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I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of mind, body, and soul alignment. The idea that these three elements of our being can harmonise to bring about profound change is fascinating. It’s a notion that has guided me through various challenges in life, helping me find strength and resilience in unexpected places.

Here’s a story from my real-life archives to get you thinking about the power of this alignment and perhaps how it can help you overcome even your deepest fears

Growing up, I had aqua-phobia: a fear of water, and neither parent could figure out how it started. I was never left with anyone else, always had either parent with me, so it baffled the family for years.

I have two older siblings, both relatively more comfortable around water, so this was a little weird. My phobia was so bad as a child that, I wouldn’t walk in puddles of water, even on flat ground. If all I could see was my reflection, and not the base of the water, forget it! That included puddles on our veranda or the bathroom floor. I wouldn’t walk next to water reservoirs or play in the water at the beach either.

When the family would go on beach trips, I would stay on the shore and never venture near the water. I remember my parents dumping wet sand on me, on several occasions to compel me to wash off, but I always ended up in the car with the sand. Looking back, once should have been deterrent enough for them to never do it again, but I guess their desire for me to be comfortable around water was stronger than any amount of sand cleaning they did.

Right into my twenties, I would wake up when it started to rain and be unable to sleep until the rain stopped, even from my deepest of slumbers.
Don’t get me wrong I loved having showers and enjoyed water. It’s just whenever I thought about the possibility of being overwhelmed by water- or even slightly confronted by the reality- I got straight panic attacks and would freeze up; sometime inhibiting my breathing or movement. These attacks were even triggered when I would see rising water levels on flooding roads.

At age 22, I took my first swimming lesson. I did great with the instructor in the pool but could never get around to swimming by myself. I thought it was useless, although that first lesson did help me become comfortable when it rained, as long as there weren’t flooding roads in sight.

I remember one night in uni, walking to my hostel after lectures- it had just rained and I, along with two male friends, had to cross an almost flooded street. I got such a terrible panic attack that my two male friends had to carry me across the street. Safe to say they teased me about it for the remainder of my time in uni- whenever the clouds as much as gathered.
Hello, Edwin and Jackson!

An ex of mine once found out the hard way when he tried to dunk me into the shallow part of the beach as a joke one fine afternoon. I froze, had a panic attack underwater, and nearly drowned. Let’s just say, that relationship sank faster than I did!

I tried two other swim lessons over the next three years, during which time I mastered the techniques, but my confidence was non existent.

One day, during a yoga class with some friends, the instructor kept saying, “spirit, mind, and body alignment” I had heard those words used together before, but for the first time I was focusing my attention on what they truly meant to me in that moment. Whenever I would get into a tough yoga pose, I’d quietly take my awareness to my mind state:

“Ethel, you can do it, It’s tough right now but it will pass, it is good for you, it will make you strong and resilient.”

Silent affirmations helped me power through the pose.
When I took my awareness to my soul, I felt the desire in my heart to lock that pose in and hold it. I felt deep down the desire to master my yoga practice and the joy of having completed it.
Then I would send my awareness to my body and try to make the pose better, reminding myself of the thoughts in my mind and the emotions in my soul. This practice helped the time between poses go faster and encouraged me to build strength for years to come, but I digress.

After yoga that day, my friends and I went to hang by the pool. I remember sitting by the water with an overwhelming desire to swim the full length of the pool.
I looked quietly at the water and let that desire grow. My mind began to align, refreshing my memory of the lessons I had taken. I started to feel the muscles I would use to get across and began controlling my breath. There was a lifeguard around so I knew I was safe for the most part.

In crazy times, it is sometimes difficult to silence our minds and hearts. There is so much to do, so much to worry about, so much we desire and haven’t achieved, so many places we must be, and so little time. Especially for these reasons, it is important to sit quietly sometimes and listen to our hearts- listen to what it wants.
It could be something little, like a made bed or a clean house. It could be to be kinder to your partner or to be more generous or to be more confident or outspoken.

Take a moment to silence your mind, body, and soul. Sit silently and just focus on that one thing. If it’s smiling more at work, think in your heart how it would make you feel seeing people smile back and even wave. Envision work going smoother and cheerier and feel that feeling in your heart like it is already happening.
Think of affirmations you can tell yourself to make that desire a reality:
“I am happy,”
“I have joy in my heart,”
“I smile, not expecting a smile back, but because it is a reflection of this joy I’m holding on to.”  Anything, make it yours.

Practice over and over, being at peace; aligning your mind, body, and soul to achieve your desired results. In no time, your body will measure up to the desire in your mind and heart.
Thank you for reading. I hope this helps someone get through a tough situation… like that yoga pose.
Remember to breathe.

Light and love.
Sigillyn