Right around this time last year, I was going through some sh*t.

It was a rough, but immensely beautiful time of growth and letting go. I was feeling unsafe, ungrounded, paranoid, stressed, anxious, and deeply sad. Yoga was my go-to—it’s always my go-to. Dropping into my physical body and getting out of my irrational thought-filled brain was incredibly important. I was trying hard to take the lessons I learned on my mat off and out into the world, but I was having a difficult time staying grounded when I was dripping in fear.

And, unfortunately, I couldn’t just return to my mat whenever I wanted—I had life to do. Soon, personal affirmations became my liberator. I had no other choice than to push out the fear-drenched thoughts with real, helpful, empowering statements.

An affirmation is a powerful tool that any of us can use to overcome self-sabotaging thoughts and irrational beliefs. It can also help us ground into who we truly are, motivate us, and encourage us to manifest our dreams. The power behind our words and thoughts is incredible and it mustn’t be underestimated.

An affirmation is a short phrase or sentence that is repeated and imprinted in our minds to shift our reality and connect with our truth or what we hope to be true—and the results can be absolutely amazing.

Though affirmations have always been a part of my regular practice, I have never experienced the effect of them to the extent that I did during this time in my life. When I was feeling unsafe, I would remind myself that “I am safe. I am safe. I am safe.” Repeating these affirmations to ourselves (over and over and over again) is like tricking our brains into believing they’re actually true (which, most of the time, they are)—and believe me when I tell you, it works.

Though I had tons of different affirmations that I used during this time (and, actually, still use all the time)—for example, “I am held. I am supported. I am breathing. I am here”—there was one affirmation in particular that rooted me into the ground and reminded me of my power:

I am Juliana.

Oof. Yes. That’s the one. And it gets me every time because, hell yeah, I am Juliana.

I know it might sound kind of silly, but try it with your own name and really feel it. We are all unique, amazingly magical individual beings who have so much strength—if we’re willing to recognize it.

This affirmation has helped me through some of the most challenging times in my life because it reminds me that I am me. It feels like an affirmation that encompasses every single affirmation I’ve ever used because being me means that I am here, it means that I’m strong, it means that I am breathing and supported and grateful and beautiful and all the things.

There’s just something so empowering about recognizing who we are and using our names to remind ourselves that we are freakin’ badass and can conquer all the sh*t we go through. Because we can. And we will.

Try it.