CULTIVATE SELF-LOVE THROUGH YOGA

The yogic journey is one of self-discovery and an opportunity to connect with our true self on a deeper level. Yoga is a beautiful practice for those who suffer from anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. It gently and lovingly allows a holistic way to heal on an emotional level as well as the physical aiding the promotion of self-love and self-care by helping us to realize that we already have everything we need inside of us.

Although the physical postures look incredibly beautiful, yoga is primarily an internal practice. The true practice becomes the act of listening to what the body needs in each moment and choosing to honour that. When practicing yoga where the primary focus is on lovingly accepting our own body and giving it the opportunity to heal and grow in each posture, we are choosing self-love over ego. Delving deeper into the traditional practice of yoga magnifies the transformational benefits of our experience.

Whilst a surgeon can fix a malfunction in the heart organ, the metaphysical heart can be a little trickier to repair. Yoga aids us to heal and strengthen the heart, in both the physical and metaphysical sense.

On a physiological level, yoga helps decrease cardiovascular risk factors like high cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and blood sugar levels. It supports regular heart rhythms, and improves the circulatory and respiratory systems. The physical asana practice strengthens and tones the muscles, and generally helps maintain a healthy body weight. A regular practice will usually lead the yogi into healthier lifestyle choices away from the mat. Yoga also helps relieve stress and anxiety, and we know that chronic stress wreaks havoc on the body.

Our collective awareness of the mind body connect is becoming more and more prevalent, we now know that holding onto negative beliefs and thought patterns causes disease within the physical body. If we can address the emotional blockages, we can heal the body more effectively.

On an emotional level, yoga supports a healthy, open heart. In life we face many challenges: loss, heartbreak, betrayal and a whole array of emotional hurts. Over time, these experiences cause us to put up little walls around our hearts, believing that if we can protect ourselves, we will avoid further hurt and slowly begin to close off, building these layers of protection. As a result, our heart chakra closes.

The heart chakra relates to our ability to give and receive love and when imbalanced or closed, we find it difficult to feel love, compassion, grace, and peace and instead turn to anger, grief, bitterness, jealousy and sorrow. All in all, a heavy heart. Physically, this can manifest in one or more of many ailments such as lung problems, compromised immunity and diseases of the blood.

Yoga safely teaches us how to celebrate our individuality, on the mat is the perfect place to mindfully begin letting go of comparison to others and release the critical self-talk. Not taking yourself too seriously on the mat is a great avenue to bringing in the ego dissolving warmth of humour and self-acceptance. We never master our practice instead, come to our mat every time with fresh awareness, an inquisitive mind, a kind spirit, self-awareness and self-care.

In yoga, the practice of heart openers act as a gateway to our vulnerabilities. In heart opening poses, the body is exposed in an arms-wide-open stance, allowing our beating hearts to be unguarded, for a blissful moment. No barriers or walls exist between us and the world.

In preparation for heart opening postures, let your mantra be “I live with an open heart.” Use the breath and let this mantra serve as your intention for your practice and hold your poses a little longer. When you open your heart, you open the door to infinite possibilities. Back bending/heart opening poses help us open and balance the heart chakra, and release tension and blocked emotions.

Here are some wonderful heart opening poses to incorporate into your practice:

Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

Camel Pose is a deep backbend for your upper back, and literally and metaphorically opens up your heart space. By bringing your hand to touch your Heart Chakra, you’re activating this opening even more. Stretches the entire front of the body, abdomen and chest, and throat, the ankles, thighs and groins. Stretches the deep hip flexors. Strengthens back muscles. Improves posture

Stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Cobra Pose is best known for its ability to increase the flexibility of the spine. It stretches the chest while strengthening the spine and shoulders. It also helps to open the lungs, which is therapeutic for asthma. This pose also stimulates the abdominal organs, improving digestion.

An energizing backbend, Cobra reduces stress and fatigue. It also firms and tones the shoulders, abdomen, and buttocks, and helps to ease the pain of sciatica. Traditional yoga texts claim the pose heals the body of disease and awakens Kundalini.

Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

Fish Pose stretches the front of your body, including the chest, abs, hip flexors, neck, and back, and engages parts of the body that are often neglected, even within yoga's asanas.

Fish has a lot of potential because it stimulatesthroat chakra, which relates to communication and self-expression. This is often summarized as "speaking your truth," so if this area is blocked it means you keep things bottled inside that would be better let out. There aren't that many yoga poses where the throat is opened as it is in Fish.

Fish also brings attention to the crown chakra on the top of your head. Again, there aren't many yoga poses that put pressure on the crown, which is tied to wisdom and knowledge. All whilst opening the heart.

Camatkarasana (Wild Thing)

Chest opening and heat building around the heart. Stretch for the lungs, throat, and shoulders. Opening the front of the legs, including hips and hip flexors. Builds strength in the upper arms and shoulders. Stretches and strengthening the back.

Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)

This pose improves spinal mobility and opens the chest. It strengthens the arms, shoulders, and legs. Wheel Pose is traditionally said to be energizing and can lift your mood. As it opens your hips, shoulders, and chest it works in opposition to the slouched and sitting postures that are common in modern life.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

Bridge Pose is a gentler variation of Wheel Pose and it begins to create flexibility and strength in your spine. This pose also lifts and opens your heart towards the sky.

Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose)

Upward Facing Dog strengthens and tones your arms while creating flexibility in your spine. It’s a great, gentle pose to practice if you spend a lot of time on a computer.

Purvottanasana (Reverse Plank Pose)

Reverse Plank Pose strengthens your arms, legs, back, and core while opening your heart centre up towards the sky.

Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

Bow Pose stretches the entire front of the body, while simultaneously strengthening every muscle in the back. This improves posture and spinal flexibility. Additionally, the pose helps to open the chest, abdomen, quadriceps, ankles, groins, hip flexors, and throat.

You will come to understand that your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you will have in your lifetime and is the foundation on which all your other relationships grow. It is certainly not selfish to prioritise yourself, when we nourish and learn to love ourselves wholly, we have more love to share with others. This empowers us instead of seeking the love and approval of others.

Self-love is like a muscle that needs to be strengthened and you can do this by bringing this intention to every yoga session as a sacred space for you to ground yourself in a moving meditation of self-acceptance and self-compassion.

Live with an open heart

Namaste