When we started social distancing last week, I was confused. We decided on no playdates, but neighborhood walks seemed okay. We kept our distance when speaking to people, even my toddler daughter did. There was one time though that as we were chatting, a child picked up a bug, which my daughter soon after picked … Continue reading Differentiating Between My Inner Child and My Actual Child
Tag: self-compassion
Losing Yourself in a Relationship, Losing Yourself in Your Work
As I began my early morning dive into my remote side job, I reminded myself that when this is over I will still be me, and I will have to work toward a calmer, more relaxed inner state. This is a short-term project, one that I have committed a lot of energy, attention, and care … Continue reading Losing Yourself in a Relationship, Losing Yourself in Your Work
What We Tell Ourselves Matters
Yesterday was a religious fast day. Fasting is supposed to spur repentance but my focus was getting through it (i.e. successfully not eating or drinking despite the cravings, weakness, etc.). Since I’m nursing and it was a minor fast, I gave myself permission to break the fast midday. My rabbi said it was fine. My … Continue reading What We Tell Ourselves Matters
Positive Affirmations—Where Were They When I Was Growing Up?
I am currently entering round 17 of embarking on greater self-compassion. I've studied it, practiced it, but for some other reason or another—boredom with the practice, lacking time to commit, or caring for my toddler daughter—I have not sustained it long term. The greatest break was when I incurred a back injury in 2011, and … Continue reading Positive Affirmations—Where Were They When I Was Growing Up?
Less Self-Conscious About Being Self-Conscious
When I took my Pilates certification course, I was 20 years old. I was the second youngest of the 30 women there, but that had little to do with my anxiety when I got assessed. I was always a self-conscious person. Constantly second-guessing myself, an incessant voice in my head telling me what I was … Continue reading Less Self-Conscious About Being Self-Conscious
Self-Acceptance: Seeing Yourself in a Realistic Light
Continuing thoughts from last Friday's post, another reason why I'm not great with constructive criticism is that I always feel like I am getting graded. I was always concerned about my grades in school. I wasn't the best in all the subjects, but I had straight As in math/science/Jewish classes which upped my GPA from … Continue reading Self-Acceptance: Seeing Yourself in a Realistic Light
Lessons of Myopia
Often when I do yoga while the kiddoes are napping in the preschool room, I have the following thought: G-d gave me nearsighted vision to remind me NOT to care if others are watching. I can't tell: When I remove my glasses, everyone more than 5-10 feet away looks like a blur to me. The … Continue reading Lessons of Myopia
Increased Self-Compassion Breeds Greater Compassion for Others
One day I was driving through the local shopping center, and I thought about how far removed I felt from the person walking in front of the stop sign in which I was stopped. I was ready to continue driving the instant that person cleared the area. Why I myself am a pedestrian I feel … Continue reading Increased Self-Compassion Breeds Greater Compassion for Others
I Am My Yoga Client Too
I had found the perfect playlist for teaching my weekly yoga sessions. That meant that I didn't want to listen to it for my own yoga practice anymore—I didn't want it to get stale. I enjoyed other songs by the same artist, but I missed listening to those songs. Then I reminded myself a few … Continue reading I Am My Yoga Client Too
I’m Only Human
While doing yoga this morning, the following thought popped into my head: I am human. This was an invitation to not seek out perfection. An offering to ease my anxiety; to slow life down; make my expectations more realistic. Maybe it was inspired by my sore toe tendon (yes, injuries can be inspiring, in that … Continue reading I’m Only Human
