Doctorates, Down-Dogs and the Challenge of Self Talk (Guest Post)

This blog is new to me – but I find this post incredibly applicable!

I have been practicing yoga on-and-off for the past year and notice remarkable differences in my mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing when I practice consistently – which is why I’m currently prioritizing it as part of my “life reorganization” (more on that later).

I look forward to reading more from Fit Is a Feminist Issue!

“The day I submitted my PhD dissertation was also my 95th day of a self-imposed 100 day yoga challenge. I had never intended to complete both tasks in such quick succession. Indeed, the fact that I actually completed either task at all feels like a happy, but surreal surprise. Despite the five and half years spent researching and writing my dissertation, and the nearly four years of dedicated yoga practice, my accomplishments still surprised me. The reason being, I am a serial under-estimator. A career denial-ist. A seasoned veteran of negative self-talk.

It wasn’t actually until I developed a daily yoga practice (alongside Buddhist meditation classes I had been taking for years) that I became aware of the stories I was telling myself about myself, and began to see how these stories were holding me back. Negative self-talk usually accompanies an activity with which you might feel pride or success…

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