A guest article by Stephanie Sartor
More self-love thanks to asana, pranayama and meditation
Feeling self-love is often not easy. Instead of accepting and celebrating our uniqueness, we all too often focus on our perceived mistakes and weaknesses. But actually, loving ourselves should be completely natural. Isn't it wonderful that we are all so different and unique?
The power of yoga can support you here. It helps you to become more self-accepting and to learn to love yourself as you are. The deeper connection to yourself allows you to feel your intuition better and act according to your heart.
The first step to more self-love: more time for yourself
It all starts with more time for yourself. Time in which you explore your inner self and get to know it better. But time is a scarce commodity for us. In our fast-paced world, it is often a challenge to find it. A full schedule, professional and private obligations, and our personal need to juggle everything do not make it easier to find moments for reflection and inner balance.
Yoga has shown me how important time on and off the mat is for my personal development and self-care. Because too often we lose ourselves in the outside world, compare ourselves to others and allow ourselves to be hypnotized by social media without first questioning whether it is good for us and in harmony with our inner self.
Questioning your priorities can help you identify time-wasters like scrolling through social media and plan your time better. Ask yourself what is really important to you and what you want to use your time for. What will help you move forward and what is just a distraction or boredom? Take a close look and be honest with yourself. It's not easy, but it will give you more valuable time for what is really important to you.
Strengthen the connection to yourself and your body with yoga
Through asanas, pranayama and meditation we can learn to strengthen our connection to ourselves, to better perceive our feelings and to feel our intuition. Regular practice helps you to treat yourself more lovingly and to take your needs seriously.
This is how I was able to benefit from yoga. When I do yoga, I can switch off and the focus is entirely on me. Everything else doesn't exist for those few minutes on the mat. I deal with my feelings and deal with my inner self, my essence. At the beginning, this intensive confrontation with yourself can feel difficult and perhaps forced, but over time it becomes easier and easier to get in touch with yourself and face your emotions. That's how it was for me too: I became more and more the person I really am and my self-confidence grew too.
I think it is particularly helpful to check in regularly with yourself and your body during yoga practice. How do I feel during and after yoga? What signs does my body give me in the asanas? What thoughts do I have? Through this active engagement, I have learned to appreciate my body more for what it does for me and how it carries me through my life.
Yoga asanas that can accompany you on your path to more self-love
I find the following yoga asanas particularly valuable if you want to build more self-love. They build your self-confidence, open your heart to self-acceptance and support you in finding grounding inside and out.
Asana #1 for more self-love
Warrior 2
Your front leg is bent and your toes point forward. Your back leg is straight and your foot is placed sideways. Your arms are stretched out parallel to the mat and pull powerfully forward and backward. Your gaze goes over the front fingertips.
In Warrior 2 you feel particularly powerful and self-confident. The open and upright posture goes from the outside to the inside and lets you feel your size and strength.
Asana #2 for more self-love
Lying butterfly
Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees sink to either side. Your hands rest on your lower abdomen.
By touching your belly with your hands, you feel the deep connection to yourself and your body. Opening your hips supports you in letting go and surrendering.
Asana #3 for more self-love
Tree
Stand upright on your mat. Lift one leg bent and mindfully bring your foot to the inside of the other thigh. Find stability by focusing on a point in front of you. Fold your hands in front of your heart in Anjali Mudra.
The tree pose is wonderful for grounding and stability. I always imagine roots growing from my feet into the earth. This gives me a feeling of security and safety.
Asana #4 for more self-love
Supported shoulder bridge
Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart. Slowly begin to lift your buttocks and back upwards from your lower back. For the supported version of the shoulder bridge, place a yoga block vertically or horizontally (whichever is more comfortable for you) under your sacrum and transfer your weight to the block. Your arms should rest comfortably on either side of your body.
The supported shoulder bridge is a very pleasant position from Yin Yoga that supports you in letting go and at the same time gently opens the heart area. You can feel light and supported.
Stephanie Sartor
As a passionate and sensitive yoga teacher, Stephanie accompanies you to more mindfulness and self-love in everyday life. She passes on her experiences in regular retreats and yoga classes. She shows you how yoga can help you to establish a better connection with yourself and your heart. Through yoga, Stephanie has learned to live more present and mindful in the here and now and to pay attention to her needs. In her YouTube videos, she regularly shares new yoga sequences that help you to be more relaxed and balanced.
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