Week Six! On love.

Wow. Six weeks. Six crazy, awesome, busy, eventful weeks. We've had a blizzard or two, roughly 17 feet of snow, and far too many cancelled classes. But, here we are, we're hanging in. 

For the past 2 weeks I've thought a lot about the heart. Many of our yoga classes have included heart openers and a focus on the heart chakra. 

As I encourage my class to open their hearts and connect with the source of loving kindness  within themselves, I am careful to remind them to offer some of that love to themselves. It's easier to offer love to one another, than it is to accept and love to our own flawed, imperfect, little self. 

I am no exception - I am quick to criticize myself, and slow to forgive my mistakes. But love, my friends, love forgives all things. Love takes that which we would change about ourselves and makes it into something worth sharing with the world. 

So, while we still have some time left in this month of the heart, let's love ourselves enough to offer ourselves to the world, just as we are. Let's put down the automatic "I'm good, thanks. How are you?" and let's offer, "I had a hard time getting my kids out the door this morning, thanks for asking". Let's be ourselves, our true, imperfectly perfect selves. 

At the same time, let's offer others the opportunity to be themselves. When we present our flawed self to the world, it allows others the freedom to be flawed, too. 

Let's connect honestly with each other. Even for a moment. Let go of how we think we should walk, talk, look, be. And just be ourselves. That's where love can live, in the honest, accepting  connections between us. There, and only there. 

From my heart to yours, you are perfect just the way you are. Shine on, my friend.