I’ve been dedicating my yoga practice to myself. It is the 60 minutes every week, I decide to put myself first. It is laughing at what feels like a failure and turning it into victory. It is pushing through. It is feeling pain and feeling grateful for the ability to do so. It is missing events because I am beginning to prioritize myself.
While I was interning for NASA, my boss was doing her best to fill a permanent position on our team. She fell in love with a candidate and offered her the job but was disappointed to discover that the woman turned down the job because the hours conflicted with her soccer schedule. The woman wasn’t on an Olympic team or competing for some huge championship. It was recreational soccer. At the time, I couldn’t wrap my mind around someone turning down a government job for a recreational sport but I think I get it now. You’re only as strong as the moments you dedicate to yourself. She couldn’t say yes to a job (no matter what benefits it may bring) if it didn’t align itself with the moments she intentionally set aside to recharge and practice Self-Love.
Soccer was for herself, it wasn’t something she felt the need to defend or explain. “I’m turning down this position because the hours conflict with my soccer schedule”, there wasn’t more she needed to say and she didn’t care whether my boss understood her reasoning or not. She felt no need to defend her practice of Self-Love and that’s how it should be. Spending these past few months prioritizing myself has made a world of difference.
At the beginning of every yoga practice, I set my intention. Recently, my only intention has been to practice genuine Self-Love. I dispel insecurity and fear; they have no place in my life even if I only focus on removing them 60 minutes at a time. Self-Love is the number one goal in my life and on my mat. I’ve found peace in never having to defend this blatant act of Self-Love. There have been times when I’ve found myself crying in the middle of my yoga practice. These all occurred during the times when those 60 minutes were the only times I focused on myself all week. Life is hard and I heard it only gets harder. A huge part of my Self-Love Journey has been intentionally setting time aside to give myself exactly what I need. It doesn’t necessarily make life easier but it ensures that I’m better equipped to handle and endure the hard times.
Happy Self-Love Sunday everyone! Have an amazing week and don’t forget to set time aside to give yourself exactly what you need. You are deserving of Self-Love and you don’t have to defend your practice of it to anyone.
The Introvert's Escape Maneuver 