We are all raised with belief systems that we feel like we own and are even proud of. And then one day someone says something that makes you stop and question. Is what I know real? Where did I even learn this from?
Tiny, hidden belief systems live in your body. They’ve lived there for years. Some are very healthy, and some are not. They may not only be holding you back, but they may be creating suffering or pain, both emotionally and physically.
For instance, let’s take the belief system of productivity. If you’ve ever experienced “I don’t have time”or “I’m too busy for this” or “There are not enough hours in the day,” you may be experiencing a hidden belief that being busy makes you more worthy than when you’re relaxed and resting.
Therefore, you have guilt when you are not doing anything. And you work harder than you should, wearing you down.
Where Did This Belief Come From?
Our belief systems form when we are young. If we are exposed to healthy beliefs, we create a foundation that helps us grow. But if hidden beliefs sneak in, often through simply observing others’ behaviors, an unhealthy foundation begins to form.
We don’t even realize hidden beliefs are there (duh, because they’re hiding), and we still base decisions on them, simply because we always have. If we think it to be true, in our brains, it simply is. That seems pretty important to understand, evaluate, and possibly change.
How to Find Your Hidden Beliefs
So how do we find our hidden belies? And how many are there? Don’t get overwhelmed, it’s all a part of the process to find them. Think of it like a little adventure into your soul, setting off to find the real parts of you that may be tucked away, waiting to be found. When you find them, you upgrade to the best version of yourself.
The key to finding your belief system is to learn how it feels in your body—your map.
Here is your map to finding those hidden beliefs:
- Conduct a sway test. To prepare, stand before a mirror and ask yourself if you have a hidden belief. Perform the “sway” test, rocking forward for yes or backward for no. Your body will provide answers if you are hydrated and honest with yourself. (Yes, water matters.)
- Breathe and connect to your higher self. While lying still, breathe controlled breaths into the belly: in through the nose, out through the mouth. Count backward from 100 with closed eyes, turned upward. When you get to zero, simply state that you are your highest and best self and see what comes up for you.
- Enlist visualization. Visualize yourself as a child, including the people around you, at the first age that comes up for you. Visualize their energy with yours, perhaps the lessons you learned from them. Stay here as long as you’d like.
- Assess the belief. When words come up from this visualization, these may be part of your belief systems, so hold on to the word in your heart and breathe, and see how it feels in the body. Feel how the person, experience, or energy of that belief lives in your body, and simply put it into two categories: good or bad.
- Reflect and release. If it’s a good feeling, send out love and light and end your session with gratitude. If it is a bad feeling, visualize yourself cutting a chord to this person, experience, or energy right from your heart center and breath. Imagine an easy, beautiful, slow falling away of both energies, and you are free from this belief.
- Integrate gratitude. Stay here as long as you like and breathe into this feeling of freedom. Believe what you feel is best for you, and end the session with gratitude for this feeling.
Testing Your Belief System
There are several ways to test your body and intuition about hidden belief systems. Remember, the clearer and healthier you are, the better. If you go into this process with muddled emotions, unhealthy choices, and stress, you may bring up confusing results. Be sure to clear your mind and heart before testing any beliefs about yourself.
One method mentioned previously is a sway test. The sway test is not guaranteed; it’s based on your natural innate sense to vibrate with your own energy and choices and will help you connect better when you use it with intention. Often, we rush into things, and we don’t take the time to center first and be intentional and conscious with our choices. Try to be intentional with this.
You can also use the “muscle testing” technique, which requires two people. Simply stand with your arm outstretched and ask a question. The other person pushes down on your arm to determine yes or no. A yes is a strong firm hold, and a no is when the arm falls slightly. This is a gentle push, without much resistance on both ends.
These tests will help you get the answers, but it’s up to you to release the beliefs.
How to Release Hidden Beliefs for Good
When we remove the old, we make space for the new—our own beautiful belief system that makes up our true essence. It is our being. Releasing hidden beliefs for good is just like anything else in life—it takes practice. When we practice our new beliefs, we align with our highest self.
I know it’s not what you wanted to hear (trust me, I didn’t either), but it’s a big part of change and growth. Releasing hidden beliefs intentionally, with every new decision aligning with our new belief, and leads to flow instead of resistance. When you feel the flow, you know you are fully aligned with your new belief system.
Tune in to the body, listen for the signs, feel for resistance, and allow that flow—and it just becomes part of your existence. Just like anything new, it feels a bit like swimming upstream, then one day you find your stride, and the rest just… flows.
Here are three tips for releasing hidden beliefs:
- You are organic. As you change, so may your beliefs. Do a quarterly assessment of where you are in your life, what your feelings are on things, and where you want to go with them.
- Integrate your new beliefs. Start by taking three intentional breaths before big decisions and asking your gut (and your guides!) for help when needed. (You are not alone, you are fully supported at all times.)
- Hone your intuition. Be sure to listen to the little whisper that is calling. If it is ruminating around stress, it must go. If it is whispering with love, it is here to help. Developing your intuition is your strongest superpower.
The beautiful thing about aligning with your beliefs (once you are aware of them), is that it draws other people to that vibrational frequency with you, bringing you joy, and, best of all, harmony.
Beliefs are here to help you, not stay hidden. Find them, honor them, or let them go. And watch yourself thrive because nothing is standing in your way. What a beautiful ride it will be.
