Cambridge Dictionary defines confidence as “the quality of being certain of your abilities…”. It sounds simple on paper, but many people struggle with the belief in their power and wisdom.
Studies show that those with lower self-confidence feel they have little control over the events in their lives. There’s an increased likelihood to be affected by external influences. This quality sets them up to be overly influenced by other people. On the other hand, those who are habitually confident possess faith in their ability to navigate life’s challenges. They are assured of their internal and social abilities.
Fortunately for most of us, confidence is not a birthright, but a skill. There are many things one can wield in their confidence-building arsenal. Meditation is a free and wholesome way to enhance overall feelings of trust in yourself.
Let’s embark on a confidence-building journey with new tools, mindfulness, and a sense of togetherness.
What is Confidence Meditation?
You will notice a confident person appears relaxed in social situations. They seem to breeze through challenging circumstances without much anxiety. Confidence meditation uses both bodily relaxation and affirmations to help you access self-trust. Meditation on confidence can deepen the understanding that everything you need is inside.
When you repeatedly practice confidence meditation, you strengthen your intuition’s clarity. You can also grow trust in your innate sense of worthiness. It is easy for us to “know our worth” intellectually, but it doesn’t mean we believe it. Confidence meditations prepare us to act from this genuine place of self-love and ease.
There are many scenarios where one can use meditation on confidence. One study took a sample of 50 students who were going to give a public speech. It found that 75% of them feared public speaking. 95% of students believed they could overcome fear through proper training. Confidence meditations can prepare you for dates, interviews, and difficult conversations. When you learn to trust your ability to identify your wants and needs, you are better able to secure them.
How Confidence Meditation Can Help Boost Confidence?
Genuine confidence is not tied to the ups and downs of others’ opinions. It is not flapped by popularity and influence. It is the deeper experience of our true nature. Our nature is the unchanging source of life and love that flows through us. Renowned spiritual teacher, Deepak Chopra, says that meditation takes us beyond thought and feeling, to the source of our being which he calls our “true self”.
When you meditate, you are inviting a release of the limiting beliefs and stories that hold you back from your full potential.
A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine tracked 465 chronically ill patients and their experience with mindfulness meditation over 12 months. The research found that mindfulness meditation greatly increased their bodily awareness while decreasing their inclination to ruminate or attach to negative thinking. This is because meditation helps to remove the boundaries between our limited sense of self, and the holistic connection with life. Meditation on confidence allows us to access a deeper sense of faith in ourselves in relation to the world.
Signs of Low Self-Confidence
Now you have a brief understanding of what true confidence is. It is equally important to be able to identify the absence of it. In this section, we will list the obvious and subtle signs of low self-confidence or self-esteem. With a heart full of self-compassion and eyes seeking truth, we can use these identifiers to gauge where we stand on our journey to a more confident lifestyle.
Healthcare professionals have identified the following symptoms of low self-esteem:
This is not an exhaustive list. Professionals have also listed symptoms as profound as anxiety, depression, addiction, and more.
Most people are prone to these symptoms at one point or another. The point of this list is not to self-condemn, but to identify our personal experience at this time. As we mentioned before, self-confidence is a practice! Gather your resources and do what you can.
Best Confidence Meditation Techniques
There are many styles of meditation that can increase your confidence. Here are a few that are well-known and proven.
Gratitude Meditation
Gratitude meditation can significantly improve overall positive feelings towards yourself and others. Being patient with yourself and warm to others are two important ingredients in a recipe for true confidence. In a gratitude meditation, focus on an object for which you are thankful. When you have this object in your mind, begin to focus on the warm feelings the body begins to produce. As you develop your gratitude muscle, you will start to see more friendships and opportunities in the world.
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation has been proven to develop one’s intelligence as well as social self-confidence. Transcendental meditation was created by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s. It is a style of meditation where you focus on a mantra to promote bodily relaxation. A mantra is a word or sound that promotes concentration. This meditation requires little to no guidance. Just relax, set aside time, and choose a mantra to which to return your awareness as the mind wanders. Improve your focus, decrease your rumination, and increase your confidence.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation combines both practices of mindfulness and meditation into one. Just like it sounds. Mindfulness is the purposeful experience of the present moment through non-judgmental awareness. This means as thoughts arise during meditation, you watch them without commentary. Another object to observe neutrally during mindfulness meditation is the breath. You take note of the present moment as an unbiased observer for a set time. By elevating mindfulness, you can enjoy a greater sense of confidence and life satisfaction.
Visualization Meditation
Visualization meditation is an ideal way to enhance confidence. With this type of meditation, you use your sensory imagination to induce a state of relaxation. Think “happy place.” From this tranquil state, picture yourself succeeding in a future scenario. Close your eyes, relax your body, and imagine how “being confident” would feel, look, and sound. Those who practice visualization can increase their confidence in their abilities by envisioning an ideal self.
How to Practice Confidence Meditation
Other Tips to Improve Self-Confidence
Meditation is a great way to set the tone for your self-confidence practice. Here are some other daily practices that you can use.
