Discover Your Inner Strength: Navigating Confidence Through Somatic Awareness

In a world of high expectations for women, the pressure and stress can become too much sometimes. At work or in your personal life, you aim to be a confident presence, to look, talk, and present in a way that makes others believe in your capabilities and validates your strengths. However, you may often find yourself faced with doubts and fear, and maybe having a hard time showing up with the confidence you want, or you don’t feel confident enough to make the decisions that move you closer to what you want. Even though in your mind you repeat your mantras to remind yourself that you are enough, that you are confident, and that you are capable, your body seems to betray you—the surge of nervousness, fear, and stress is all too familiar.

In the middle of this internal struggle, your racing heart, clammy hands, tense shoulders, and stomach discomfort are not just unwelcome sensations—they are vital signals from your body, warning of a potential threat. Our natural inclination is to pay attention when things feel "wrong" because our survival instincts demand it. However, there's more to our internal landscape than what you think.

What if, amidst the chaos of anxiety, you could discover parts of your body (of yourself) that offer support, grounding, and a renewed sense of confidence in your capabilities? There are untapped reservoirs of strength and confidence waiting to be explored. It all starts with practice—cultivating awareness and leveraging the power of imagination to connect with the places of your body where confidence and strength reside.

How to Access Your Inner Confidence and Strength: A Step-by-Step Guide

You can start by following these steps to cultivate a deeper connection with your inner resilience:

Step 1: Cultivate Awareness

Start by engaging with your awareness, focusing on the sensations in your body. Picture a scenario where you typically struggle with confidence. As you immerse yourself in this mental image and emotions arise—nervousness, anxiety, stress—acknowledge their presence. Instead of resisting, grant them space to expand within your body. This may seem counterintuitive, but by doing so, you shift from feeling like a victim to becoming a compassionate observer. If the emotional intensity becomes overwhelming, reconnect with your breath, elongating your exhales. Return to the emotional experience, alternating between feelings and breath. Take note of any changes in your emotional and physical state.

Step 2: Recall Empowering Moments

Transition to step two by recollecting a moment when you felt exceptionally powerful, confident, and strong. Project yourself into that memory and allow the associated emotions to surface. Whether it's excitement, satisfaction, or a profound sense of self-assurance, focus on those feelings. Identify where in your body these emotions intensify. Describe the sensations—warmth, buzzing, tingling, lightness—and then extend these sensations to encompass your entire body.

Step 3: Merge Strength with Vulnerability

In the final step, put yourself in the first anxiety-inducing scenario and then bring also into your body the sensations of the strength you experienced in the second exercise. While being mindful of the uncomfortable feelings, bring your attention to the places in your body where strength and confidence manifested during the empowering exercise. Can you summon this inner strength even amid anxiety and nerves?

This practice of heightened awareness and intentional connection becomes your secret weapon. In moments of panic, acknowledge the sensations as protective signals from your body. By allowing them space, you disarm their power. Shift your focus to the powerful, trusting, and confident sensations within. Let this empowering feeling expand, permeating every corner of your being.

Remember, this is an ongoing practice, that will need a lot of repetition. As you engage in this process, you're not only confronting fear but also reminding yourself that within you exists confidence, strength, power, and trust as well.

Your body is a container, that is expansive enough to hold not only the uncomfortable but also the resilience in you, offering support if you focus and make those parts grow stronger.