Imposter syndrome: What is it and how does it hold us back?

Back in my London days, I used to practice yoga several times a week at a yoga studio in Fulham.

Despite being a qualified and experienced yoga instructor (with several regular teaching slots at other amazing studios), I never once dared to ask if I could have a teaching slot there.

Since there were many senior teachers at the studio who I admired, I saw it as being somewhere that I wasn’t “good enough” to teach at.

Even as newly qualified teachers joined the schedule, I felt stuck in my imposter syndrome thinking that their practice must be so much more advanced than mine.

Every time I wobbled or fell out of a balancing posture or failed to hold a headstand, I took it as further evidence of my imperfection. And despite being a compassionate and non-judgemental teacher to others, I failed to cultivate that caring attitude towards myself.

But over the last couple of years, I’ve been having some serious conversations with this voice in my head. The one that sometimes tells me that I’m not good enough, or liked enough, or nice enough, and I’ve consciously been questioning whether that voice is in fact right.

Now with almost a decade of teaching experience under my belt, I realised that I needed to reframe this negative narrative and replace it with some real life facts:

• I have a ton of positive reviews from students on a regular basis, many of whom come to my classes week after week

• Some of my London students still practice with me online even though we no longer live close by

• My Ibiza and Barcelona retreats sell out & people return year after year, and they refer their friends.

And so recently when I was asked to cover for one of the most senior and popular teachers here in Barcelona, I felt a little afraid, but still I said yes! And do you know what? I enjoyed every minute of it, because whilst I might not be the most advanced asana practitioner, I have been working extremely hard on cultivating the other equally important limbs of the yogic path, including Ahimsa (non-harm) towards myself.

Here’s some handy tips for kicking imposter syndrome to the curb:

Whether a yogi or not, if you struggle with the voice inside your head and feel like it’s holding you back from living the life you dream of, reach out for a free coaching discovery call. If I can silence years of negative self talk, so can you!