“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! Shout loud ‘I am lucky to be what I am.’” – Dr. Seuss
Don’t you love how wisdom can come from just about anywhere and who doesn’t count on Dr. Seuss? One of the most important qualities to cultivate to live our ideal life is self-love. If we cannot look inside ourselves and accept and love our light and our shadow sides, we’ll never truly be happy. Yoga is rooted in learning to reveal, accept, and love who we are. Through consistent practice, we can create patterns of self-acceptance and self-love and shine our brightest. Or shout out “I am lucky to be what I am.”
Take a moment to consider how you talk to yourself. Are you patient, kind, and compassionate? Do you speak to yourself the way you speak to someone you love or admire? Many of us are much more critical and judgmental of ourselves than we are of others. We focus on our flaws and what we’ve done “wrong” instead of being gentle when we make what we feel is a mistake. Over the next few days, pay attention to your inner monologue and if you find you’re being harsh to yourself, see if you can reframe.
Yoga Sutra 2.33-34, “Vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam” translates to cultivating positive thoughts every time a negative thought enters the mind. Applying the wisdom of Patanjali to the concept of self-love helps us shift our perspective to one of full self-acceptance and love. Use your time on the yoga mat to cultivate an attitude of acceptance for who you are in the present moment. Change that inner dialogue full of judgment to one of kindness.
It’s important to take time for yourself each day to refill your own well so you can show up for others in your life as your strongest, most vibrant self. Taking time to practice yoga or meditate or do something you enjoy is an act of self-care. We’re here to help you shift your perspective to view self-care as a necessity and not a luxury. We’ve got a specially curated two-week yoga challenge designed to give you a daily dose of self-love. It’s free for everyone and with three multi-level class choices per day, you’ll easily find one for you!
Take a step toward a more content and joyful life and join us!