In yoga, as in life, self-doubt can come creeping in any time. Sometimes we recognize it, others we don't. Often, it is a result of ego, and a way ego protects itself from a shattered self-image. It may seem like the opposite of ego, at first. Once we look closely, however, we see that self-doubt is all about holding onto a self and keeping that self separate. If we can create drama around ourselves, our successes, or our failures, we never have to let go of that big "I" which keeps us isolated from our inner deity and the love of others.

So, since self-doubt is ego, we can all benefit from releasing it. The trick is to know how to do so without creating any further neurosis around ourselves. We want to be able to let go of ego if we are to relinquish our self-deprecating habits.

Here, I have broken it down into three steps, but don't be fooled. Just because something can be put simply, doesn't mean it is simple to do. This will take hard work and is part of lifelong spiritual growth.

Step One: The first step is to recognize self-doubt and stop the thought, or counter it with another. It may be in the form of a fear, it may even present itself as a panic attack when we consider our future plans, or it may be in the form of non-trying or avoidance.

What is important in step one is to not try to correct ourselves. Just notice what we are doing. That is all it takes. Then, drop it. Redirect our thoughts toward something positive, or simply visualize what would be if anything could be. There is no reason to feel bad or guilty. Feel good. We caught ourselves in something we may not have noticed before.

This is true even if our situation is one of avoidance. Noticing ourselves in this behavior should not necessarily make us feel pressured toward confrontation. Not yet, anyway. The goal, in the beginning, is to recognize our patterns. Just see them, and let it go. If we try to push or punish ourselves, we will get caught up in our own minds. That would be going backward.

Step Two: The next step has to do with changing behavior. Once we notice our patterns, we can make plans to change future habits. For instance, if we are good at avoiding challenges, rather than forcing ourselves and arguing with ourselves the very moment we notice our behavior, we can simply set ourselves up to confront and succeed by creating a date and following through. Or try a smaller, similar challenge on our own, where we won't feel pressured or judged, then, we can prepare ourselves to face the bigger challenge when it counts.

If, on the other hand, we tend to become fearful of our futures, doubt our ability to live up to our own or others' expectations, or frequently panic, thinking we can't do all we dream of, we should spend plenty of time noticing these thoughts, recognizing them and their effects on us, and then dropping them, which is step one. For step two, we can practice purposefully, maybe for 5 to 10 minutes per day, giving ourselves positive feedback and visualizations of our future.

Step 3: The final step is consistency. Once we start, we don't let up. We don't allow ourselves to go on tangents against our own abilities, or to participate in avoidance unnoticed. We have to be vigilant with our minds.

We have almost all heard the concept of the monkey mind in Yoga, but the mind is also a drama queen. It likes to create noise and emotions and conflict. Why? Because that is one of its favorite ways to preoccupy itself. Getting caught up in drama is incredibly entertaining for this particular monkey; but, if we want our brains to be our allies, not our enemies, we are going to have to train it to find pleasure elsewhere. Just like training any animal, consistency is absolutely key.

So we must stick with ourselves, always come down on our own side, but never allow our mind to run rampant when it comes to fears, self-doubt or avoidance. We can't be a tyrant, either. We should be gentle, perceptive, and also willing to see our own behaviors without guilt-tripping ourselves for them, which just creates more drama and conflict.

Then, we can plan and carry out new behaviors for our futures. Every time we succeed, we can celebrate and smile inwardly. If we fail, we try again, without allowing the ego-drama of guilt or self-hatred to come into our minds.

And, we don't stop. As I said before, this is a lifelong journey for all of us. The kind of self-analysis that is helpful, gentle, and honest, without ego-clinging, is, most certainly, one of the hardest things we will ever do, and we will have to do it over and over again.

It is part of the Yoga path; one that helps us cultivate the kind of gratitude and humility which connects us with our deepest and most perfect inner selves, because releasing self-doubt is ultimately about releasing our egos and accepting ourselves as we are, limitations and all.