Buddha Belly Beware!

First to Ourselves, then to Others Around Us

After Wednesday’s bad day, I came home, got into my gym clothes, wrote and published my blog entry, and hauled my lazy butt a mile up the street to the sports complex for my Wednesday yoga class with Lorraine. I was all set to cancel out on it, but decided when better to take a calming, centering, relaxing hour to myself than after a cruddy day? Besides, I was already dressed, so I was practically there. [Note to self and anyone else who’s reading this: if you’re debating whether or not to do your work out, change immediately into gym clothes. You’re a billion times more likely (as proven by scientific studies world wide) to actually exercise once you’re dressed.]

I had a lovely yoga practice; I got my favorite spot that overlooks the pool, at the front left side of the room, where I can see Lorraine and not be totally surrounded by pretzel people. We did a lot of down facing dogs, which are definitely my favorite, and a lot of breathing and balancing exercises. I’ve concluded that my ankles are my weakest link – I can get into almost any pose and stay there forever, as long as I have two points of contact with the earth. Once I’m down to just one ankle, I’m in TROUBLE. Anyway, what prompted me to write this time was Lorraine’s additional parting thought, beyond her normal parting thought. She was sending us on our way with her zen blessing encouraging, “Opening our hearts up – first to ourselves, then to others around us.”

Think about this idea – opening up our hearts to ourselves first. By no means is this encouraging self-centeredness or any less care for others. Rather it encourages us to be loving, kind, and forgiving OF ourselves TO ourselves. We’re usually our toughest critic, and many of us don’t like the person and/or the life we inhabit. Once we can really love the person each of us is, then we can look beyond ourselves to open our hearts and lives to others. It’s OK to look out for Number 1, especially when this opens up your capacity to care more deeply for others around you.

Action Challenges: 1) Put your gym clothes on before you can talk yourself out of exercising. 2) Identify something you’ve been beating yourself up over… then curb back the self-abuse. You can still work on improving whatever it is – but don’t let it eat you up inside. A personal example of mine is my weight … I jokingly criticize my “Buddha belly” … but beneath the jokes the criticism inside is real (and I’m sure a good psychologist could have a field day, with observed parental behaviors, yadda yadda yadda). I’m trying hard to let the criticism go – to forgive myself for LOVING to eat the gourmet foods I LOVE to cook and to accept my aversion to exercise. At the same time I’m trying hard to eat just a little bit less, and to ride my bike or take my yoga class anyway [reference today’s action challenge #1!!!]. The big difference is accepting my flawed Buddha belly, loving myself for it anyway, and working toward continuous improvement. What’s your self-abuse, and how can you cut yourself a break?

Cheers and all my best to you!
~Brooxi

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."

- Lucille Ball

© Stephanie Brooks 2008