. If you want to advance your career, you must be creative enough to conceive and initiate new possibilities.

3. Yoga Energizes From Within

Even backed by an overflow of confidence, the most creative intentions will not manifest without energy. Momentum demands we give it an energetic push to gain velocity.

You will only find defeat when you seek outwardly for the inspiration to propel you forward. Whenever we rely on outside sources for inspiration, those wellsprings eventually disappear. Vacations end, payday bonuses get spent, and even shiny new offices grow dull.

Yoga, however, recharges us from the inside. It is an honest celebration of self, regardless of outside circumstances. When we feel worthy, confident, and excited because of who we are, we become our own sources of inspiration.

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Confidence, creativity, and inspiration are all self-expressions yoga draws forth. These qualities are powerful enough to transform our bodies, expand our perspective, and add innovation to our daily work routines. When transformation happens from within, our confidence soars, we are more willing to take calculated risks, and no obstacles are insurmountable. This attitude is exactly what we need to move forward in our careers and in our lives.

Lara Alexiou is the author ofBecome the Architect of Your Body, Mind, and Soul. Visit her online at https://www.steamtownyoga.com/books and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.