Would you rather other people love you, or is it more important to you that you love yourself?
I asked my husband this question as a part of some coaching exercises the other day. His response was, “I don’t care if anyone else loves me, and I think loving myself sounds conceited.”
This answer shocked me. I try not to care what other people think of me, and that’s a struggle being a people pleaser. But it’s definitely more important to me that I love myself.
In yogic philosophy we learn the importance of self-love. The postures we utilize in yoga are more than just exercises that make us stronger and more flexible. They are a type of self-care. A practice that helps us come to know our body more intimately.
When the underlying current along the stream of self improvement is self-love, you make decisions that more accurately represent your true intention. If you love yourself, when you are trying to get stronger, you push yourself just hard enough to make strength gains, you listen to your body and respect it enough to avoid pushing yourself too hard, or too far. In doing so you avoid pain, fatigue, and even injury. If your actions are coming from a place of love, you meet yourself, where you are in the moment. You push yourself just to the edge of your comfort level, where you can grow, and not beyond it.
Starting from a place of self love sets a strong foundation for the decisions you make during the day. If you love yourself, you don’t speak unkind words to the person you see in the mirror. You act as though you are worthy of love. If you love yourself, you are willing to do things like feed yourself well and take care of the body you were given to live this life to it’s fullest.
Start now! What will you do differently when you approach your decisions from a place of self-love?
Would you like help with how to apply yogic philosophy to your life and yoga practice? Set up your first private yoga session at Whitewave Bodywork today!
