Yoga For Self-Compassion & Self-Acceptance

This practice will help you cultivate compassion and acceptance for yourself and your body. You will begin with a compassionate loving-kindness meditation followed by a body gratitude meditation, then you will be guided through a yoga sequence and finish with a relaxing breathing exercise to cultivate more love and compassion.

Transcript

In this practice we will focus on building the habit of self-compassion.

Start in a comfortable position either sitting or lying down.

Just take a minute to arrive and to connect to your body.

Notice where your body touches the surface below you.

Notice how you feel.

Is there any tension or sensations in your body?

Take a deep breath in and on the exhale let go of anything that is not going to serve you today.

Take another inhale and exhale,

Relaxing and letting go of any stress or tension you may feel.

Another nice deep breath in,

Right down into your belly,

Letting out a sigh as you exhale.

Take a few more breaths here.

Thank yourself for taking the time to do this self-care practice today.

Commit to being kind,

Compassionate and caring to yourself.

To be accepting and non-judgmental of yourself and your body.

To quieten your inner critic and disconnect from your thoughts and to continue to bring yourself back to the present moment.

Self-compassion is treating yourself like you would a friend.

It can be easy to be compassionate and kind to others but it is so easy to be judgmental and critical of ourselves.

We might not feel worthy enough,

Attractive enough or successful enough.

Some of our greatest suffering is caused by our own thoughts.

We think we need to be perfect and sometimes are so harsh on ourselves but rather than beat ourselves up about our shortcomings it is much more effective to practice self-compassion to build ourselves up.

When you notice yourself being self-critical or hard on yourself stop and notice what you are doing.

Remind yourself that no one is perfect.

We are all inadequate in some way and make mistakes.

So when you are struggling imagine a good friend was going through the same thing and then treat yourself like you would that friend.

Be compassionate and caring towards yourself.

Let's practice some self- compassion now.

Place your hands over your heart in a loving way.

Repeat these phrases to yourself and have compassion for being an imperfect being.

May I love and accept myself as I am.

May I be kind and compassionate to myself.

May I know I am worthy.

May I accept that it is okay not to be perfect.

May I find peace and contentment in the moment.

Repeat these phrases again silently and let them resonate within you.

Offer yourself kindness,

Compassion and acceptance.

Remember that everyone is in a similar situation and feels inadequate in some way.

This is a normal human condition.

It is something we all share.

Remembering that everyone struggles in the same way.

Direct the phrases towards them.

May we all love and accept ourselves as we are.

May we all be kind and compassionate to ourselves.

May we all know that we are worthy.

May we all accept that it is okay not to be perfect.

May we all find peace and contentment in the moment.

The next time you are struggling you can practice being compassionate and repeat some similar phrases to yourself.

Next you will start to connect to your body.

Lie down with your legs slightly apart and your arms by your side.

Bring your awareness to your body.

Bring awareness to any sensations you feel.

Notice if any emotions arise when you think about your body.

You may have some insecurities or judgments about yourself.

It can be a common human experience to be critical of your body.

Especially when we are constantly confronted in advertising and social media of unrealistic and altered images of a certain body type as the norm.

Have compassion for yourself in this situation.

Imagine if you heard a loved one speak about their body in a negative way.

How would you want them to feel and speak about themselves?

Now take a moment to say this to yourself and to accept your body as it is.

To realize you don't need to be perfect.

Think about all the amazing things your body is capable of.

Scan through your body part by part and be grateful for what it has let you do in this life.

If you like you can repeat this phrase to yourself.

I accept my body as it is and I am grateful for what it has let me do in my life.

You can repeat this phrase if you notice yourself thinking negatively about your body.

Continuing with this gratitude for your body you will now start to move and connect to it.

Starting lying on your back you will do a morning stretch.

Reach your arms up above your head as far as they can go.

At the same time point your toes and give your whole body a nice big stretch.

Breathe here.

Move your hands and feet to the right side making a C shape with the side of your body.

Feel the stretch on the left side of your body as you breathe.

On your next exhale move your hands and feet to the left side.

Lengthen into the right side of your body.

Bring your arms and legs back to centre.

Come to a seated cross-legged position.

Seated sun salutations.

As you inhale sweep your arms out and up over your head to touch.

Slowly lower your hands to your heart centre as you exhale.

Reach your hands up again as you inhale and lower to your heart as you exhale.

Continue for a few more rounds with your breath.

Come to all fours with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.

Cat pose.

Allow your spine to round and lift your back up.

Breathe here as you drop your chin to your chest.

Cow pose.

Drop your belly towards the ground and bring your gaze up towards the sky.

Open through your chest and pull your shoulder blades together.

Move through cat and cow by yourself following your breath.

You can start to move in a way that feels good to you.

You may want to roll your hips and shoulders or make circles with your body as you move your hips and shoulders back and forward.

Connect to your breath as you move.

Come back to a neutral spine.

Sink your heels towards the ground and pull your hips up towards the sky into downward facing dog.

Steady your hands,

Push them out of the way and let your side body stretch.

You can stay here or find any movements that feel good to you.

You may want to bend your knees or pedal your heels towards the ground as you breathe.

Look up and slowly walk your feet towards your hands into forward fold.

Reach your arms towards the ground.

Keep a slight bend in the knees.

Relax your neck and head.

Halfway lift.

Raise your back up halfway.

Bring your hands to your shins.

Keep your back flat and find length in your spine.

Breathe here.

Forward fold.

Let your arms and torso drop towards the floor.

Slight bend in the knees and relax into the pose.

Bend your knees sweeping your arms up towards the sky and then bring them to your chest to touch.

Mountain pose.

Draw your shoulders down away from your ears.

Stamp tall.

With bent knees,

Swan dive your arms up around and back down to the ground.

Forward fold.

Chaturanga.

Step both of your feet back together coming into plank.

Engage your core and lower down with control keeping your elbows hugged into your body and at a 90 degree angle.

If you like you can bring your knees to the ground into half chaturanga.

Come to cobra.

Lift your chest forward and up towards the sky.

Hands and pelvis rooted to the ground.

Drop your shoulders down away from your ears.

If you wish you can come to up dog instead by lifting your upper thighs and knees off the mat.

Move up and back into downward facing dog.

Lifting your hips high to the sky.

Soften your shoulders here and let your head be heavy.

Breathe into the stretch.

Step your right foot up between your palms into high lunge.

Arms reach over your head.

Left foot roots down through the ball of the foot.

Stack your right knee over your ankle.

Breathe into the stretch.

Come to warrior two.

Move your left foot perpendicular to your right.

Lengthen up through your torso and draw your arms out straight and parallel to the ground.

Soften your shoulders.

Take a few breaths here.

Keep your front knees stacked over your front ankle.

Engage your core and front quad.

Move into reverse warrior.

Reach your right arm up and back over your head.

Lengthen through your side body.

Reach your left hand down your back leg and rest it here.

Connect to your breath.

Extended side angle.

Move your torso back up and drop your right forearm to rest on your front thigh.

Reach your left arm up and over your body.

Allow your bicep to frame your ear or you can keep your arm lifted straight up towards the sky.

Lengthen your ribs up towards the sky and open your chest.

Inhale and then exhale.

Moving back into reversed warrior.

Sweep your right arm up and back over your head and move your left hand down your back leg.

Take one breath here.

Straighten back up.

Goddess pose.

Bend your knees and come into a wide squat.

Turning your toes out slightly.

Keep your knees pointed in the same direction as your toes.

Point your tailbone down and slightly bring your hips forward.

Bring your hands to chacha your chest or out to a cactus position at 90 degrees.

Hold for several breaths.

Bring your hands to your hips.

Press into your legs and feet as you slowly straighten your legs.

Low lunge.

Rotate your right foot and hips forward.

Plant your hands on either side of your front knee.

Align your right knee over your ankle.

Reach your right foot back and bring your hips up high to downward facing dog.

You can pedal your feet in a soft and easy movement.

Be mindful of your breath.

You will now repeat this sequence on the other side.

Forward fold.

Step your feet between your hands.

Let your body hang here.

Halfway lift.

Raise your back halfway up and bring your hands to your shins.

Fold forward again with a slight bend in the knees.

Arms reach for your feet or ankles.

Stretch your arms up over your head and bring your palms to touch at your heart.

Mountain pose.

Relax your shoulders down away from your ears.

Circle your arms up and forward and back down to the ground.

Forward fold.

Shataranga.

Step back to plank with your core engaged.

Slowly lower down with your elbows at 90 degrees.

Option to bring your knees down for half shataranga.

Lift your chest up towards the sky into cobra.

Option to also lift to your thighs and knees.

Relax your shoulders down away from your ears,

Keeping your spine long.

Move your hips up and back into downward facing dog.

Draw your belly into your spine.

Step your left foot between your hands coming into high lunge.

Arms stretched to the sky.

Knee over your ankle.

Take a breath here.

Warrior two.

Left side.

Rotate your right foot perpendicular to your left.

Anchor the heel down.

Bring your arms up and out to a T.

Reach through the fingertips and gaze beyond your hand.

Breathe here.

Bend into the front knee,

Bringing the knee right over the ankle.

Move into reverse warrior.

Rotate your left arm up,

Back and over your head,

Stretching through your side body.

Reach your other hand down your back leg and breathe.

Extended side angle.

Straighten up and rest your left forearm on your front thigh.

Reach your right arm up and over your body,

Either framing your ear or pointing to the sky.

Open your chest.

Connect to your breath.

Back to reversed warrior.

Reach your left arm up and back over your head and move your back hand down your leg.

Take one breath here.

Come back to a straight spine.

Goddess pose.

Rotate your toes out slightly and come into a wide legged squat.

Sink your hips down.

Bring your hands to touch at your chest or into cactus position.

Engage your quads and thigh muscles.

Hold here and breathe.

Hands to your hips.

Push into your legs and feet as you slowly straighten up.

Low lunge.

Rotate your hips forward and bend into your left knee.

Place your hands on the ground on either side of your front knee.

Reach your left foot back and move your hips up high into downward facing dog.

Be mindful of your breath and move in a way that feels good to you.

Look forward and step,

Hop or jump your feet in between your hands.

Come to mountain pose.

Standing tall and root down into the ground.

Pull your crown up and relax your shoulders down your back.

Notice how you feel now.

Take a moment to connect to your body,

Breath and the music.

You will now do a breathing meditation to help relax you.

Start by connecting to your natural breath.

Notice the air coming in and out of your nose.

You may notice your belly or chest rising and falling.

Put one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart area.

Inhale deep into your belly trying to make the hand on your stomach rise.

Then let the air fill your chest area.

As you exhale let the air leave your chest first and then your belly.

Breathing deep into your belly like this helps you relax.

Take some time to do this by yourself.

Note how long it takes for you to breathe in and extend the length of your exhale so it is longer than your inhale.

Relax as you breathe in and out.

Breathe in love and passion and acceptance for yourself and breathe out negativity,

Doubt or anything that will not serve you.

Breathe in love.

Breathe out negativity.

Breathe in kindness.

Breathe out criticism.

Breathe in acceptance.

Breathe out judgment.

Breathe in peace.

Breathe out worry.

Breathe in what will serve you.

Breathe out what does not.

To end this practice you are going to repeat some phrases to encourage you to build healthier habits this week.

Repeat after me.

May I be kinder and more compassionate to myself.

May I find peace in the present moment.

May I move my body to keep it healthy.

May I accept my body as it is and be grateful for what it can do.

May I be caring and kind to others.

May I have compassion for others that are suffering.

When you are ready you can start to bring your attention back to the room.

Notice any noises you may hear.

Feel where your body makes contact with the surfaces below you and open your eyes.

Have a wonderful week and remember you are already enough so be kind to yourself this week.