Yoga for Self-Compassion
When I used to think of self-compassion, I used to think it meant letting myself off the hook, lowering my standards, engaging in overindulgence, or throwing myself an undeserved pity party. Any of that sound familiar? These are only a few of the myriad of myths surrounding self-compassion that can make treating ourselves with the same empathy and understanding we give to others so hard.
As I dove further into the research around self-compassion and eventually participated in a Mindful Self-Compassion training, I realized that self-compassion isn’t at all about expecting too little of ourselves or being overly self-focused. Rather, self-compassion is about treating ourselves as human, with all the messiness and worthiness that involves.
Compassion actually means to “suffer with,” so we can think of self-compassion as gently bearing witness to our own distress. Yeah, no one ever said self-compassion was easy! This bearing witness is actually the first of what compassion-researchers say are the three elements of self-compassion: mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness. These same researchers have built off the writings of Buddhist teachers and studied the effects of showing one’s self compassion. Their findings show that, among other things, practicing self-compassion can decrease anxiety and depression and increase happiness and life satisfaction. (For more info on the research, check out https://self-compassion.org/the-research/#). I have felt these benefits myself and, as a mental health professional, have bared witness to these positive changes in the clients I have the opportunity to work with.
This past year hasn’t been what any of us expected. It’s been a year of loss, growth, confusion, and change. As we begin the new year and continue to navigate through these unprecedented times, why not turn to self-compassion as our compass? In addition to the personal benefits of treating ourselves as more fully human, we are bound to treat those around us with more compassion as well.
Join me on zoom on Saturday, January 9th at 11AM PT for a virtual workshop on Yoga for Self-Compassion. We’ll learn more about self-compassion and discuss practical application of this practice through gentle flow yoga, meditation, and guided exercises. All you need to bring is your mat, any yoga props that you might have handy, a pen, paper, comfy clothes, and an open mind. I hope to see you there.