My version of self care is admittedly a bit different: I take care of myself by treating myself like a friend.

It’s hard to say that without sounding a bit saccharin and awkward and yet, befriending myself has been intertwined with my yoga practice and the source of recent personal growth.

Friendship with oneself isn’t going to look or feel like friendship with anyone else. We reveal our needs to ourselves quite differently. Developing trust and rapport is delicate. In the beginning, I was often judgmental and did not always want to acknowledge my emotional needs.

I stayed the course because I wasn’t benefiting from the old way I had treated myself.

In time I became much gentler.

Being kind to myself was a better use of my energy. I wasn’t as raw or embarrassed by my softness. Physical tensions began to thaw, too.

At this point, I find myself simultaneously lovable and really annoying. It’s honest and much the way I imagine my friends experience me.

The biggest win of all of it is that I have a companion inside me who can be with me whenever I need it.

I wish I had known her sooner.