Cultivating Inner Harmony and Compassion:
A Meditation Practice for Self-Love

Love, the most essential need in our world, serves as the pathway to peace, empathy, and compassion — the very vibrations required to shape a more harmonious future. This profound force holds the potential to foster joy and abundance for everyone, commencing with nurturing self-love. After all, the love we extend to others must first bloom within ourselves. What we foster within begins to manifest around us.

In a world teeming with ceaseless activity and perpetual demands for our attention, it requires a conscious effort to remain grounded and resist succumbing to the chaotic external forces. When we experience inner turmoil, impatience surfaces, leading us to pass judgment on ourselves and others, potentially causing us to lose touch with our inner voice and genuine essence. At times, we might feel drained because we direct our love outwardly to others while neglecting to nurture ourselves. Understanding the delicate dance of equilibrium between giving and receiving love — both within ourselves and in our relational interactions — ushers in the most joyful and harmonious existence.

As we embrace the knowledge that life presents us with choices and challenges guiding us towards our greatest possibilities, our hearts expand to welcome the distinct journeys of each individual on this planet. We find inner tranquility by viewing our missteps as opportunities for growth; compassion flourishes as we acknowledge we’re all on our unique paths, striving to do our best. In this light, the reflections we see in others serve as mirrors, revealing facets of ourselves — both those we readily accept and those we might prefer to overlook. It’s within these reflections we begin to grasp more of our truth and eagerly move towards our fullest potential.

Kriya for Creating Self-Love

This kriya helps to open the heart, create a positive relationship to the self, and make you available to receive love.

Kriya for Creating Self-Love

This kriya helps to open the heart, create a positive relationship to the self, and make you available to receive love.

1. Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine. Hold the right palm six to nine inches above the top center of the head. The right palm faces down, blessing you. This self-blessing corrects the aura. The left elbow bends with the upper arm near the rib cage. The left palm faces forward and blesses the world. The eyes close and focus on the lunar center in the middle of the chin. Breathe long, slow, and deep with a feeling of self-affection. Try to breathe only one breath per minute: Inhale 20 seconds, hold 20 seconds, exhale 20 seconds. 11 minutes. Inhale deeply and move slowly and directly into position for exercise two.
2. Extend the arms straight out in front, parallel to the ground, palms facing down. Stretch out to your maximum. The eyes stay focused at the lunar center in the center of the chin, and the breath is long, slow, and deep. 3 minutes. Inhale deeply and move slowly and directly into position for exercise three.
3. Stretch the arms straight up with the palms facing forward. There is no bend in the elbows. The eyes stay focused at the lunar center and the breath continues to be long, slow, and deep. 3 minutes. To end: Inhale, hold the breath for 10 seconds while you stretch the arms upward (try to stretch so much your buttocks lifts) and tighten all the muscles of the body. Repeat this sequence two more times.

Shanti Krishna is a mother, actor, and voice artist turned devoted Kundalini yogini. She is passionate about empowering others to master their mind, body, and soul through yogic practice, meditation, and self-reflection so they may walk through this ever-evolving world with grace and love. She aims to inspire others to embody their authentic truth and flourish within unique expression and mastery of their path of purpose and divine destiny. Inspired by youth, Shanti works with those most in need of enlightened support and love, helping bring them to their brightest self through her organization, Earth’s Root.