21 Spiritual Self-Care ‘Rules’ From Yoga Girl
Yoga instructor and Instagram phenomenon Rachel Brathen AKA Yoga Girl shares her top life lessons so you can bring the calm off the mat and into your everyday life
1 Make peace with your past. Come to terms with the difficulties you’ve been through – it’s the only way to create a peaceful life
2 Forgiveness is the key to happiness
3 The most important thing is not what happens to you in life, but how you choose to react to what’s happening. Life is not as serious as your mind makes it out to be. Learn to create distance between your perception of the world and what’s actually going on in the present moment, instead of simply reacting blindly to things that come your way
4 It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’ve experienced in your past. Your happiness is in your hands! We are not victims of our circumstances. We have the power to change how we are feeling
5 Tell yourself: I will not create any more drama in my life
6 Set your roots. Build your foundations and let the adventures you have ahead of your grow from a place of stability
7 Be patient with your body
8 Even if you can’t see how your dream is going to come true, focus on the idea of it happening. You don’t need to know every step ahead of you to be able to move forward
9 Don’t get stuck with labels! Eat what keeps your body and soul happy
10 You are perfect the way you already are. Thinking we will be happier by changing our bodies is simply scratching at the surface. What lies beneath? What do you really need to be happy?
11 Focusing on the things you perceive as flaws only magnifies them. See your own beauty
12 Life gives us challenges to help us grow. Everything that comes our way is here for a reason. Don’t shy away – embrace the bad times as much as you do the good
13 Be truthful. Tell the truth to yourself, to your loved ones, to the world
14 Nothing is more important than your own well-being. Sometimes saying no is caring for yourself
15 Surrendering to what is and moving with life instead of against it is the key to happy living
16 The only thing that matters is how much you love
17 Do your best. It will always be enough
18 You are not a victim of your surroundings. You are a powerful being with a choice
19 Cultivate mindfulness. Being present in your life and being grateful for what you have will attract more postive things into your life, and in the end you’ll have more and more things to be grateful for. It’s a never-ending postive cycle
20 The only thing we can truly know for sure is that things will change. Stay present in what you have and learn to move with the highs and lows of life
21 Love what is. Don’t judge. Don’t label. Love. Just love
About the author
Adapted from Yoga Girl by Rachel Brathen (£16.99 Yellow Kite Books).
Rachel Brathen leads workshops all over the world, runs amazing retreats and teaches SUP Yoga (Stand-Up Paddle board Yoga). To find out more, visit Rachel Brathen
Main image by Ben Kane
