To expand on my thoughts yesterday about how yoga āsanas have helped me with my recovery, I have recently rededicated myself to that practice. The word practice really sat with me on that day. I had attempted a posture and realized that it was well outside of my capacity. That was the moment that I understood why the term practice is used. Coming back to the same posture daily will only result in improvement. Maybe not day after day, but you will see a difference, maybe in a month, maybe in a year. I encourage my kids to practice. They hate it. I don’t encourage myself to practice anything. So why the double standard?
I have more examples than I care to admit, but let’s push past shame here. The drum set I purchased for myself over two years ago. I tried it once or twice, and it has sat ever since. The poi balls that I bought for flow arts, I used them a few times, and now they hang on the wall collecting dust. The watercolours, the oil pastels, the embroidery threads. The list could go on. Apparently practice is not my strong suit.
Love also takes practice. The most beautiful thing about that statement is that practicing love is best done on yourself. When you practice self-love, you will often run out of ideas, and you must actively think of new and different ways to love yourself. I suggest spending some time looking at the ways that you love others. Choosing to love yourself in the same ways can be alarmingly eye-opening.
Making yourself the meal you would make someone that you are smitten with, for example. Would you write little love notes? Do that for yourself! Write a note in the evening and leave it by your coffee pot to see it in the morning. You will be in a completely different headspace in the morning, and what an awfully nice way to start the day, feeling loved. You can shift self-love to a devoted practice.
Practicing self-love has a trickle-down impact. Externally, others will have examples of how you feel loved. You will have expectations of love, and others will see that. Either they will step back and stop actively loving you, because hey, you got it, or they will step up and follow your lead.
So today marks the day that I am going to start practicing more. What? I’m not sure; maybe I need to simply practice practicing again.
Until tomorrow 🖤
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