A BLISSFUL LIFE byJenniferKelleher Be Gentle With Yourself

I recently found myself listening to Danielle LaPorte speak about her new book, “How To Be Loving” in a podcast interview and, while she said many things that hit home, the following was particularly resonant to my own journey and life: “You heal by learning to be gentle with yourself.”

I invite you to take a moment to sit with this. Close your eyes and bring your attention to the lower part of your trunk, beneath the navel. Soften your hips and imagine that you have a sandbag in your pelvic bowl. Gently and lovingly encourage your breath cycles to be slow, circular, and easy. On the smooth, unhurried breath, sweetly repeat to yourself, “I heal by being gentle with myself.”

When something in our body or life becomes dense, painful, or traumatic, it is a calling for us to pause and reprioritize how and where we are dividing our attention. Density and pain sprout from imbalance. When we let things go too far, either because we are unaware or because we are ignoring, situations or circumstances that our mind judges as uncomfortable come in to slow us down and ground us.

It is important to remind ourselves that we have the choice to bring awareness in difficult situations. When something challenging arises, are we going to wallow in it and let it consume us? Are we going to try to push it away, ignore it, and keep doing what we were doing? Or are we going to pause and go inward to gain deeper understanding and then use that new awareness to guide how we move forward?

Jane Lee Logan writes, “Sometimes what looks like an obstacle in your path is actually a gift meant to move you in a better direction.” Yung Pueblo says, “You are the key to your healing, not time. What heals is self-love, learning to let go, self-awareness and building new habits.”

I believe that at our core, we are all love. By surrendering the mind and landing the love that we are here in this present body that is experiencing whatever it is expe- riencing, we heal. By not judging our body, life, or circumstances as good or bad, fair or unfair, and simply landing and loving with patience and compassion, we heal. All that our ‘hurts’ want or need is our gentle and kind love and attention.

In closing, I invite you to sit with the question, “How can I be gentler with myself?” Perhaps for you it’s in your thoughts and self-talk. Or maybe, in how you care for your body. As you start to see the areas of your life that could use more of your attention, think about how you can prioritize your newly discovered needs so that healing can happen. What can you do to love yourself more? What do you need to let go of? How can you begin building new habits?

I invite you to join me at Ocean Bliss Yoga Studio on Wednesday, February 15 at 7 p.m. for a Sonic Alignment Sound Bath. Come experience how sound and frequency can heal your body, mind, and life. No experience needed, newcomers welcome! Reserve your space at oceanblissyoga.net