Include Yourself in Your Circle of Care

Mindful editor-in-chief Heather Hurlock reminds us that we all deserve to treat ourselves with kindness, even (especially) when it feels like we can’t.

Group of people holding a pink heart icon

Lately, I’ve been spending time contemplating what it means to be safe. My answers change all the time: a home for my family, a reliable income, a mask, a vaccine. For women, safety sometimes requires silence or lack of eye contact. Safety can mean freedom from oppression. Sometimes safety, not just for yourself, but for the people around you—your family, your coworkers—requires deep knowledge of your purpose and your boundaries, and fierce honesty in the face of your worst habits.

But safety can also be found in the center of our being. In the spaciousness of our inner knowing. That spaciousness is available to all of us—it’s part of our birthright as human beings. It’s also easily obscured by clouds of doubt, fear, self-judgment, and cultural conditioning. We can fool ourselves into thinking that peace and safety aren’t meant for us. Especially if, like me, you have a hard time with self-compassion.

Be Kind to Yourself

If there’s one thing most of our Mindful contributors can agree on, it’s this: To love your life, you need to love yourself. That can be a tall order for some of us. Which is why, for this August issue, we’ve gathered a host of voices to remind you to include yourself in your circle of care”

There are so many ways this world tries to separate us from our knowing—and sometimes the biggest culprit is our own fearful voice. But with a little self-compassion, perhaps we can awaken to each moment, safe and strong, and open to the wisdom in our hearts.

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10 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement: 2021 

What remains, amid loss and suffering, uncertainty and fear, is the breath. Ten mindful women offer the wisdom of their practice, from their hearts to yours. Read More 

  • Amber Tucker, Ava Whitney-Coulter, Heather Hurlock, Kylee Ross, Oyinda Lagunju, and Stephanie Domet
  • June 22, 2021