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4 Tips for Self-Kindess from Yoga Guru Kate Kendall

Kate Kendall - photo by Bianca Cheah[2]

Pic credit: Bianca Cheah

 

I'm pretty hard on myself, and I know you are too. You didn't get to the gym today *lazy girl*, you skipped breakfast *ruined my metabolism* and put a lovely red sock in with the whites *incompetent*. But you know what? That's called life. You probably excelled at a million other things today, far more important than your laundry skills. We all need to go a little easier on ourselves, but it's not always that simple. I chat with Kate Kendall, Co-Founder and Director of Yoga at Sydney’s Flow Athletic, and part of the Simple Skincare Advisory Board, to get some tips on practising self-kindness.


I'm lucky that yoga was a saving grace for me. For a while in my life I wasn't very kind to myself and essentially made some lifestyle decisions that weren't great for my health. Yoga has taught me to practice less resistance to situations, look after my body physically and the philosophies of this ancient practice have taught me to be kinder not only to myself, but to the person next to me which is, I think, what the world needs more than anything at the moment.

 

Here are four postures and practices in yoga that promote kindness all round:

 

Savasana

Also known as 'corpse' pose, I like to think of the energy of this pose as complete surrender. It's all about receiving the splendour of stillness and giving yourself space  (without tasks, movement and conversation) to 'catch up' and reset.

 

Balances

Any balance is a good test for focus, concentration and confidence, however, when we fall out of them we have two choices – to react with anger, frustration and self judgement OR with love, kindness and acceptance that we're having a wobbly day and to actually allow the wobbles and falls to humble us.

 

Ujayi Breath

This is the most common breath work done in yoga and it stimulates the vagus nerve which runs from the top of the spinal cord and is connected with many major organs along it's way down to the intestines. It's partly responsible for posture, breathing, reduction of heart rate and during 'stress' it relays adrenalin into the bloodstream triggering flight or fight responses. All of these factors effect how we feel about ourselves. In other words, if we are carrying ourselves well with confident body language and posture, are breathing in a calm and controlled fashion, reducing our aversion to stress, we're ultimately happier and kinder to ourselves and the people around us.

 

Smile-Asana

It involves turning up the sides of the mouth and is one of the simplest 'postures' we can do. Ok... I just made the posture up, but did you know that the nervous system doesn't know the difference between a 'real' and 'fake' smile? Neurotransmitters called endorphins are released when you smile, triggered by the movements of the muscles in your face. Your brain can not differentiate between fake or real smiling. Fake it baby!

 


 

Now give yourself a little hug, smile, and go easy on yourself. You're amazing just the way you are.
the fit foodie

 

4 Tips for Self-Kindess from Yoga Guru Kate KendallKate is a pioneer for Simple Skincare’s core philosophies of bring kind to yourself and campaign #SimpleActs. Growing up in a small country town on the foothills of the snowy mountains of New South Wales, Kate regularly contributes to Body+Soul as their resident Yoga Guru, inspiring millions of Australians with the opportunity to experience yoga progressively and in a way that is adaptable to a contemporary lifestyle.
Follow Kate on: Instagram | Twitter
Sally O'Neil - Editor in Chief

Sal is on a mission to prove that healthy and nutritious doesn’t have to be boring – and that even while staying in shape you can have your cake and eat it too. After losing 14kg from adopting a healthier lifestyle, she shares her journey with others on The Fit Foodie Blog. She also works as a commercial food photographer and stylist, is studying a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, and is the author of two cookbooks: Love Move Eat (Bauer Media, 2017) and Meal Prep Plan (Murdoch, 2019).

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