I recently took a yoga class, and at the beginning of class, the teacher asked us to look at ourselves in the mirror and find something to praise or something we could meet with kindness. My instant reaction was cringe. This was not what I wanted to do. I wanted to close my eyes, direct my attention inward, and go from there. But I listened.
Almost immediately, I noticed that I didn’t want to look into my own eyes. Rather than confront that discomfort, I lowered my gaze and found myself looking at my hands. At that moment, my heart swelled. My long, slender, spidery fingers are almost exactly like my mom’s hands, and she received those same bony hands from her mother, my grandmother. My mom, who plays the piano, routinely told me while I was growing up how beautiful my hands were—that they were “piano fingers,” perfect for the keys and beautiful in my ballet performances.
While I never quite saw the beauty of my hands the way my mom did, in that moment, sitting on my mat, looking into the mirror, I understood. I saw the beauty of uniqueness. The beauty of a hallmark trait passed down through generations. The beauty of being fully present, looking at my own hands and recognizing them as an extension of my family, my history, and my heart.
This small moment of awakening—of seeing with clear, kind eyes—felt sweet, stabilizing, and powerful. The simplicity of kind presence brought such comfort and warmth. This is the gift of open, loving awareness. Being present without negative judgment is one of the greatest gifts we can offer ourselves and others.
After that class, and throughout the past few weeks, I found myself practicing this skill. I searched for opportunities to pause and notice with kind eyes—to see something good in another person, to see something good in myself, to mine each moment for simple beauty and abundance. I found that when I focused on meeting the moment with my full attention— with compassion, and curiosity— that my perception widened. It was like putting on technicolor glasses. I highly encourage you to try it out for yourself.
So wherever you are this month, whatever is pulling you in a hundred different directions, let that be okay for a moment. Pause. Notice something about yourself and another with kindness. Find something to lovingly behold.
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