What do you fear?

...How yoga can allow us to be afraid and do it anyway.

As many of you know I teach yoga alongside my work as a Life Coach. I do my best to apply yogic philosophy in my daily life aswell as being on my yoga mat at every possible opportunity. 
 
Within yogic philosophy are the concepts of the Yamas and Niyamas, the ethical and moral principles which offer us a profound framework for navigating life’s challenges, exploring ideas of non-violence, truthfulness, contentment and so on. My auntie kindly gifted me a fantastic book on the Yamas and Niyamas and I’ve been reading it with a highlighter pen in hand over the last few weeks. 
 
While reading the book I’ve been particularly interested in how these principles can support us in facing fear. Fear has been a theme that has been rearing its head over the last few weeks within my coaching practice in various different ways:
 

• The fear of what might happen

• The fear of what might not happen

• The fear of speaking 

• The fear of others’ reactions 

• The fear of making mistakes

• The fear of not being perfect

• The fear of failure 

 
For years my fear of not being perfect and of using my voice kept me quiet and kept me in a safe but small life. I now often see how peoples fear of failure prevents them from trying, how their fear of the unknown prevents them from taking a leap of faith toward their dreams, or how a fear of others’ perceptions or opinions silences them. 

“We need to know the difference between the fears that keep us alive and the fears that keep us from living”

Let’s look to some yogic wisdom to see how we can work with our fear, and not let it paralyse us. 
 
Fear is an inherent part of the human condition—it’s a survival instinct that arises in response to perceived threats or uncertainty. Yet, while fear can serve a protective function, it can also inhibit us from reaching our full potential if we allow it to dictate our actions. The teachings of the Yamas and Niyamas encourage us to transcend fear, acting with courage and mindfulness, even when fear is present.
 
Ahimsa, meaning Non-violence 
Fear creates violence. In grosser terms physical harm is of course violence, but fear can often lead us to more subtle forms of violence in thoughts of self-doubt, harsh self-criticism, or even self-sabotage. When we allow fear to dominate, we may harm ourselves by subjecting ourselves to cruel thoughts and restricting ourselves by not pursuing opportunities or relationships that could enrich our lives.
 
In the book Deborah Adele says “The unfamiliar can become an abundant place for our exploration once we realise this fear lives only in our imagination. It is only our minds that have created the turmoil in our gut and kept us hostage to the possibility of our own lives. 
 
Satya, meaning Truthfulness
Satya relates to truthfulness. “Truthfulness isn’t safe but it is good… If we don’t approach truth with our knees knocking we haven’t really understood the profoundness of this guideline”.*
 
Acting with truthfulness in the face of fear requires deep self-awareness. Sometimes fear arises because we are avoiding uncomfortable truths about ourselves or situations. We may fear failure, rejection, or inadequacy, but often these fears stem from internal narratives that do not align with reality.
 
To practice Satya in the context of fear is to honestly examine the source of our fear. Are we afraid because we are facing a real danger, or are we creating stories in our minds? Once we identify the root of our fear, we can act from a place of clarity and integrity, moving beyond the fear.
 
Santosha, meaning Contentment
Santosha, or contentment, teaches us to find peace in the present moment, regardless of external circumstances. When fear arises, it is often because we are fixated on the future—on outcomes we cannot control. Santosha invites us to release the need for certainty and control, and to find contentment in the process rather than the outcome.
 
In moments of fear, practicing Santosha means trusting that the present moment is enough. We may not know how things will turn out, but we can take solace in the fact that we are doing our best. Acting in the face of fear becomes less about achieving a perfect result and more about embracing the journey, with all its uncertainty.
 

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to be afraid without being paralysed. Courage is found by facing fears – the small ones, the fat ones, the embarrassing ones, the really big scary ones. To live the fullness that our life is inviting us into, we often have to let ourselves be afraid and do it anyway.”*

*The Yamas & Niyamas, Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice (Adele D, 2009)