Stop Hiding, Be Proud

A self-healing activity
by Zoe Davis

Stop Hiding, Be Proud!

Something that happens when we put others before us is that we forget how to feel proud of ourselves. When we aren’t proud of ourselves, we hold back, we resist life, we sabotage our efforts to move forward and feel good.

On a physical level, our bodies will immediately morph into an assumed position of withdrawal, the chest hollows out, the shoulders hunch, the head tilts forward and the lower back sinks down into itself and becomes compressed.

Let’s look at this lack of pride issue from a postural sense and shift it emotionally.

A hollowing of the chest is an obvious lack of pride, it’s the classic posture of the subservient and obedient slave not wanting to be harmed or rejected. The person has withdrawn from the environment and doesn’t want to be seen or noticed, they are trying to be invisible. They may have experienced many times of feeling invisible, maybe it started in childhood and has become a habit that happens with the family, with friends, or in a relationship or place of employment. Many times it may be a pattern carried over from a past life; we are all descendents from masters or slaves so it is likely to be passed down on a cellular level or an archetype from the collective consciousness. Somewhere in the past, being invisible or subservient has served in some way to protect against threatening circumstances; it can be a default posture, to get away from a situation or idea that is perceived as unsafe.

So, have a play with this. Take a moment to assume a posture of subservience, hollow your chest, let your shoulders sink and your head fall forward. In this position, start getting a sense of what you are afraid of, what you are withdrawing from. Focus on a particular life area or issue. Feel where you have given up trying to overcome and you have resigned to the situation. What are you avoiding? Close your eyes and let your body speak to you.

Common responses may be that, "I can’t do it. It’s too hard. Will it even make a difference? I might get rejected. I might be laughed at. I might be embarrassed. I might get hurt.” Et cetera, et cetera.

Now, try lifting your chest up, feel into your whole body lifting from the tail bone all the way up to your crown. Be aware of the pectoral muscles just below your collarbones. These upper chest muscles also cross over to the top of upper arms, allow your arms to rotate away from your midline and radiate outwards, turn your palms upwards. This action not only opens your chest, it opens your core. In kinesiology, these muscles are actually governed by the stomach energy, so lifting and opening the upper chest actually lifts and opens your belly energy, your centre, your core.

Now, with an open and relaxed chest, think about what you want to or need to overcome in your life. Think about being proud of what you have overcome in the past, and what you can overcome.

Say aloud, so that your subconscious can hear your voice saying it;

”I AM PROUD.” (Take a big breath, in with new, and out with the old.)

“I AM PROUD OF ME.” (Take a big breath.)

“I AM PROUD OF MY LIFE.” (Big breath.)

“I AM PROUD OF MY PAST.” (Big breath.)

“I AM PROUD OF MYSELF IN THIS MOMENT.” (Big breath.)

“I AM PROUD OF THE FUTURE I AM CREATING.” (Big breath.)

“I AM PROUD.” (Big breath.)

Please add anything else you compelled to say you’re proud of and breathe.
Become aware of the sense of pride lifting the muscles in your upper chest. Feel how it helps you naturally lift your heart, raise your chin, open your throat, allowing your crown to connect to life itself. Feel the difference your posture makes to your whole approach to life.

If your chest feels tender, tense or weak as you are lifting up, perhaps you need to stretch, massage, or rub the area, or maybe even get stronger with some weights, push ups or yoga. Do what resonates with you and be proud of making it happen.

How do you feel when you lift your chest and declare that you are proud?
What’s possible when you feel proud?

Practice this posture of pride wherever you are and as often as you remember for the rest of your life, especially when you are facing something you know is holding you back or keeping you down.

You are allowed to be proud, give yourself permission. Whenever you are hunching or hiding a part of yourself, make it a habit to lift your chest and spirits, and remember how much easier life is when you feel proud.

Love, pride and healing to you, always,
Zoe oxo
 
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