“Peeling Back Layers” to Unlock Strenghts: Personal Growth in Yoga & Positive Psych

What if the real work of growth is not changing yourself, but nurturing the strengths you already have?

As someone deeply rooted in both yoga philosophy and applied positive psychology (aka the science of well-being), I’ve come to see interesting overlaps between these fields.

Positive psychology is a modern, research-based field, while yoga philosophy, spans thousands of years back to ancient Indian traditions and continues to inspire us today.

While the languages and explanations used in these two fields are very different, I find that many insights are similar. Both remind us that growth isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about uncovering the strengths that are already part of you

In yoga philosophy, personal growth is described as “peeling back the layers” to connect with our inner strengths. These "layers" could be habits, distractions, limiting beliefs, and stories we tell ourselves. And we peel these layers by practicing self-awareness and reflection.

Modern research and theory within the field of positive psychology echoes this beautifully. The VIA Character Strengths framework teaches us that we all have 24 strengths within us, like kindness, fairness, and creativity. The journey is about noticing them, nurturing them, and actively using them in our lives.

I appreciate how both yoga and positive psychology celebrate this idea of inner wholeness. Yoga uses the metaphor of “peeling back the layers” while positive psychology provides a research-backed lens to cultivate well-being by focusing on strengths.

This strength-based approach is core to my work as a well-being practitioner. I deeply resonate with the idea that personal growth is not about becoming a new version of yourself, but simply becoming more YOU!

What do you think? I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to send me an email or DM me on Instagram.

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