If you go onto Youtube and search for Dr Kristin Neff and Self-compassion, she has done a huge amount of study on self-compassion. So what is self-compassion, in a nutshell, it is basically treating yourself with the same kindness, care, and tenderness that you would show to any member of your family or a good friend. Self-compassion is a much more formidable way to create a grounded sense of the self rather than having huge self-esteem. Self-esteem tends to work from the ego, whereas self-compassion is more heart-based. Self-compassion is all about healing the self; we cannot help others if we do not start to learn to love ourselves first. So don’t beat yourself up when you haven’t managed to get on the mat because you’re having a busy day.
Letting go of the idea that you have to be perfect allows for self-compassion to grow within you. Dru is a very heart-based yoga practice as you know and it is more about energetic principles than perfect alignment. So when you do come onto your mat, be kind to yourself, show yourself the same compassion as you would if you were teaching someone who had never done yoga before. If you are being harsh and hard with yourself, you are far less likely to want to do any yoga at all. If that emotion arises, journal it!
Don’t judge yourself harshly if you miss a day of practise, it’s ok to miss a day or even a few days. Take time out to reflect, we can’t learn if we are constantly judging ourselves against others. Don’t worry if you think that everyone else seems to be doing better than you. Have some self-compassion, everyone has different learning styles, you have yours and you are perfect in so many ways. Say to yourself, “Every day I love myself more and more”
As I have said earlier, have a day off and read instead of the physical practise. Go for a walk; speak to another fellow student who is on your course to see how they are getting on. It’s all yoga practises and connection is vital to keeping our minds fresh with ideas.
If you miss a few days just say to yourself, “its ok, I am a human being, I’ve been busy, it’s all normal, I am not a bad person”. Remember that learning yoga is not about the outcomes, it’s about the practice or the doing of it.
