These kinds of thoughts can sneak in when you're tired, overwhelmed, or having a particularly hard day. One thing goes wrong, then another, and suddenly you're not just having a bad moment, you're spiraling into a brutal internal monologue. It's the opposite of a pep talk. It's a judgment talk. And it's exhausting. That harsh inner voice doesn't make you stronger; it drains you.
You know that small, quiet panic that shivers through you when it feels like someone is watching you? Butterflies in your stomach, goosebumps, perhaps a sheen of sweat? Like you're onstage, even if that "stage" is just a public sidewalk? I used to get that feeling in yoga class. For nearly a decade, I approached each practice as a place of success and failure, all while believing that everyone present was bearing witness to, and judging, my every pose.