Many of us pose a specific way for pictures, so we look a bit thinner, a little taller or only with make-up because we want everyone to always and only see what we believe to be the best self of us.

What if we were to pose just to exude joy, love and passion? No longer focusing on trying to hide the parts of ourselves we judge mercilessly or conceal our wrinkles with filters.

What if exuding self-love became our new trendy pose in pictures?

I am not suggesting that we show up everywhere in our pajamas and pose as if we just woke up. As a matter of fact, these days, I see dressing up and make-up almost as an art form- creating a character that my ego wants to display. So this article is not about banning or not enjoying any of these items. What I am proposing is a shift in our perspective to liberate ourselves from the habitual pattern and trappings of yearning for validation which limits us from living life at our highest potential.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection”
– Buddha

I have personally met those who are fit and beautiful according to the societal standards who struggle to appreciate what they look like. Ironically, I have also witnessed the opposite- those who are not necessarily labeled by society as ‘beautiful’ exhibiting deep appreciation towards their bodies and a great passion for their lives.

Loving our bodies has little to do with the shape or the size of the body, rather it is a growth-oriented mindset. It is a shift in our perspective.

Deep down, most of us know that we deserve unconditional love in this life no matter what we look like. Yet, many of us don’t feel this love on a daily basis. Our mind constantly focuses on what is wrong with our bodies, our faces and how it needs to be fixed. Imagine if you could free yourself from this self-judging mental chatter and live everyday fearlessly with passion and appreciation?

When we learn to love the bodies we are in:

• It makes us capable of loving, connecting and relating with others at a basic level.
• It enriches not only our world but also the world of others.
• It gives us the ability to influence others in a meaningful, positive and uplifting way because that positivity exists within you.
• We gain courage and lose the fear of taking necessary measures to fulfill our goals and our destiny.
• We begin to trust ourselves and stop looking for answers, recognition, and happiness externally.

Learning to love your body in Yoga

Many postures in Yoga can make us feel vulnerable, however, it is in this vulnerable space we create a fearless life filled with unconditional love and passion.

Although yogasana is loosely translated as a Yoga Pose, posing is not the goal of Yoga (contrary to the filtered photoshopped photos we see these days).  In a yogasana, what exists is the connection between the body and the mind.

There are several teachings in Yoga that can help us learn to appreciate and love our bodies.
One of my favorite practices in Yoga is Ahimsa (Non-Violence), which is one of the Yamas from the 8 Limbs of Yoga.

Learning to use the understanding of Ahimsa to love your body:

The practice of Ahimsa in Yoga begins with setting the intention of compassion and non-judgment.

Sitting in a comfortable position on your yoga mat with your eyes gently closed, set the intention of self-compassion and non-judgment.  Once you have set this intention:

1. Get into a Yoga posture of your preference and comfort without exerting too much force (ex: child’s pose, lizard pose, low lunge, etc.).
2. Initially bring the attention to your breath. Notice the inhale and exhale. Notice the sensations in your nostrils.
3. Slowly bring the attention to your chest. Notice the rise and fall of your chest with each in-breath and out-breath.
4. Once you feel calm and centered, bring the attention to your mind. Notice the thoughts that creep up.
5. As you observe the mental chatter, notice which part of the body your mind is constantly judging. Bring attention to that part.
6. Pay close attention to that part of your body. Now in your mind, begin to focus on and note all the wonderful purposes of that body part. For ex: if it is your thighs, how many years have that part of the body helped you walk on this earth? How many times has it helped you hold your child in your lap? How many times have you judged it mercilessly, but it keeps giving back to you every day unconditionally?
7. Continue asking yourself these questions until compassion begins to arise in your heart.  Once you begin to feel a deep compassion in your heart, bring that compassionate attention towards that part of your body.
8. Continue to hold this compassion in your heart towards that body part for the rest of the time in your yoga posture.
9. If thoughts of judgment towards the body part or other distracting thoughts begin to creep up, rather than choosing to follow them, simply allow them to rise and slowly fade away- similar to watching a cloud passing through a clear sky before it disappears. Then slowly bring your attention back to the compassion practice.
10. If you completely lose the feeling of compassion in your heart, then go back to step #5 and repeat steps 5 through 8.

Remember that this is not a skill that can be mastered with a one time practice. With consistent practice, compassion towards your body will come to you effortlessly in times of need and eventually become your state of being. You will no longer be controlled by the body-shaming mental chatter, thus leaving space in your mind to focus on more meaningful things in life.

We may initially feel awkward and find it difficult to hold compassion in our hearts for long periods of time in many of the poses due to a strong innate attachment to how we think a body should look like, but eventually, we begin to lose that attachment and become amazed by the body that is a part of you. Gradually we will start loving every part of us.

Liberation through the practice of Ahimsa

My daily Ahimsa practices have helped me tremendously to see through my illusions, push through my fears, and allow myself to be seen without the fear of being judged. I still have my moments of judgment, but it is quick to disappear and lacks the power it once possessed because of my consistent self-love practice of Ahimsa.

If the thought of being vulnerable, allowing yourself to be seen just as you are makes you feel uncomfortable, then it is worth contemplating on the ‘why’ and experimenting with this practice of Ahimsa.

This practice of Ahimsa towards our bodies in Yoga- which is the conscious consideration and loving of our bodies is one of the fundamental habits that should be cultivated daily to experience self-love and to tap into the limitless potential of this human life.

The next time we pose for the world, let’s focus more on exuding Self-Love with the practice of Ahimsa.

Love and Light,

Simi

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