How to Embody Self Compassion

My theme this week at yoga is self compassion - why are us humans so flipping hard on ourselves? The inner critic voice can be ruthless, relentless and so unkind. We talk to ourselves in a way we would never talk to a loved one.

Ahimsa (non harming) is the first yoga Yama - our moral guidelines. First and foremost this applies to ourself - we need to treat ourselves with loving kindness and tenderness - and allow this to manifest on and off the mat.

When we find compassion for our own failings, flaws and vulnerabilities the amazing thing is that it translates in to an ability to find forgiveness and tolerance for others. Without self-compassion, our hearts are rigid and blocked from the inside, and this will manifest outwardly in the end.

This doesn’t mean that we become complacent about our mistakes, Yoga reminds us to show up and apply discipline (Abhyasa), to have fire behind our intention (Tapas), and to keep going when we fail, just like falling out of a yoga pose on the mat, and having another go.

We practiced the Buddhist Loving Kindness Metta Meditation which is so powerful for cultivating self compassion and compassion for others - I love it so much!

Tell yourself today that you’re doing a great job, you’re doing your best, you are worthy, you are enough, you are divine, you are a beautiful soul in a human body, perfect in all your beauty and imperfections too.  That basically you are rocking this journey of life and as Rumi said, we are all walking each other home.