Meeting Romantic Yearnings with Compassion
Some people are in fulfilling romantic relationships and Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to express appreciation for one’s partner. The problem, however, is the not-so-subtle message that romance is necessary for our happiness – that we need someone else to complete us.
Relating to Our Bodies with Compassion
It’s common for us to feel uncomfortable about our bodies. We may judge them as not thin enough or attractive enough or strong enough or young enough or healthy enough.
An important part of self-compassion is extending kindness and care to the physical form we inhabit, appreciating its gifts rather than simply criticizing its shortcomings.
Becoming a Compassionate Mess
What a year 2021 was. If your experience was anything like mine, the year was a total mess – Covid, toxic politics, global warming, inflation. Maybe you’re feeling like a mess yourself – exhausted, hopeless, unproductive, confused, depressed.
Cultivating Loving-Kindness
When we can remain caring even in instances of distress, failure or sorrow, our loving-kindness manifests as compassion. It’s therefore important that we strengthen our ability to feel loving-kindness toward ourselves in order to become more self-compassionate.
The Paradox of Self-Compassion
There’s a paradox that lies at the heart of self-compassion practice:
We give ourselves compassion not to feel better, but because we feel bad.
