3 THINGS YOGA TAUGHT ME ABOUT SELF-LOVE

For me, Yoga has been a journey of self-discovery since the first day. It has helped me to grow as a person, to face my fears and even today I continue to discover things about myself that I never imagined existed. Being a person who has gone through moments of low self-esteem, I can recognize how much my relationship with myself and others has improved since I developed a regular Yoga practice.

If I can summarize what I have learned so far, these would be the three most important points:

1.- Practice is everything.

As we increase our flexibility and strength every time we stand on the mat, self-love must be practiced every day to strengthen it. In the same way that practice leads us to achieve that posture we so desire, small acts of self-love allow us to improve our relationship with ourselves and accept ourselves as we are. We learn that there are postures that cost us more than others, just as we learn that we have strengths and weaknesses and only practice allows us to improve. Like Yoga, self-love requires commitment and patience, it's like a muscle that needs the training to strengthen itself.

2.- It's not about being perfect.

It is about acceptance and compassion. The first Yama, Ahimsa, talks about the practice of nonviolence and how it starts with ourselves. By accepting the limitations of our body we allow ourselves to enjoy our practice, and also by accepting that we have defects we allow ourselves to improve from love.

3.- "Me Time" is not a bad thing.

Making time for ourselves is not selfish, it allows us to nourish ourselves. If we want to be our best version for our families, partners or friends, we need to invest time in our growth. It is not selfish to put yourself first, only when you love yourself you are able to love others.

The next time you stand on your mat, observe how your practice helps you improve other areas of your life.

With love,

Gaby