Cultivating self-love is a hot and trendy topic. Everyone is on about this concept of self-love. In Yoga the ultimate goal is self-realization. A deep understanding of how you can love and hate yourself. You have to see the hate to notice the love. It’s embracing self-acceptance, and duality. Why is it difficult to love yourself? In a healthy and non-egoistic way?
Energy healers, yoga teachers and even past lovers high-lighted my self-hatred. It’s not easy to love yourself. It’s a process. A work of art. It’s easier to love someone else. Cultivating self-love is new age-y. It’s a practice that positively impacts your life. Self Confidence and Self Esteem peak. Positive attitude towards life and increased productivity. A will to love every aspect of your life and all those who cross your path. Who doesn’t want that?
Yoga and self-love relate directly to Anahata Chakra. The heart Chakra. We are closed off from each other. We don’t and can’t trust people nowadays. It’s the 21st-century mentality. There is no trust, nor love. We breed in competition. We sit hunched over our desks and computers. Shoulders scrunched up. Hearts locked tight. There is no room for growth. Luckily there is a thing called heart openers in Yoga. It’s a delightful sensation of stretching the heart and opening up to all the love you deserve. Try to include these heart opening poses in your weekly or daily practice. A daily yoga practice heightens self-care for your body and mind. If you’re not into Yoga, practice heart openers at bedtime:
An affirmation is a positive statement that you are reaffirming in the sub-conscious mind. As simple as I love my smile. I am a radiant goddess or I feel like a princess. It’s a love letter that you write to yourself. Reassurance that you are loved by yourself and the universe. A little reminder that you are on the right path. Here are some guidelines and examples for creating your own affirmations:
An energy healer told me to write down things I love about myself and practice saying them in the mirror. This was challenging. Seeing myself and telling myself, “you are beautiful and your confidence glows.” I felt silly. I thought to myself, this is stupid. Ultimately, there was a hugely positive impact on the way I saw myself after this exercise. Above all, people looked at me differently. Or at least I felt as though they did, because I was more confident about my own apperance. The more ‘healthy’ confidence you have the easier it is to truly connect with people.
We get caught up in each others’ lives that we often turn the blame around. I’m guilty of this one. There is no point in feeling guilty about something you said or did. Don’t feel guilty about things you can’t change. Accept it. Let it go. Move on. Forgive yourself, completely. Finally, accept yourself for who you are. Move forward and grow. Lastly, identify your downfalls with an open heart. Be constructive with your criticism. Work on these challenges first. Try not to be too hard on yourself. I love to write. It’s therapeutic on its own. Below are some writing exercises I love practising:
Find more examples of Affirmations on my Home Page
Guatama, The Buddha says, “Love yourself and watch. Today, tomorrow, always.
Read Osho’s teaching on Buddhas ‘Self-Love’ Sutra.
“A man who loves himself respects himself, and a man who loves himself and respects himself respects others too, because he knows, ‘Just as I am, so are others. Just as I enjoy love, respect, dignity, so do others.’ He becomes aware that we are not different; as far as the fundamentals are concerned, we are one. We are under the same law: Es dhammo sanantano”
Osho, The Dhammapada: The Way of the Buddha, Vol. 5, Talk #5