Go easy on yourself, a new wave of research urges
A recent New York Times article discusses new research that shows that being compassionate to yourself may give you better health. It supports the Yoga Sutra I.33.
Sutra I. 33
“Through cultivation of friendliness, compassion, joy and indifference to pleasure and pain, virtue and vice respectively, the consciousness becomes favorably disposed, serene and benevolent.” (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, trans. BKS Iyengar)
By practicing this Sutra not only towards others but to ourselves can change our lives from the inside out.
SELF-COMPASSION – Well Blog – NYTimes.com
February 28, 2011, 5:26 PM
Go easy on yourself, a new wave of research urges
By TARA PARKER-POPEDo you treat yourself as well as you treat your friends and family?
That simple question is the basis for a burgeoning new area of psychological research called self-compassion — how kindly people view themselves. People who find it easy to be supportive and understanding to others, it turns out, often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests, berating themselves for perceived failures like being overweight or not exercising.
The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic. Preliminary data suggest that self-compassion can even influence how much we eat and may help some people lose weight.
This idea does seem at odds with the advice dispensed by many doctors and self-help books, which suggest that willpower and self-discipline are the keys to better health. But Kristin Neff, a pioneer in the field, says self-compassion is not to be confused with self-indulgence or lower standards. continue reading »