Self compassion is a fierce and challenging practice but one that can bring extraordinary sense of fulfillment and personal growth. Without it, we cannot truly practice compassion to others who are suffering around us. The unlived life is a plague upon our culture.
Extraordinary suffering accrues when we ignore our bodies and our inner selves, our souls. This suffering often manifests in physical ailments, back, shoulder, and neck pain, headaches, stomach pain, loss of sleep, the list in long. Mental and emotional suffering – anxiety, depression, substance abuse, the list goes on. Our culture focuses on “measuring up” and ‘perfectionism” while other more indigenous cultures teach the importance of “belonging”, starting before birth.
The only true lasting relationship is the one we have with ourselves. Our lives are more important than we allow for.
Starting when we open our eyes in the morning, opening to each new moment of each new day with an intention of seeing and experiencing every aspect of our lives with reverence. When we hold that intention throughout the day, we begin to understand self compassion.
It can be useful to consider your whole self to be like a garden, and how well you tend that garden determines the quality of your life.
