The Gift of Self Love
‘Tis the season to show yourself some love. Actually, it’s always the season to express self-love. Personal growth, happiness and peace all stem from affection for the self. I believe this not only because I put a lot of stock in my favourite spiritual leaders, who preach the power of self-love, but also because once I fell back in love with myself, on my yoga mat, I experienced what it was like to access those extraordinary feelings in every area of my life.
The greatest gift yoga has given me so far in my journey as a yoga teacher, student and human being is the ability to be kind to myself. When I love myself unconditionally, I love others unconditionally, too. The state of our relationships with others is usually a reflection of the state of our relationship with ourselves. Show compassion to yourself and your world will mirror compassion back to you.
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Body Love
I found self-love on my mat through the physical, mental and spiritual practices of yoga. It is truly a personal practice and once I took that idea on, I began to really listen to my body and respond authentically. I found love in my body by learning to take a child’s pose when I needed to reconnect to my breath or by modifying a pose when my body asked for it, or shedding tears when my heart begged for release. I learned to give my body what it needed, and that is showing compassion.
I found self-love on my mat through the physical, mental and spiritual practices of yoga. It is truly a personal practice and once I took that idea on, I began to really listen to my body and respond authentically. I found love in my body by learning to take a child’s pose when I needed to reconnect to my breath or by modifying a pose when my body asked for it, or shedding tears when my heart begged for release. I learned to give my body what it needed, and that is showing compassion.
Mental Peace
I fell in love with my brain through challenging my limiting beliefs on my mat, and later off of it. I became more aware of the damaging thoughts that were on repeat in my head during the still and focused moments of my practice. Stories like, ‘you can’t do this,’ and ‘you don’t deserve this’ would surface during certain poses. I learned to identify these stories as LIES, and then let them go. The result? TRUTH. I started to see the truth about myself – that I was powerful, beautiful, connected and capable of doing anything I set my mind to. |
Spiritual Freedom
Spiritually speaking, I found my soul through meditation. I remember feeling scared, confused and liberated all at once when I had the epiphany that my essence, who or what I am, is my soul. This realization came to me after countless silent moments and a lot of self-reflection. When I say that I am my soul, I mean that I am not my body, my brain, my possessions or my career. I am not defined by the things my ego attaches to, and so I am left with nothing but beingness. I am left with pure love, light and freedom. I am left with self-love.
Spiritually speaking, I found my soul through meditation. I remember feeling scared, confused and liberated all at once when I had the epiphany that my essence, who or what I am, is my soul. This realization came to me after countless silent moments and a lot of self-reflection. When I say that I am my soul, I mean that I am not my body, my brain, my possessions or my career. I am not defined by the things my ego attaches to, and so I am left with nothing but beingness. I am left with pure love, light and freedom. I am left with self-love.
Yoga is a practice and so is self-love. However long it takes you, and however you get there, remember it is your right and your responsibility to return to love. Namaste.
Eryl McCaffrey
CYA RYT 200
Yoga Teacher in Toronto
CYA RYT 200
Yoga Teacher in Toronto