As a child it was apparently OK for me to say no in some situations. I remember in kindergarten the endless moments spent sitting in front of porridge oats while the other kids were playing. The teacher didn’t allow me to leave the table until I bent to her will and ate what felt to me like horribly dodgy food! It was a challenge for both of us, but in the end she always let me go. Although I won in this area, overall I actually lost myself at school and then society continued to hypnotise me and shape my character. This once brave little girl who would occasionally stand up for herself, gradually gave up more and more of her authenticity and power to the perceived expectations of society. I allowed myself to be squeezed into a way of being which imprisoned me. The realisation of this mental and physical weekness came to me through yoga. In particular, for me, all arm balances became a challenge to restore my inner strength and authenticity. We have to dare to turn the manufactured restraints of our own prison world upside down, daring to say no to fear in order to live life more freely and completely. We have to live for our passion rather than for any perceived expectations and limitations from outside of us! I am still undergoing daily mental, physical and emotional reconstruction, but it’s well worth the effort!