This month our meditation focus is “a potential we have that we might not be nourishing.” 

(As is the case with these meditations, it’s not possible to think your way into the ‘right’ answer. You move a bit; you create the mental conditions; you see what comes up.)

For me, what came up was ‘authority’.

For some of you, this might be surprising, as I am rarely at a loss for an opinion (informed or not.)  Not to mention (if we are being literal) that I am –literally– the author of three books*. 

That ‘authority’ came up did not surprise me, however. 

As mentioned in my last post , recently I have been struggling with imposter syndrome.

What to do?

As is the case when I’m in this type of quandary, I decided to look up the etymology of authority and what I discovered was enlightening:

According to linguist Emile Benveniste, auctor (which also gives us English “author“) is derived from Latin augeō (“to augment”, “to enlarge”, “to enrich”).

Oh, OK. I can do that. 

In fact, I’m happy to do that as it dovetails nicely with the primary tenet of yoga therapy: that the client has their answers – their healing– inside them; our role is to hold space for them as they heal.

“Well, hurray for you, Frances,” you may be thinking, “but how does this help me be the authority in my life?”

Well, my hope is that you, too, will be relieved by the notion that you don’t have to have all the answers. 

All you need is the intention of enlarging and enriching your life—giving yourself space to discover the answers inside you.

Which is something I know you can do.

• Regarding the photo; I have no intention of writing an autobiography. If I did write one, however, you are looking at the title.

For more fun with etymology, look at “Sacred Mistakes Ahead” (And They’re All Mine).