“Look at yourself closely in the mirror, says Lauren. "As you move from one posture to the next; see how slowly and calmly you can move by looking at yourself in the mirror. Use the mirror to self-correct.”

In essence, self-awareness serves as a foundation for personal growth and improvement.

It enables us to take responsibility for our actions, learn from experiences, and make intentional corrections to align our behaviors with our desired outcomes.

The room is 105 degrees.

I shy away front the front of the room for I don’t want to see myself sweating looking twisted in the wrong direction.

But my yoga instructor gave me a new perspective…use the mirror as a helpful tool!

Lauren’s intent was to get us to look at ourselves in the studio mirrors and learn to self-correct. Are my shoulders and hips aligned? Is my chin protruding beyond my breast plate? Are my big toes touching, but heels apart?

Honestly, it was hard for me to see those things in the mirror, for I was standing almost directly behind another yogi!

Why am I not standing directly in front of the mirror, you ask?

Because I really don’t want to see my body imperfections and I’m a little embarrassed that others may notice them too!

But Lauren says, if you don’t shamelessly expose yourself in the mirror, how will you ever improve your yoga practice?

Lauren can tell me what to do, but with the mirror I can see and feel the adjustment and create new muscle memory.

But first, I must expose myself to the mirror and come to grips with my own image.

Slowly, I guide my mat to the left, getting a full-length view of myself.

And I stare at my image. “Not so bad,” I say to myself. “I’m here to get stronger and flexible. How can I do that if I’m not willing to look at myself and practice where I need to improve.

Self-awareness is helping me self-correction.

Here’s what I’m discovering:

1. 1. Self-awareness helps me focus on my thoughts of excitement as I prepare to attend yoga. Why? I love the atmosphere – the heat, the camaraderie, the cold towels.
   2. Self-awareness allows me to step back and slowly breath in the 95-degree heat and objectively evaluate my posture, my muscles, my balance. Objectively I can self-assess and yet not put myself down.
   3. Self-awareness of my personal strengths and weaknesses serve as motivation for me to improve my balance to prevent falls – a major cause of injury as we age.
   4. Self-awareness helps me set realistic goals. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses helps me establish achievable objectives and a path for self-correction.
   5. Self-awareness is a key element of emotional intelligence too. It enables me to study my emotions and question why I’m reacting a certain way; and that leads to my improved emotional health.
   6. Self-awareness encourages me to look forward to continuous improvement!

Now, instead of looking for a yoga spot somewhere in the rear of the room, I head for the front mirror!

I’m embracing opportunities to grow and self-correct. How about you?

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