by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
At a public talk with Sri Sri, a woman asked, "It might sound silly but it is a genuine question from the heart. How does one begin to love oneself more?" His answer is below.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - "There is an anecdote. Someone was trying to catch a black cat in a dark room which was not there. First of all, you think there is a cat and then you try to catch it.
The first assumption that you don’t love yourself is itself wrong. You ARE Love. When you think I don’t love myself, and make so much effort to love yourself, it results in total failure. I tell you, you cannot make an effort to love, either yourself or anybody. You simply have to relax and realize that you are love. Got it?
Simply realize that you are love. Don’t try to love yourself, just relax. The best way to realize this is by doing pranayama, meditation and breathing exercises."