You are strong. You are capable.
(Image: Courtesy of Rhea Davda | Design on Canva by Laura Harrold)
Posted on July 14, 2026 at 10:38 AM
For a long time, I felt inadequate and insecure. I was often called out for not speaking up in class, and at family gatherings I was considered the shyest. This energy didn’t just show up in my personality. Even in my body, I didn’t feel strong or capable. I felt afraid and unable to express myself in most aspects of my life.
When I started studying to become a yoga teacher in Rishikesh, India, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Also known as the yoga capital of the world, the city takes the practice particularly seriously. The curriculum was intense and expectations were high. But over time, I chanted to find my voice, practiced poses that helped me develop physical strength and stability, and did breathing exercises that supported my focus and made me feel more stable. I didn’t learn how to be more confident overnight, but by consistently showing up and facing challenges head-on, I felt a more authentic version of myself emerge. Who thought she was strong and capable.
Yoga explains this change with the word SwadharmaIt is a personal path or duty unique to the individual. What I’ve found is that when I’m able to connect with a purpose bigger than myself, slowly but surely, my self-confidence grows.
6 Ways to Practice Yoga for Confidence
The following yoga poses and breathing exercises won’t magically change you — and that’s exactly the point. Instead, they help you tap into inner resources that you’ve always had but perhaps needed a reminder.
1. Seated Mountain Pose (Parvatasana)
Something as simple as your tuning Posture can help you feel more confident. Mountain Pose activates your postural muscles to build that strong foundation.
How to: Sit comfortably. Extend your arms overhead, press your palms together, and interlace your fingers in a seated position Mountain pose. Allow your lower body to feel stable as you sit tall and feel the stretch on either side of your torso. Breathe here.
2. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
In yoga, your heart space represents your true self. In Cobra Pose, you share it with the world.
How to: Lie on your stomach with your palms pressed into the mat on either side of your chest. As you inhale, lift your head, neck, and chest off the mat by whatever amount is on it Snake pose. Keep your elbows bent and look forward. Stay here for 5-8 breaths, then release your chest to the floor.
3. Low lunges (Anjaneyasana)
Similar to the Cobra, the Low Lunge exercise involves a powerful core opener. In this pose, you also open your hips, which many believe helps release unresolved emotions.
How to: Come to your hands and knees. Step your right foot forward between your hands. Lift your chest and extend your arms up Low impulsion. Stay here or extend your arms slightly behind you to reach a small back bend. Stay here for 5-8 breaths, then switch sides.
4. Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana)
This powerful pose is not only physically engaging, but it is also a form of expressing your strength. As a result of embodying this steely attitude, you will tap into your “inner warrior.”
How to: Stand on the mat with your legs 3-4 feet apart. Turn your right foot toward the short side of the mat and tilt your left foot outward slightly. Bend your right knee and extend your arms out to the sides in a T shape as if you were holding a bow and arrow. Warrior 2. Look at your right fingers. Press your feet into the mat and reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling. Stay here for 5-8 breaths, then switch sides.
5. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
This pose is a beginner-friendly balancing pose that encourages sustained focus and helps build a strong lower body.
How to: Stand tall with your feet together or hip-width apart. Lift your right foot and place it on your left thigh or left calf. Press your left foot into the mat Tree pose. Press your palms together in a prayer position (anjali mudra) above your head or in front of your chest. Look at a fixed point directly in front of you to help maintain your balance. Stay here for 5-8 breaths, then lower your right foot onto the mat. Switch sides.
6. Bumblebee’s Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)
This breathing (Pranayama) Practice gently stimulates the vocal cords. With practice, the voice becomes more resonant and clearer, a skill believed to carry over into life and help you speak your truth. As with some other breathing techniques, bee breathing also helps calm the mind.
How to: Sit comfortably. Gently cover your eyelids with the first four fingers of each hand, and cover your ears with the tips of your thumbs. Inhale through your nostrils and as you exhale, keep your mouth closed and make a humming sound. Feel the vibrations The same bee Around your lips and the rest of your head. Practice this for 3-7 rounds or whenever you need a confidence boost.
