Sacred Self-Care: How I learned to treat my body like a temple through yoga
In Yoga, the body is not merely seen as a physical structure, but as a sacred vessel —a temple that houses the soul.
Our body is the vehicle through which our mind and soul experience life and move toward higher consciousness.
Therefore, every act of self-care, nourishment, movement, positive self-talk and mindfulness is an opportunity to make an offering to the light within us —and ultimately to honor the magical energy that created all of us (whoever and whatever you believe in).
Whether you believe that there is an energy that created us all or not, I believe that this teaching can benefit and serve you if you decide to hold it to be true.
It certainly did for me.
Ever since I truly understood this philosophy at a heart level, I completely lost the desire to fix my physical insecurities and found a new sense of purpose to life.
It doesn't mean that I don't want to improve anymore and that everything is perfect. Quite the opposite, I certainly know that I'm not perfect and there is plenty of room for me to grow and learn.
But instead for this intention to stem from fear of criticism and not fitting in, it is deeply rooted in presence, celebration and love.
I care for my hair, skin and body shape not because I want to fix a broken self or because I fear negative judgment —but because I love this light within me so much that I want to preserve it, I want to enhance and express its true beauty and I want it to have the coziest house to thrive in so that it can share its best gifts to the world and experience all that it is meant to experience.
I treat my body like a temple and That is the essence of sacred self-care.
I finally see it now.
My body is the perfect vessel that the Universe entrusted my soul with for manifesting its intentions and I wouldn't trade it for another body —because that would mean giving up on my divine mission which is to embody my soul the best I can, which, to me, is where magic and fun of life reside.
I owe this enlightenment to my consistent practice of Yoga and Ayurveda and I am grateful for all that I have unlocked so far —and that is what we are going to chat about today, in the hopes that it will unlock something in you too.
I want everyone to appreciate their body and to feel how amazing, precious and unique their soul is if only they could understand this.
I want YOU to feel the beauty and light within you, to embody it unapologetically and to know and befriend your own soul so much so that you just want to take care of it and give it the best.
1. Sacred self-care starts with trusting that our bodies are the perfect vessels for manifesting the Universe's intentions
Society has a pretty clear set of ideals across almost all areas of life —including our physical appearance.
As a Pitta person, I have a weak spot for seemingly unattainable goals and, in that regards, society knows how to provide.
If everyone competed to be being thin, tall, toned, well-groomed, I'd schedule in 5am cardio, starve myself, wear heels, lift weights, painted my nails, had facials and wore makeup, on top of a demanding 9am-12am work schedule, without an ounce of hesitation.
I even spent countless hours trying to mold myself to fit cultural ideals knowing that I will simply never measure up, unless I was up for surgery —wasting a lot of time, money and energy to make my tan skin whiter, my large nose smaller, my small eyes larger, my low cheekbones higher and my strong facial structure more delicate.
I called these "self-care" and "beauty treatments", but truly, I was just going where the wind blew, constantly chasing trends —never questioning why I was doing what I was doing until I'd burn out, recover and repeat the cycle all over again.
Fixing myself and striving for society's standards helped me belong, which felt safe.
Plus, I didn't need to find new goals, I just had to open social media.
If everyone wants that. Then, I should want it too.
At one point, it got so confusing that I woke up one day realizing that I was unable to know what I wanted without external input. It was as though my body was so controlled by external opinions that I couldn't help but follow trends and the worst part was: I was aware of all the masquerade now —and that felt scary.
Needless to say that I was definetely not treating my body like a temple.
Instead of putting time, energy and money towards getting to know my own features, answering to my inner calling and fulfilling my life purpose, I willingly spent them insulting my ancestors' legacy and the creative work of the energy that created me.
So I embarked on a spiritual quest, trying to fetch my soul back, reading all I could about all sorts of spiritual beliefs, hoping that someone could teach me how to repair my broken inner-compass that couldn't find the magnetic north anymore.
That led me to committing to a daily Yoga practice that healed a lot of my fears and moved me towards love and reverence —THE magnetic north.
Unlike popular beliefs, the purpose of Yoga isn't to be flexible, to look calm and poised or to get into crazy shapes for Instagram. In Yoga, there is no performance involved. If that is what you seek, you might want to check out contortionism, dance, acrobatics, circus acts and gymnastics —there, you might get some applause.
Instead, the term Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word Yuj, which translates to "to unite" and "to join". We practice the poses to train mind and soul to inhabit the body fully, befriend one another and work in unison —and ultimately, unite with the Universe and manifest what we are divinely supposed to manifest.
When we unite, we flow and there is simply no space for judgment.
Everything just seems like it is meant to be.
Every time I step onto my mat, I let this thought carry me, humble me and remind me that the Universe knows what experiences and body shape suit my soul best —to manifest what was intended for me.
Through Yoga, I don't try to conform to society's demands because I am not here to please society or participate in its masquerade.
I am here to manifest what the Universe intends for me to manifest. I am here on a divine mission —and so are you.
If the Universe wanted us to all look the same and manifest the same things, we would have. But we don't, do we?
My body is a divine gift and it is my honor to care for it. It is the temple of my soul.
Through Yoga, I dust, tune, appreciate and practice this divine instrument, for it to produce pitches that accurately and harmoniously reflect my soul's voice, in the earthling orchestra we all play in together.
I understand that self-care doesn't look like correcting or fixing. Rather, it is about enhancing, preserving and loving my features as they are.
I don't try to be somebody else because Yoga teaches me that everyone has a unique instrument that if played well can contribute magnificently to the melody we play together.
Therefore, I love my tan skin that protects me from the sun, my large nose that helps me breath deeper, my small enigmatic eyes that prevent emotional leakage, my low cheekbones and strong facial features that carry wisdom.
This philosophy drives me to love myself and care for myself with deep reverence and gratitude, which to me, is the deepest form of self-care that trumps any beauty product on the market.
That is the root of sacred self-care.
2. Sacred self-care is about honest self-study and supporting our souls' desires
Often time when we think of self-care, we think of moving our bodies, meditation, journaling, sleeping, eating healthily, skincare, haircare, painting nails, bubble baths, reading, spending time in nature, making arts, going to the spa.
These are all great ideas but true sacred self-care is about building systems that support the mind body and spirit we are today.
It is about caring for the mind and the body so that it can show up for the soul.
In Yoga, there are the concepts of self-study (Svadhyaya), contentment (Santosha) and truth (Satya).
Applied to self-care these yogic guidelines invite us to
- be honest about what our body needs in this present moment
- choose self-care practicies that honor our physical individuality and personal constitution
- cultivate wisdom to stay away from the superfluous to make more time for what helps your inner-light truly bloom —even if that means not trying it all the latest self-care trends.
Yogis always come back to their inner-truth and trust the wisdom within.
When working on the poses, my ego is tempted to compare with my neighbors. There are days when I even compare my Yoga practice with my good days self's practice —expecting to perform as well on days I slept 8 hours versus days I only slept 5.
But I let these yogic philosophies remind me that I am on my own path. I am the only one who can unite with my soul and who knows myself the best.
And so I am okay using props to support and meet my body where it is today (not yesterday, not even an hour ago), even if I am the only one who does, constantly reminding myself that it isn't about getting into impressive poses but about practicing quieting my mind and body to flow with my soul self.
Therefore, when crafting self-care rituals, I always start with my own constitution and current personal needs and imbalances (vikriti). I understand that what works for others might not work for me. What worked for me in the past might not work for me now. I am not afraid to observe, switch things up, and welcome what is unfolding for me, with presence, focus and contentment.
That is how sacred self-care sprouts.
3. Crafting self-care rituals like a yogi
a. Small and simple are the secrets for consistent progress
If you're Pitta, you probably know that reaching for small and simple aren't Pitta people's strong point. Pitta people are intense. They go all in. There is no wishy washy actions (or anything really).
If self-care rituals are good for us, let's schedule a 20-step routine and call it our "must-do rituals". Better, let's find Vata friends, to get even more ideas to add to the routine. I'm sure there are many of them online.
For Pittas, everything is a priority. We want to do it all. We know we can do it all everyday and really believe that it is sustainable —until it isn't and we hit burnout.
The worst part is: Pittas don't really learn the lesson unless the fire gets too wild and they don't have anything left to burn anymore. That's usually when we realize that we didn't build anything that last and need to stop repeating the overscheduling-burnout-repeat cycle.
Yoga taught me to keep non-negotiable self-care rituals small and simple. If it is complex, then it is not a priority.
At the core of Yoga is the breath —no matter how complex the pose or the flow is. We never compromise on breathing. Our breath helps us hold a pose a little longer, stretch a little deeper and flow a little more gracefully.
We can always return to our breath. We always know how, even on challenging days. Our breath is grounding, it is simple but if practiced consistently, pays off tremendously, and that is what great self-care rituals should be like.
Just like a simple Yoga flow practiced everyday, these rituals might seem insignificant until one day, you wake up and realize that you can get into scorpion pose, are now 150-year old and still have all your natural teeth.
That is how sacred self-care blossoms.
b. Flowing with the natural cycles
There are many styles of Yoga. That is because people are different and even one single person may need different form of movement at different times.
Believe it or not, according to yogic philosophies, gentle styles of Yoga are as potent and impactful as more vigorous ones. They all help us unite and strike balance.
Yoga taught me that masculine energy and doing makes me stronger and endurant but not more flexible, calm or graceful. Yet, unlike weight lifting, to get into the most advanced Yoga shapes, we need both in equilibrium.
Depending on my physical needs and through honest self-study, I might need to adjust my Yoga practice.
Just like Yoga, depending on our personal constitution, our state of imbalance, our menstrual cycle, the season we are in (literally and figuratively), we might want to adjust our self-care rituals.
Now, I see seasons as a way to help us experience, meet, love and care for all aspects of our soul. Through them, we expand our body's abilities to host our soul. Through them, we experience contrast and cherish the beauty of the moment, knowing that nothing is permanent.
That is how sacred self-care flourishes.
c. Intentionality, quality and moderation keep the spark alive
Have you ever noticed that when you constantly indulge in work, pleasure and comfort, it somehow becomes dull and loses its magic?
In Yoga there is the concept of moderation and right use of energy (Brahmacharya). This principle talks about the importance of avoiding extremes when it comes to earthling sensations —whether in work, food, comfort, sleep, thought, possessions or sex.
By staying away from excess and passion, we don't burn. Instead, we keep a constant inner-light alive, focusing on what is truly meaningful and making time for high quality and what truly matters for us.
Occasional indulgence becomes more special, sweet, meaningful, enjoyable and nourishing for our inner-light, and therefore more sacred and our bodies becomes temples for our souls.
Yoga taught me to live for inner-peace and to stay away for dopamine hits, as those are short-lived. They seem sweet at first but are ultimately, destructive.
I treat my body like a temple that only hosts what supports my inner-light so that I can feel its warm and see it shine brighter.
That is where the fruits of sacred self-care reside.
d. The power of aging like wine through yoga
The best sacred self-care rituals are the ones that make us age like wine. The more we practice them, the better we get.
Through Yoga, I learned that the mind and body are far more capable than what they seem to be.
The more I practice, the better I know myself, the more I learn, the more truthful, discerning amd freer I become, the more skillful I am at caring loving myself, the more united I am and the more I know how to love, care and appreciate for others.
I expand the range of capabilities my body and mind can handle and marvel at the number of layers they have.
We were given our bodies to practice playing the sound of our soul which echoes the sound of the Universe —because only we can.
Whenever I discover a new layer, I play and fine tune my self-care ritual to incorporate a new key that will enhance the sound of my soul.
Thus, the more I age, the more keys I have and the more curious I become about what my mind and body can do next.
And That is the sweet nectar of sacred self-care and Yoga is one way to treating our bodies like temples.
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5. Conclusion
This is how I learned to treat my body like I temple through Yoga.
Understanding the concept of sacred self-care taught me to care for my temple with intention, reverence and love which results in showing up more fully for others and the world. Through my rituals I learned to live with purpose, grace, and inner freedom.
I hope this article inspires you to see and care for your body in a new way too.
Celes Circle Moments (@celescircle)
